Sathasivan "Saths" Cooper (born 11 June 1950) is a clinical psychologist in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
who was born in Durban of
Indian-South African background. He began to identify with the
Black Consciousness Movement
The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) was a grassroots anti-Apartheid activist movement that emerged in South Africa in the mid-1960s out of the political vacuum created by the jailing and banning of the African National Congress and Pan Afri ...
(BCM) and joined the
South African Students' Organisation
The South African Students' Organisation (SASO) was a body of black South African university students who resisted apartheid through non-violent political action. The organisation was formed in 1969 under the leadership of Steve Biko and Barney ...
(SASO), and was one of the so-called "
SASO Nine
The SASO/BPC trial, also known as the Black Consciousness trial, was an apartheid-era legal trial in South Africa which resulted in the conviction of nine Black Consciousness activists from the South African Students' Organisation (SASO) and ...
" student leaders arrested in 1974 for their
anti-Apartheid activities.
During this time Saths spent nine years banned, house arrested and jailed, including over five years in
Robben Island
Robben Island ( af, Robbeneiland) is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the Dutch word for seals (''robben''), hence the Dutch/Afrik ...
where he shared a cell block with
Nelson Mandela.
While imprisoned, Cooper completed his undergraduate degree in psychology via a
correspondence course
Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...
with the
University of South Africa
The University of South Africa (UNISA), known colloquially as Unisa, is the largest university system in South Africa by enrollment. It attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. Through various colleges and affiliates, U ...
.
Released in 1982 Cooper went on to study at the
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (), is a multi-campus South African public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University or Wits ( or ). The university ...
completing his PhD as a
Fulbright scholar at
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...
.
He was four times elected President of the
Psychological Society of South Africa, and was Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the
University of Durban-Westville
The University of Durban-Westville (UDW) was a university situated in Westville, a town situated near Durban, South Africa, which opened in 1972. It is now one of the campuses of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It was initially established for ...
(prior to its merger).
He served as President of the International Congress of Psychology which was held in 2012 in Cape Town,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
. At the Congress, Cooper was elected the first African President of the
International Union of Psychological Science
The International Union of Psychological Science, abbreviated IUPsyS or the Union, is the global umbrella organization for psychology.
History
Starting in 1889, an International Congress of Psychology has been held every few years. The Interna ...
(IUPsyS), a kind of United Nations for 90 national psychology organizations and over 20 regional organizations.
[Rich, G. J., & Kuriansky, J. (2015). Saths Cooper: Post-Apartheid Psychologists, Activist, and Leader in South Africa and Beyond. In G. J. Rich & U. P. Gielen (Eds.). (2015). ''Pathfinders in international psychology'', (pp. 241-255). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.]
Background
Cooper was born in a rural area outside
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
, South Africa where his parents ran a local school. He grew up understanding and using multiple languages including
Zulu,
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
,
Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
,
Xhosa
Xhosa may refer to:
* Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa
* Xhosa language, one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, principally spoken by the Xhosa people
See als ...
, and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
.
Cooper became politically active in high school and continued to be politically active throughout college, which may have resulted in his expulsion from the University College,
Salisbury Island Salisbury Island may refer to:
* Salisbury Island (California), United States
* Salisbury Island (Nunavut), Canada
*Salisbury Island (Russia)
*Salisbury Island (Western Australia), Australia
*Iona Island (New York), once known as Salisbury Island
...
, Durban as well as the
South African government denying him a passport to attend university in Britain.
As a leader of the
Natal Indian Congress
The Natal Indian Congress (NIC) was an organisation that aimed to fight discrimination against Indians in South Africa.
The Natal Indian Congress was proposed by Mahatma Gandhi on 22 May 1894. established on 22 August 1894.
Gandhi was the H ...
, Cooper had frequent meetings with
Steve Biko, the leader of the
Black Consciousness Movement
The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) was a grassroots anti-Apartheid activist movement that emerged in South Africa in the mid-1960s out of the political vacuum created by the jailing and banning of the African National Congress and Pan Afri ...
, and encouraged
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
activists to participate in this movement.
Contributions to Psychology
Cooper's most significant contributions to
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...
was to help South Africans heal from the trauma of
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
, advance human rights, and support democracy.
He also helped to create the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA), which was South Africa's first psychology organization that did not discriminate based on race or gender.
Roles
* Founding Secretary - Theatre Council of Natal (TECON)
* Founding Secretary - South African Black Theatre Union
* Co-Leader - 1972 national student boycott of the
University of the North
The University of Limpopo is a university in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2005, by the merger of the University of the North and the Medical University of South Africa (MEDUNSA). These previous institutions form ...
(with Steve Biko)
* Vice president, deputy, and president -
Azanian People's Organization
* Founder - National Forum
* Founding trustee - Institute for Black Research
* President - South African/Azanian Student Movement, US
* Chair -
Archbishop Tutu Scholarship Fund
* Co-Founder - Center for Health and Development, US
* Chair - Soweto Dance Theatre Company
* Chair - Operation Masakhane for the Homeless
* Participant - Alternate Dispute Resolution Association of South Africa
* Chair - South African Community Developmental Agency
* Chair - Conquest for Life
* Founding member - Goldstone Commission of Enquiry into Children's Rights
* Contributor -
Robben Island Museum
* Contributor -
Apartheid Museum
The Apartheid Museum is a museum in Johannesburg, South Africa, illustrating apartheid and the 20th-century history of South Africa. The museum, part of the Gold Reef City complex, was opened in November 2001.
At least five times a year, events a ...
* Contributor - Nelson Mandela Gateway
* Founding publisher - Indigo (lifestyle magazine)
* Consult - Various radio and television programs
* Chair -
Road Accident Fund
The Road Accident Fund (RAF) is a South African state insurer that provides liability and collision insurance coverage to all drivers in South Africa . RAF does not cover property damage (such as damage to vehicles, buildings, and the contents ...
* Representative - IUPsyS
Honors
* Fellow of the
International Science Council
The International Science Council (ISC) is an international non-governmental organization that unites scientific bodies at various levels across the social and natural sciences. The ISC was formed with its inaugural general assembly on 4 July 20 ...
* Fellow of the
British Psychological Society (2014).
*
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...
Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology (2014).
* Achievement Against The Odds Award from
International Union of Psychological Science
The International Union of Psychological Science, abbreviated IUPsyS or the Union, is the global umbrella organization for psychology.
History
Starting in 1889, an International Congress of Psychology has been held every few years. The Interna ...
(2012).
* Medal for Services to International Psychology from
International Union of Psychological Science
The International Union of Psychological Science, abbreviated IUPsyS or the Union, is the global umbrella organization for psychology.
History
Starting in 1889, an International Congress of Psychology has been held every few years. The Interna ...
(2008).
* Fellow of the
National Academy of Psychology (India) (2007).
* Fellow of the
Psychological Society of South Africa (2002).
* Fellow of the
Irish Psychological Society.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Sathasivan
South African psychologists
Living people
1950 births
South African people of Indian descent
Fellows of the British Psychological Society
Apartheid in South Africa
South African theatre people
Black Consciousness Movement
People from Durban
South African anti-racism activists