Course syllabus Political Psychology and Crisis Management
Swedish name: Politisk psykologi i krisskeenden
Course code:
2SS066
Valid from semester:
Spring Term 2022
Education cycle:
Second cycle
Scope:
7.5 credits
Progression:
A1N
Grading scale:
Three-grade scale
Main field of study:
Political Science with a focus on Crisis Management and International Co-operation
Department:
Department of Political Science and Law
Subject:
Political Science
Language of instruction:
The teaching is conducted in English.
Decided by:
Forsknings- och utbildningsnämndens kursplaneutskott (KUS)
Decision date:
2022-01-01
Entry requirements
Admitted to the Master Program in Politics and War or to the PhD program in Political Science with a focus on crisis and security.
Course content and structure
The foundational claim of the course is that knowledge on psychological as well
as institutional perspectives are crucial to understand crisis behavior. Crises
generally entail rapid, negative change of societal structures with serious
consequences for individuals and communities. Processes like these forces
difficult and divisive priorities in e.g. resource allocation, collective efforts and
political capital. Priorities have to be made by individuals, embedded in
organizational structures, drawing on knowledge and experiences that are
frequently disparate, sector-specific, and politically contested.
The course centers on an academic tradition that locates the individual and her
metal capacities inside an institutional setting that both enables and constrains decision-making in crisis. The progression of the course goes from individual political psychological theory, through group behavior into the functioning of organizations as knowledge depositories and instruments of crisis operations. Along that content curve, several analytical tools will be introduced that can help the student to comprehend the interplay between psychological and institutional factors of crisis decision-making. The core literatures broached are leadership studies, collaborative management, decision-making, group dynamics, emotive cognition, sense-making, and policy-oriented learning.
The course consists of introductory lectures and interactive seminars. The students will be required to study single cases of decision processes in order to identify factors and characteristics that contribute to political outcomes.
Type of Instruction
as institutional perspectives are crucial to understand crisis behavior. Crises
generally entail rapid, negative change of societal structures with serious
consequences for individuals and communities. Processes like these forces
difficult and divisive priorities in e.g. resource allocation, collective efforts and
political capital. Priorities have to be made by individuals, embedded in
organizational structures, drawing on knowledge and experiences that are
frequently disparate, sector-specific, and politically contested.
The course centers on an academic tradition that locates the individual and her
metal capacities inside an institutional setting that both enables and constrains decision-making in crisis. The progression of the course goes from individual political psychological theory, through group behavior into the functioning of organizations as knowledge depositories and instruments of crisis operations. Along that content curve, several analytical tools will be introduced that can help the student to comprehend the interplay between psychological and institutional factors of crisis decision-making. The core literatures broached are leadership studies, collaborative management, decision-making, group dynamics, emotive cognition, sense-making, and policy-oriented learning.
The course consists of introductory lectures and interactive seminars. The students will be required to study single cases of decision processes in order to identify factors and characteristics that contribute to political outcomes.
Type of Instruction
- Seminars
- Lectures
- The course consists of introductory lectures and interactive seminars.
Objectives
After completing the course the student is expected to be able to:
- analyze and discuss important contributions to the literature on crisis management and political psychology;
- assess the value of these approaches in terms of methodology and applicability to empirical problems;
- critically analyze the role of disruptions in societal systems to political and policy processes;
- identify and evaluate theoretical as well as practical problems and practices in the area of crisis management and political psychology;
- independently conduct a brief research project, generated by a theoretical or an empirical problem, in the area of crisis management and/or political psychology.
Examination formats
Examination of the course comprises compulsory attendance and active participation in the examining seminars together with completion of written assignments. Each of the students will be co-responsible for introducing the assigned literature and moderate the discussions.
The examining teacher may decide to give supplementary tasks in order for the student to achieve a passing grade on the course.
Absence from a maximum of one mandatory seminar may, subject to the examining teacher’s decision, be compensated by submission of a written supplementary task.
Grading
Grades are given on a 3-step scale : Fail (U), Pass (G) and Pass with merit (VG).
There is no limit on the total number of examination opportunities.
The examining teacher may decide to give supplementary tasks in order for the student to achieve a passing grade on the course.
Absence from a maximum of one mandatory seminar may, subject to the examining teacher’s decision, be compensated by submission of a written supplementary task.
Grading
Grades are given on a 3-step scale : Fail (U), Pass (G) and Pass with merit (VG).
There is no limit on the total number of examination opportunities.
Transitional provisions
When a course ceases to be given or when the subject matter of the course is significantly altered the student is entitled to be examined according to this course syllabus twice per academic year during a two-year period.
Other regulations
The course cannot be part of a degree together with a course whose content matches the content of this course in whole or in part.
The course is an elective course within the Masters´s Programme in Politics and War at the Swedish Defence University.
The course is given in English.
This is an edited version of the syllabus, created to transfer the original to the education database Ladok education planning. For originals, refer to the archive.
The course is an elective course within the Masters´s Programme in Politics and War at the Swedish Defence University.
The course is given in English.
- The course coordinator arranges for an evaluation after each completed course and this forms the basis for possible adjustments in the course.
- If a student has a decision from the Swedish Defense University on special educational support due to a disability, the examiner may decide on alternative forms of examination for the student.
This is an edited version of the syllabus, created to transfer the original to the education database Ladok education planning. For originals, refer to the archive.