31019 - Psychology of Social Transitions

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student - knows and applies tools for the recognition and support of psychosocial issues related to transitions, such as the entry into the adult world by young people and adolescents, the entry into employment, the retirement, the loss of work and mobility; - can manage training activities for the promotion of well-being and individual self-fulfilment aimed at people involved in psychosocial transition; - can  plan and coordinate research activities on the topic of  psychosocial transition - can find resources for the implementation of support services offered to the public in transition experience; - can  evalue the opportunity to participate in national and international funding relating to transitional problems. - is able to make self-updating activity; - is able to carry out self-assessment and self-monitoring activities periodically and  in a critical way.

Course contents

The course focuses on some of the main social transitions, seized in the whole life cycle (adolescence, early adulthood, middle-aged, old age). We will take into account transitional events which regard  both private life (puberty, become parents, separation and divorce, loss of loved ones, the crisis of middle-aged) and professional life (entry into employment, unemployment and careers, retirement). Psychosocial transitions are considered as delicate moments because of their nature of changing events which entails the access to new roles and social position and foresees a momentary disruption of self and usual reference frameworks.

The course is divided into a most "classical" part with a presentation of the most important social transitions, and a monographic part where we will access the "stories" narrated by these protagonists of biographical important changes, as the passage to adulthood, the religious conversion, experience and overcoming poverty.

Readings/Bibliography

1) L.B. Hendry, M. Kloep, Lo sviluppo nel ciclo della vita, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2003.

2) L. Bonica, M. Cardano (a cura di), Punti di svolta. Analisi del mutamento biografico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2008

Teaching methods

The course will be conducted with lectures and tutorials, as methods of activation and focusing on the issues discussed.

Assessment methods

The exam will be written with three open questions. Before the end of the course a list of the possible examination questions will be provided by the teacher.

Teaching tools

Lessons will be accompanied by the use of PowerPoint and tutorials connected to the considered issues.

Office hours

See the website of Giuseppina Speltini