B005061 - SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Italian language

Group psychology and Community psychology
The social psychology of groups: key concepts. Group structure and processes, intragroup and intergroup conflict, social identity and intergroup relations. Community psychology: theoretical framework, social networks, welfare state, methods for research and intervention. Health promotion, risky behavior, resilience, peer education, studies on marginalization.

COMPULSORY READING:
Speltini, G., Palmonari, A. (2007). I gruppi sociali. Bologna: Il Mulino.
Santinello, M., Dallago, L., Vieno, A. (2009). Fondamenti di psicologia di comunità. Bologna: Il Mulino.

and ONE of the following four options (one of the following books or two papers):
- Mannarini, T (2016). Senso di comunità. Come e perché i legami contano. Milano: McGrawHill Education.
- Meringolo, P., Chiodini, M., Nardone, G. (2016). Che le lacrime diventino perle. Milano: Ponte alle Grazie.
- Villano P. (2013) Fuori dai giochi. La psicologia di fronte all'esclusione sociale. Milano: Pearson.
- two papers:
Albright, J. N., Hurd, N. M. and Hussain, S. B. (2017), Applying a Social Justice Lens to Youth Mentoring: A Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Practice. American Journal of Community Psychology, 59: 363–381. doi:10.1002/ajcp.12143.
Mortensen, J., Lichty, L., Foster-Fishman, P., Harfst, S., Hockin, S., Warsinske, K. and Abdullah, K. (2014), Leadership through a youth lens: understanding youth conceptualizations of leadership. Journal of Community Psychology, 42: 447–462. doi:10.1002/jcop.21620.

Suggested papers are available on line free of charge using a computer identifiable as coming from University of Florence (using proxi or in an university library).

Students coming from School of Political Sciences, who share the course (6CFU), will read only two books: Speltini, Palmonari (2007) and Santinello, Dallago, Vieno, A. (2009).

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Knowledge and understanding the theoretical models and the main psychological researches about groups and communities.
Applying knowledge and understanding, in order to get skills to work in groups, particularly as regards conflicts in social contexts and in intergroup relationships. Further aim concerns getting basic competences about instruments for groups and community development (community profile, action research and projects evaluation).
Improve reflexivity, critical thinking and capability in making judgments.
Obtain capability in communication.
Obtain learning skills for deepening their studies, on the strengths of basic knowledge.

No

TEACHING METHODS
Lectures, workshops and seminars. Meetings with experts working in social contexts.
Attending seminars/workshops will be optional.

ASSESSMENT METHODS
Examinations are graded according to a scale ranging from 0 to 30, with 18 as pass mark.

LEARNING ASSESSMENT
Written and oral examination.
Written examination, based on open-ended questions, is aimed to evaluate the achievement of the purposes regarding both theoretical and applied knowledge and understanding, including specific methods. The aim is to assess also students’ development of making judgment about course, their communication skills and their capability in getting further learning skills.
Oral examination will debate with the students the content of written text.
Examinations are graded according to a scale ranging from 0 to 30, with 18 as a pass mark.

COURSE CONTENTS
The social psychology of groups: group structure and group processes, conflictual relationships within the group and among groups, social identity and intergroup relations.
Community psychology: theoretical framework, and basic elements about community setting, empowerment, social networks, welfare state, methods in research and in intervention, action research.
Individual, group and community membership. Health promotion and risk, resilience, peer education, outreach work, intervention in marginalization.