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| Carl Rogers |
Humanistic Psychology:
It is a branch of psychology whose primary concern is with the development of the self with the uniqueness of an individual. Sometimes, humanistic psychology is referred to as third-force psychology; the other two forces are behaviorism and Freudian theory.
Humanistic
psychology has its roots in philosophy, especially in the existential
philosophy of writers such as Jean-Paul
Sartre. These philosophers wondered about the nature and purpose of
humanity and of human existence (hence, the label existentialism). They were
concerned about what it means to be human and how humanity grows and expresses
itself in each individual.
Meanwhile,
it is worth mentioning here that existentialism is a philosophical movement
characterized by a preoccupation with existence. Existential philosophers often
describe the human condition in terms such as abandonment, loneliness, despair, and alienation. These feelings
are assumed to arise from our lack of certain knowledge about our origins and
our eventual end. Hence, the label existentialism because the only knowable
reality is existence.
Humanistic
psychology is an orientation that readily admits that some people smile when they
wallow in mud, some turn up their noses but endure the embarrassment, and
others find such behavior quite unacceptable.
In more
human terms, humanism is based on the fundamental observation that although we
might resemble each other in many ways, each of us is quite different from each
other. Our uniqueness is our “self”. And self is the most central concept in
humanistic psychology.
The Humanistic Teacher:
The humanistic
view emphasizes two things: the uniqueness of the pupil and the teacher’s
attitudes towards students. Hence, humanistic teachers are especially sensitive
to diversity in their classrooms.
If teaching
is both an art and a science, humanists are on the side of art and behaviorists
on the side of science. One should keep in mind that most educators do not fall
into either the humanist, or the behaviorists, or the cognitive camp. Most are
quite eclectic; they borrow from here and there.
Rogerian Humanistic Theory:
Carl
Rogers was the first and foremost a psychotherapist. His main concern was with
understanding human personality in order to understand how it be changed, how
happiness might be restored to saddened lives.
Rogers’
theory emerged primarily as a reaction against other highly popular approaches
to therapy such as Freudian theory and behaviorism. Roger felt strongly that
these approaches were far less respectful and humane than they should be.
There are
different terms which are used to describe the various emphases of Rogerian
theory. These are:
Client-centered therapy (also called “person-centered therapy”):
It describes
several aspects of the system. It indicates, first, that the theory is a
therapeutic one; that is, it is designed to be useful to a counselor who deals
with behavioral and emotional problems. Second, this label highlights the major
difference between this and other approaches to counseling--namely, it
indicates that the counseling procedures revolve around the individual. It
proposes client-centered as opposed to directive therapy. The counselor’s
role in client-centered therapy is accordingly de-emphasized; the therapist,
instead of giving advice or solving problems for clients, sets the stage so
that the clients themselves define their own problems, react to them, and take
steps toward their solution.
Phenomenology:
The
term, commonly used in Rogerian theory, denotes concern with the world as it is
perceived by an individual rather than as the world may actually be. Rogers
notes that counselors and teachers can never truly know the individual’s private,
phenomenological world. But to be
truly effective, they must try to understand it. Accordingly, empathy is an
important characteristic of any humanistic educator.
