SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

The course introduces themes of social psychology related to phenomena, such as social influence on the group, interaction within the group and interpersonal relationships. The course therefore contributes to the development of knowledge about the processes of mutual influence between the individual and the collective level as well as the analysis of the contextual and cultural aspects of professional action. The teaching aims specifically to develop knowledge and competences related to communication, seen as the primary factor of change and management of situations of distress, within the social professions.

At the end of the course the students:
- know the main phenomena of social influence, with particular reference to those which can undermine the autonomy of judgment and to those which on the contrary have a positive influence in the processes of social and individual development
- know the main areas of communication studies
- know the difference between ordinary conversations and special conversations (professional interview)
- know the fields of application and the objectives of the interview as a professional tool
- understand the potential for change thanks to the management of communication processes in the various professional actions and in particular in the direct relationship with the users
- understand linguistic factors (e.g. clarity of exposition), emotional / affective factors (e.g. personal implication of communicative exchange) and cognitive / cultural in interviews with users, with colleagues and other professionals
- know the influence of non-verbal languages
- understand the function of listening and technical restitution in order to build trust and collaboration
- understand the function of sharing information, evaluations, objectives, paths, with users and other professional figures
- understand the possibility of critically reflecting on the communicative errors that nay arise in professional relations
- recognize the ethical theme of self-determination in the context of the helping relationship
- have a reference map to distinguish between pathology and maladjustment

basic knowledge of the meaning of the main psychological areas (general, evolutionary, clinical, social ...)

the first part of the course presents a map of perspectives about studying communication. next, the focus of the different forms of communicative interaction and the identification of the specific elements of the conversation.
The second part develops the professional interview in the social service, considering the intertwining of content and relationship aspects, to highlight dialogic and cultural factors involved in the construction of processes of trust, taking charge and collaboration with the users.
Conceptual and practical references for the management of the conversation with particular types of users are proposed, during the activity on "special conversations".

Required books
Anolli L. (2010) “Prima lezione di psicologia della comunicazione", Laterza (be excluded on exam 6 credits)
Borgna E. (2002) “L'arcipelago delle emozioni”, Feltrinelli

More than a book chosen from the following
L. Lugli, M. Mizzau (2010) “L'ascolto” il Mulino
N.S. Bonfiglio (2008) “Introduzione alla comunicazione non verbale” Edizioni ETS
E. Borgna “L'ascolto gentile”. Racconti clinici (2018) Einaudi
N. Cavazza (2018) “La persuasione (Terza edizione)” Il Mulino
J.L. Austin (1662) “How to Do Things with Words” Cambridge : Harvard University Press
W.B Pearce. Pearce “Communication and the human condition” (1989) Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press
E. Borgna (2015) “Parlarsi. La comunicazione perduta” Einaudi
Arendt H., (1963). "Eichmann in Jerusalem: a Report on the banality of Evil". Viking Press, New York;

Others specific books will be recommended during the cours; attending students can choose one of this as a book of choice, in agreement with the teacher

The exam is written and includes open questions on the lecture notes and the bibliography books. Attending students can replace the questions about the book selected, with a critical response on the participatory training carried out based on the professional interview.
The learning test concerns:
- Understanding of the elements dealt with in the course and in the study books
- The ability to clearly expose these elements
- The critical processing capacity of the themes studied and the participatory training experience.

The exam of 5 June 2020 is oral and online. Attending students can replace the questions about the book selected, with a critical response on the participatory training carried out based on the professional interview.

The course includes a weekly lesson for eleven weeks, lasting three hours and fifteen minutes a total of four academic hours (one of the lessons will last five academic hours). The duration of the lessons is motivated by the need to have sufficient time to carry out the participatory activity, that is central in the course.
The first three/four lessons are centered on the cultural themes indicated in the program. The remaining lessons are organized as a participatory workshop carried out with role play activities, on the topic of the interview in the social service, both between colleagues/other professionals and especially with the users. The program includes supervised experimentation of some typical social service situations, which can derived from the practical experience of students internships. The situations considered concern team meetings, direct interviews, home visits, complex evaluation units or other situations encountered during the internship.

Italian

Attendance of the course is not obligatory; however it is strongly recommended, due to the participatory nature of the activity.

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