OVERVIEW

The course aims to study and conceive the group as an artefact, device and instrument for intervening in social reality.
During the course, the main approaches to the study of groups will be presented according to the two theoretical orientations of social psychology and dynamic psychology. Following these approaches, methods and intervention techniques applicable in different social organisations will be analysed.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to understand and to acquire the theories, methods, and the values of group psychology. The course aims to recognize the processes and aspects that characterize the group dynamics and provide skills for the reading and the group management. Another objective will be to analyze the group as a working tool and present the different application contexts and intervention methodologies.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

In particular, the teaching aims, in the first part, to provide students with basic notions of group psychology applied to different contexts while in the second part the teaching focuses on specific intervention techniques in different contexts.
Individual study, attendance and participation in the proposed training activities will enable the student to:
acquire sufficient theoretical and methodological knowledge and skills related to the application of different methods and techniques of group intervention in different contexts;
apply the acquired knowledge and to understand and solve problems related to the use of group methods and techniques in different application contexts;
to be able to use the acquired knowledge both on a conceptual and operational level with autonomous evaluation ability and with skill in the various application contexts;
acquire the technical language typical of the discipline in order to communicate clearly and unambiguously with specialist and non-specialist interlocutors;
develop adequate learning skills that will enable them to continue to deepen autonomously the main themes of the discipline, especially in the working contexts in which they will be working;
demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in written and oral form and adapt their communication to the context;
demonstrate the ability to identify their own skills, demonstrate the ability to concentrate and critically reflect on a task, demonstrate management of complexity, autonomy in decision-making and task performance, stress management and resilience;
manage their social interactions in a collaborative manner, with constructive communication in different contexts;
demonstrate awareness of one's own learning strategies, being able to organise and evaluate one's own learning according to what has been learnt.

TEACHING METHODS

The course consists of lectures and small group activities, for a total of 48 hours (equal to 8 CFU), during which the main theoretical aspects linked to the group dimension and the intervention techniques that use it will be presented, also experimenting these aspects through active methods such as practical exercises, case studies, continuous instant polling, role playing, world café, cooperative learning, reflective diaries. The slides presented in class will be posted on the Aulaweb on a weekly basis, and materials will occasionally be included for discussion and comparison in subsequent lectures. Students will also be able to propose significant materials (literary or filmic) to the class group that will become the subject of reflection on the topics covered in the course.
In addition, professionals who use the group as a working tool may be invited to lecture in order to deepen the themes from a practical-experiential point of view and to enable students to acquire greater awareness of the applicative dimension of the different types of groups.
Students with certified DSA, disabilities or other special educational needs are invited to contact the lecturer at the beginning of the course in order to agree on teaching and examination methods that, while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning methods and provide suitable compensatory tools.
Erasmus students are invited to contact the lecturer at the beginning of the course to agree on teaching and examination methods which, while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account their specific trajectory.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course will show how the group from an object of investigation present in the various contexts of everyday life can become a professional working tool for the figure of the psychologist. The group will be proposed as a relational instrument that acquires specificities (formative, therapeutic, intervention, research, productive) and meanings.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Attending students

• Speltini G., Palmonari A. (2007) I gruppi sociali. Il Mulino, Bologna.
• Materiali forniti a lezione.

Non-attending students

• Speltini G., Palmonari A. (2007). I gruppi sociali. Il Mulino, Bologna..
• Capranico S.  (1997). Role-playing,  Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 1997.
• Santinello M.,Surian A., Gaboardi M. (2022). Guida pratica al Photovoice. Erikson, Trento.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

NADIA RANIA (President)

LAURA MIGLIORINI

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

For attending students, the examination includes intermediate assessments on the materials and activities presented in the lecture through the production of individual or small group papers and a final interview on the topics covered in the lecture. In order to take the test, it is necessary to register during the lessons.

For non-attending students, the exam includes an oral assessment on the indicated texts. In order to take the test, it is necessary to register online on the portal.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Through direct questions to investigate theoretical and methodological knowledge relating to group psychology, and/or through the presentation and critical analysis of cases, the learning outcomes will be assessed.

Exam schedule