About the Program
Groups form a central aspect of our lives, and a majority of our tasks are accomplished as members of various large and small groups. Groups can range from family units to groups of friends, to organizations and organizational teams, to large nations, and social categories. We will explore various aspects of life in groups, such as what groups mean to its individual members, leadership and followership, why people join groups and identify with groups, the challenges faced in group work, the benefits of group work, and what causes conflict and competition between and within small and large groups. The processes through which social influence works in groups, for example, through leaders, will be discussed in addition to the communicative processes within and between groups that help group members understand and shape the normative structure of the group. Through this course, students will be introduced to the foundational concepts of human behaviour in groups that have applications in various fields such as psychology, sociology, business, among other fields The course will follow a lecture format with class discussions and presentations that emphasize the application of concepts.
Course Objectives
- To understand the role of one's social context in shaping the self concept and human behavior
- To understand methods of inquiry into group processes and intergroup relations
- To demonstrate learning of differences in individual versus group level psychological processes
- To critically think about the systems within which groups exist and the role this plays in shaping relations between and within groups
- To apply group processes to remedying intergroup tensions and improve within group performance
Faculty
Prof. Sucharita Belavadi
Assistant Professor - PsychologySucharita Belavadi is an Assistant Professor in Psychology at FLAME University. Sucharita received a PhD in Psychology from Claremont Graduate University (CGU). Her research examines human behaviour in groups and the ways in which attachment and identification with groups drives varied social behaviours. Using the lens of social identity theory, her research examines the processes of language maintenance and preservation in ethnolinguistic groups, predictors of support for populist leaders, the role of rhetoric and communication between groups in shaping social identity and ingroup norms, and predictors of ingroup polarization and extremism in groups. Overall, she is interested in investigating the role that uncertainty about the self plays in driving support for extreme leaders and polarization between groups. Her research focus lies broadly within the areas of social and political psychology. Sucharit a is a Consulting Editor for the journal Group Processes and Intergroup Relations.