“Transformational Anthropologies” as Liberation Praxis: Re-discovering Sergio Piro

Sergio Piro (1927–2009) was a key figure in the Italian psychiatric movement for deinstitutionalization that culminated in the so-called “Basaglia Law” (Law 180) of 1978, an internationally recognized milestone in the struggle for the emancipation of mental health. While his work received less recognition than that of his colleague Franco Basaglia, Piro was deeply engaged in the training of mental health professionals and in the theoretical development of the human and social sciences. His prolific scientific output laid the foundations for a distinctive approach to mental health centered on the dialogical interplay among the human sciences. This paper introduces Transformational Anthropologies (TA), the framework developed by Piro, to an international audience. Drawing on an epistemological perspective that resonates with the aims of Liberation Psychology, TA calls for the contextualization of healthcare practices and provides conceptual and methodological tools that connect clinical intervention with emancipatory action in both individual and collective settings. The paper reconstructs the historical context of struggle from which TA emerged and examines the epistemological, clinical, and emancipatory principles underpinning its conception of care as liberatory praxis. Finally, it proposes TA as a promising perspective for critically examining the relationship between mental health and contemporary dominant ideologies, while fostering transformative forms of praxis aimed at rethinking and reshaping mental health practices. This manuscript is part of a special issue, Liberation Psychologies and Transformative Praxis, edited by Zenobia Morrill, PhD, and M. Mookie C. Manalili, LICSW. Manuscripts in this special issue are intended to represent diverse psychological experiences and viewpoints about liberation psychologies and the critical application of humanistic psychologies to understand and address current psychosocial polycrises. The material expressed in each article represents the subjective experiences, perspectives, and opinions of the author(s), not political or historical claims. The experiences and perspectives expressed in each manuscript are those of the author(s) alone, and not those of the editors, editorial board, journal, or publishers. For questions regarding these manuscripts or the special issue, please contact the author(s) or corresponding guest editor(s).