Obituaire de Willem Doise signé par les équipes de psychologie sociale des Universités de Lausanne et de Genève
In Memoriam Willem Doise (1935-2023)
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our colleague, Honorary Professor Willem Doise, on the night of January 7 to 8, 2023.
Willem founded the social psychology unit at the University of Geneva and contributed to the international influence of what has become known as the «Geneva school of social psychology», developing several lines of research with Gabriel Mugny, Anne-Nelly Perret-Clermont and Jean-Claude Deschamps.
After a training in clinical and social psychology in Paris, Willem joined the School of Psychology at the University of Geneva in 1970 where he stayed for his entire career. He was first appointed Extraordinary Professor (1972), then Full Professor (1975) of Experimental Social Psychology in the new Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. He held this position until his retirement and appointment as Honorary Professor in 2003. During these years, he took on many institutional mandates, for example as vice-president and then twice as president of the Psychology Section.
Internationally, Willem was involved in the creation of the European Association of Social Psychology, alongside, among others, Henri Tajfel and Serge Moscovici. He also served as president (1978-1981) and editor of the association’s new “showcase”, the European Journal of Social Psychology. His work on intergroup conflicts and social representations led him to obtain numerous international distinctions (medals, honorary doctorates) as well as positions of visiting professor at several universities in Europe (France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Finland) and elsewhere (Argentina, Brazil, New Zealand).
It is not easy to summarize Willem’s rich and varied scientific contributions. His legacy includes a large number of publications (nearly 380), thesis supervisions, and numerous social psychologists who have worked with him or his students who are now spread across the universities of French-speaking Switzerland and many other European universities. Willem’s contribution has been underpinned by a constant ethical concern, in particular the need to clarify the scope of the discipline of social psychology, with its many facets ranging from individual-level processes to global issues. It is therefore hardly surprising that throughout his scientific career Willem was surrounded by both psychologists and sociologists, reflected in the composition of his interdisciplinary research teams.
Four major scientific contributions of Willem’s career can be highlighted. First, his work on «levels of analysis», initially described in his state doctoral thesis defended in Paris (1980), drew the boundaries between, and bridged, explanations in the psychological and social sciences to account for individual and collective actions, thereby squarely positioning social psychology in the field of social and human sciences. A second contribution refers to his research on intergroup conflicts and the means to resolve them, and a third one on the role of socio-cognitive conflict in the development of intelligence. A final interest focused on the analysis of social representations, particularly those involved in the construction, defense and violation of human rights.
Throughout his impressive academic career, Willem was a colleague of keen intelligence, generous and respectful, with a sharp understanding of the social, political and institutional dimensions of his discipline, always offering timely and insightful advice. He supported and promoted his collaborators and was able to create a rich and stimulating work environment around him.
Willem was not only a professor in social psychology, but had many other interests, too. He loved nature and (very) long hikes. We remember his radiant face when he told us about his walks to and from Santiago de Compostela or Rome. And he was also interested in painting and architecture, embarking on an essay on Art and Religion during his retirement.
We miss Willem, but his influence lives on.
The social psychology teams of the universities of Geneva and Lausanne