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Course description |
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The course aims to provide students with an overview of the paths of community psychology, outline its historical genesis and its current developments; it also aims to illustrate some of the intervention techniques that can be used in the socio-educational and community health contexts, highlighting the contribution of group and social dynamics. |
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Prerequisites |
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The student is expected to possess the basics of developmental psychology and social psychology and to have passed the examinations envisaged in the first year. Yet no specific prerequisites are required. |
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Objectives |
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The envisaged training path aims at putting at the student’s disposal the basic knowledge and technical heritage of the discipline, emphasizing its theoretical significance as well as illustrating the multiple areas of intervention of community psychology. |
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Program |
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The course is divided into four thematic modules: Module I-Theories and methodologies, consisting of the following six video lessons: 1) Community psychology: goals and identity of the discipline (Prof. Zani), 2) Historical origins of community psychology (Prof. Francescato) 3) The theoretical bases of community psychology (Prof. Zani) 4) Towards a theory of technique in community psychology (Prof. Francescato) 5) The community profiles (Prof. Francescato) 6) Research methods in community psychology (Prof. Zani). Module II – Application contexts: the group, including the following eight video lessons: 1) The collective psychology (Prof. Berti), 2) Phenomenology and the definition of the groups (Prof. Palmonari) 3) The entry into the group (Prof. Speltini ) 4) Socialization and development group (Prof. Speltini) 5) roles, status and communication in the group (Prof. Speltini) 6) The rules of group (Prof. Berti); 7) Leadership: comparing models (Prof. Speltini); 8) Group cohesion, conflict and schismatic processes (Prof. Speltini). Module III-Tools and intervention strategies, consisting of the following nine video lessons: 1) Working Groups and teamwork (Prof. Francescato), 2) The groups of self and mutual aid (Prof. Zani) 3) The Organizational multidimensional analysis (Prof. Francescato) 4) Socio-affective education (Prof. Francescato) 5) Psychological Empowerment and community development (Prof. Zani) 6) The networking and social support (Prof. Zani) , 7) Education and training (Prof. Francescato); 8) Territorial health and social services and hospitals (Prof. Zani); 9) Innovative application sectors (Prof. Francescato). Module IV-groups and social influences: an in-depth study, consisting of the following seven video lessons: 1) Group productivity (Prof. Berti), 2) Group decisionse (Prof. Berti), 3) Social justice and cooperation in groups (Prof. Berti) 4) Relations among the groups (Part I) (Prof. Palmonari) 5) Relations among groups (Part II) (Prof. Palmonari) 6) Social Influence - The functionalist model (Prof. Palmonari ) 7) Social Influence - The genetic model (Prof. Palmonari). More specifically, the lecture course will examine the different perspectives in the context of community psychology that redefined the role of this discipline in theoretical and applied contexts. Particular attention will be paid to the classic authors of reference and methods developed in the different national and international contexts. It will also analyze the role of the group, as a key concept at the base of the applications of community psychology. It will deal with the psychological dynamics that are created within a group context, with particular attention to the styles of leadership, the newcomer’s strategies while joining the group, the processes of cohesion and division. A lot of attention will be devoted to the understanding and identification of work operational tools of the community psychologist as multi-dimensional organizational analysis, socio-affective education, community profiles. The concept of empowerment will be deepened in its various modulations relating it social contexts and networking among the different operators. |
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Book |
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1) B. ZANI, A.PALMONARI, Manuale Psicologia di Comunità, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1996. 2) FRANCESCATO D., TOMAI M E GHIRELLI G. Fondamenti di Psicologia di Comunità. Principi, strumenti e ambiti di applicazione, Carocci Editore, Roma 2002. (Study the following topics: Community Psychology; Context; Empowerment, Working Groups, Social network, support services). 3) SPELTINI G., PALMONARI A., I gruppi sociali, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1999. Further optional in-depth study on the theme of the group: BROWN R., Individuals versus groups (Chapter 5 of the volume of R. Brown, Psicologia sociale dei gruppi, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2000). -Chapter 9 of the manual: Psicologia Sociale di PALMONARI, CAVAZZA, RUBINI, Il Mulino, 2002. |
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Exercises |
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Tests consisting in a set of specific open-ended questions are envisaged at the end of some of course lectures. Passing these tests is a prerequisite for admission to the final exam. The video lessons are connected to various teaching materials (texts of classic authors, research articles in English, bibliographies for further study, lecture notes, slides). It is highly recommended to use this material to enhance learning, although it is not included in program of the exam. |
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Professor |
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Professor not available
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