Psychological Opinion in the Context of Socio-Environmental Conflict

Experiences and Challenges

Abstract

This article discusses fundamental aspects in the elaboration of expert opinions (psychological reports) within the field of social psychology, in cases related to the environment and human rights, through the lens of environmental justice, particularly in situations involving rights violations, exploitation, oppression, and the marginalization of Nature and of traditional peoples and communities. It is a theoretical article developed from a decolonial and historical–dialectical materialist approach, grounded in the authors’ lived experience in the Amazon region. It argues that such expert reports can take into account key dimensions, including sociocultural aspects, community–Nature relations, and intersectionality, while also emphasizing the importance of listening, writing, and co-writing in the production of these documents. The article highlights the need for psychological opinion reports to go beyond the mere formalities of professional competence, becoming instead a tool of political resistance that supports collective organization, while also strengthening and revealing the complexity of social and cultural relations in dispute. Finally, it points out that social psychology, in this context, demands ethical and political sensitivity, as well as a commitment to emancipatory practices, fostering the construction of more just and inclusive processes for communities and for Nature, as both are entities that have been historically marginalized and placed in situations of vulnerability.