Witnessing dreams of liberation: understanding racialised other experiences in psychology classrooms of Portuguese academia

Batista Júnior, D, 2025. Witnessing dreams of liberation: understanding racialised other experiences in psychology classrooms of Portuguese academia. PhD, Nottingham Trent University.

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Abstract

Background: Racism, rooted in colonialism, affects racialised students in Portuguese universities, often through denial. Luso-tropicalism portrays Portuguese colonialism as benevolent, marginalising and excluding knowledge in psychology courses. This research examines the experiences of racialised psychology students in Portuguese Higher Education, adopting a decolonial approach to address colonial legacies. It draws on Liberation Psychology, Radical Humanisation, and Indigenous Frameworks, emphasising dialogue and rejecting marginalisation.

Thesis Aims: This research aims to understand individual experiences within neoliberal Western universities and their aspirations to reimagine academic spaces through a decolonial lens.

Methods: The study employed a qualitative methodology grounded in decolonial research approaches, utilising testimonios and dream analysis to investigate marginalisation and exclusion while promoting collective reimagining. Twelve participants (n = 12), who identified as Black, Brown, Indigenous, and immigrant psychology students at Portuguese universities, participated in the dialogues. Relational thematic analysis identified patterns in their experiences within Portuguese academic psychology spaces.

Results: Findings reveal that racialised students in Portuguese psychology programs face mixed realities. Themes of connection and disconnection refer to students feeling a sense of belonging in supportive environments while confronting racism, xenophobia, and linguistic barriers in exclusionary settings. Their experiences reflect a shared hope for reconnection through a more pluralistic future, emphasising community and transformation.

Conclusion: This thesis investigates the experiences of racialised students in Portuguese psychology Academia, highlighting systemic racism rooted in colonial legacies. It underscores their struggles and aspirations for change, advocating for a more pluralistic and humanising university environment that embraces diverse perspectives. The research suggests that knowledge from participants' experiences and dreams can effectively resist oppression and promote change in Portuguese Academia. Key strategies include enhancing cultural sensitivity, creating support networks, revising psychology curricula to include non-Western perspectives, and addressing linguistic and structural marginalisation.

Item Type:	Thesis
Creators:	Batista Júnior, D.
Contributors:	Name Role NTU ID ORCID Këllezi, B. Thesis supervisor PSY3KELLEB https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4825-3624 Gee, R. Thesis supervisor GYS3GEER https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0783-2614
Date:	January 2025
Rights:	The author holds the copyright to this work. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study or personal, non-commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed to the author.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Jeremy Silvester
Date Added:	18 Mar 2026 11:13
Last Modified:	18 Mar 2026 11:13
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/55437

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