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Social Psychology of Contemporary World

Code: 102601
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Psychology OB 3

Contact lecturer

Name :
Blanca Callen Moreu
Email :
blanca.callen@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Marisela Montenegro Martinez
Joan Pujol Tarres
Luz María Martinez Martinez
Blanca Callen Moreu

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

It is recommended to have previously studied the subjects "The social dimension of the person" and "Social influence and groups".

The subjects "Social Psychology of the Contemporary World" (third year), "Social dimension of the person" (first year) and "Social influence and groups" (second year) prepare for the specialisation "Analysis and psychosocial intervention" and, in general, for understanding the psychosocial dimension of the person, present in all specialisations.

Objectives

In a world marked by accelerated social transformations, persistent inequalities, and new forms of governance, the course Social Psychology of the Contemporary World invites students to understand and transform how subjectivities, identities, and social relations are constructed from a critical perspective committed to social justice. The course analyses the mechanisms of power that shape everyday life, social norms, and public policies in four content blocks. The first block, Governmentality, Diversity, and Inclusion, introduces the concepts of government, subjectivity, discipline and desire, and security, questioning how institutions and social discourses shape our way of being and existing in the world and how psychology can contribute to social transformation through an inclusive intersectional perspective. The third block, The Government of Citizenship and Social Protection, addresses contemporary crises of care and redefines the concept of citizenship from an ethical and collective perspective. It reflects on care as a social and political practice and proposes new horizons for a more just and supportive citizenship. The fourth section, Social Intervention Psychology, explores different theoretical and methodological tools used to address social needs and phenomena considered contemporary social problems. Through specific examples, the course analyses how Intervention Psychology addresses social interactions as a core intervention for well-being and social justice.

Based on these premises, the following objectives are established:

  • Critically analyse the mechanisms of governmentality and their impact on the construction of subjectivity and social relations.
  • Understand the sex/gender system as a power device that shapes identity, mental health and systemic violence, adopting an intersectional perspective.
  • Conceptualize citizenship from an ethical and collective perspective, and reflect on the role of care as a social and political practice for a more just society.
  • Identify and evaluate theoretical and methodological tools of the psychology of social intervention to address contemporary social needs and issues.
  • Apply a critical and committed perspective on social justice to question the social norms and public policies that shape everyday life.
  • Propose and argue for psychological intervention strategies that promote well-being and social justice.

 

 

 

Learning outcomes

  1. Analyse and compare concepts and psychosocial processes that show the social dimension of individual behaviour of the person.
  2. Apply concepts and identify psychosocial processes in analysing the behaviour of the person in connection with their membership in social categories and their social context.
  3. Apply concepts and identify psychosocial processes in analysing the elements that facilitate and hinder social communication.
  4. Ask questions and give answers about psychosocial concepts and processes explained in class.
  5. Document concepts and psychosocial processes by finding examples in everyday life.
  6. Publicly present the analysis and results of psychosocial research.
  7. Identify the main techniques for finding information on documentary sources of social psychology.
  8. Using the techniques of finding information on documentary sources of social psychology to produce different types of reports and scientific papers.
  9. Using the information collected and classified with previous techniques for playing classical experiences of psychosocial research.
  10. Work in a team.
  11. Apply knowledge, skills and acquired values critically, reflexively and creatively.
  12. Recognise and appreciate external assessment of personal actions.
  13. Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  14. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  15. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  16. Identify the social, economic and/or environmental implications of academic and professional activities in the area of your knowledge.
  17. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  18. Assess the impact of the difficulties, prejudices and discriminations that actions or projects may involve, in the short or long term, in relation to certain persons or groups.
  19. Propose projects and actions that are in accordance with the principles of ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and obligations, diversity and democratic values.
  20. Identify the principal forms of sex- or gender-based inequality and discrimination present in society.
  21. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  22. Assess how stereotypes and gender roles impact professional practice.
  23. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  24. Communicate in an inclusive manner avoiding the use of sexist or discriminatory language.
  25. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  26. Analyse a situation and identify its points for improvement.
  27. Propose new experience-based methods or alternative solutions.
  28. Weigh up the risks and opportunities of both one's own and other people's proposals for improvement.
  29. Propose viable projects and actions to boost social, economic and/or environmental benefits.

Contents


  • Block I: Governmentality, diversity and inclusion.

  • Block 2: The Government of Identity/Subjectivity and Gender (In)Equality: the Gender System.

  • Block 3: The government of citizenship and social protection in the contemporary world.

  • Block 4: Psychology of Social Intervention.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Reading and analysis of texts 27 1.08
Theoretical classes 13.5 0.54
Preparation of group work 25 1
Preparation of individual works 12 0.48
Analysis of practical cases (seminars; small groups) 24 0.96
Study 22 0.88
Tutorial 10 0.4
Search for documentation 14.5 0.58

The subject is taught in large groups and in small groups.

Classes in large groups are master classes (conference type), while in small groups it is seminar classes on case studies in which group work will predominate.

Classes in large groups will be held in 1-and-a-half hour sessions, once a week, for 9 weeks (13.5 hours in total).

Classes in small groups will be held in sessions of 2 hours, once a week, for 12 weeks (24 hours in total).

Note: The proposed teaching methodology and assessment may be modified if so determined by the competent authorities. The teaching team will detail the in-person or virtual/online format of the various guided and assessment activities through Moodle or through the usual means of communication, considering the faculty's instructions.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Ev1 Group Report Practical Case 1 10% 0 0 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29
Ev6 Written test individually, type test 45% 1 0.04 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 13
Ev4 Group Report Practical Case 4 10% 0 0 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28
Ev5. Learning verification tes 10% 1 0.04 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 13
Ev3 Group Report Practical Case 3 10% 0 0 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28
Ev2 Group Report Practical Case 2 10% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 29
Ev0 Participation in classe. 5% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 13, 15, 17, 24, 25

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT


To pass the subject, it is necessary to obtain an overall grade equal to or higher than 5 (sum of grades proportional to the percentage value indicated for each evidence of learning) and a grade equal to or higher than 4 in the Ev6 (multiple-choice test with a weight of 45% of the final grade). If these requirements are not met, the maximum grade to be recorded in the academic record will be 4.5 points.

Also included is the Ev0 evidence, which provides 5% of the grade if you have attended and participated in 80% of the classes.


NOT ASSESSED: Whoever has submitted evidence of learning with a weight of less than 40% of the total grade of the subject will be recorded as "Not assessed".


Resit: Students who, having participated in the evaluated activities with a weight equal to or greater than 2/3 of the total grade, have achieved a minimum total grade of 3.5 and have not passed the subject throughout the continuous assessment. In the resit, evidence of insufficient performance may be retrieved in a format similar to that presented during the continuous assessment process. The maximum grade that can be obtained in this re-evaluation is 5.


Plagiarism or copying: if plagiarism or copying is detected in any of the submissions (work on practical cases or written tests), the evaluation of that work will be 0, and if it takes place more than once, the subject will be suspended.

It is not expected that students in 2nd enrolment or later will be assessed by means of a single non-recoverable synthesis test.


Summary table of evidence, including code of evidence, name, week of completion and/or delivery, weight in percentage, format of presentation (oral, written or both), authorship (individual, collective or both), means of presentation (face-to-face, virtual or both). Depending on the schedule of the practice group sessions, the week of delivery of the practical case may vary. For this reason, two possible delivery weeks appear for some use cases.

Code Name Week Weight Format Authorship Via Presentation
Ev0 Class Participation 1-17 5% Written Individual Virtual
Ev1 CASE STUDY 1 4 10% Both Collective Virtual
Ev2 CASE STUDY 2 7 10% Both Collective Both
Ev3 CASE STUDY 3 13 10% Both Collective Virtual
Ev4 CASE STUDY 4 16 or 17 10% Both Collective Face-to-face
EV5 Learning Verification TEST 7 10% Written Individual Virtual
EV6 FINAL MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAM 2nd evaluation period 45% Written Individual Face-to-face


Note: Teamwork is a skill that is worked on in the subject. For this reason, the working groups are created randomly at the beginning of the course and vary every two evidences (Ev1-Ev2, Ev3-Ev4). Group changes are allowed on specific and justified occasions.


THE DELIVERY OF THE TRANSLATION OF THE FACE-TO-FACE ASSESSMENT TESTS WILL BE MADE IF THE REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED IN ARTICLE 263 ARE MET AND THE REQUEST IS MADE IN WEEK 4 ELECTRONICALLY (e-FORM) (more information on the faculty's website).


Return

Return Type EV Week
Written Ev1, Ev2, Ev3, Ev4 6, 9, 15, 18
Digitally EV0, Ev5, Ev6 18 (Ev0), 7 (Ev5), 20 (Ev6)


SINGLE ASSESSMENT


THE SINGLE EVALUATION IS REQUESTED ELECTRONICALLY (E-FORM) IN THE SPECIFIC PERIOD (more information on the Faculty's website).

The single evaluation will be carried out on the same day and place as the test of the second evaluation period of the subject. All the contents of the subject will be evaluated in similar conditions of format and authorship (individual or collective) for each of the evidences. For evidence 1, 2, 3, and 4, linked to practical cases, the works requested will be delivered and presented in groups or individually (to be determined). In addition, an individual question for each of them will have to be answered in writing in order to verify the individual learning achieved. Evidence 2, for the evaluation of oral skills, will be carried out in groups or individually through the recording of a video that will be delivered on the same day. Evidence 6 (multiple-choice written test) will be the same as for the rest of the students. Evidence 0, on class participation, will be evaluated by means of a reflection question on the subject and the learning carried out.


SINGLE ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY TABLE
Name and description of evidence Weight Duration in hours of the face-to-face event Date of completion / delivery
Ev0: Oral answer to a reflection question on the subject and the learning carried out 5% Individual oral question. 15 minutes 2nd evaluation period
Ev1: Group/individual delivery (to be determined) of written report CASE STUDY 1 + individual question about the case. 10% Individual written question CASE STUDY 1.15 minutes. 2nd evaluation period
Ev2: Delivery of group/individual video recording (to be determined) CASE STUDY 2 + individual question about the case. 10% Individual written question CASE STUDY 2, 15 minutes. 2nd evaluation period
Ev3: Group/individual delivery (to be determined) of written report CASE STUDY 3 + individual question about the case. 10% Individual written question CASE STUDY 3, 15 minutes. 2nd evaluation period
Ev4: Group/individual submission (to be determined) of written report CASE STUDY 4 + individual question about the case. 10% Individual written question CASE STUDY 4, 15 minutes. 2nd evaluation period
Ev5: Learning Verification Test 10% Online TEST type, 30 minutes 2nd evaluation period
Ev6: Individual TEST type exam. 45% Written TEST type exam, 1 hour. 2nd evaluation period


Resit: The same system of recovery as in the continuous assessment system will be applied.


Use of artificial intelligence

In the subject of "Social Psychology of the Contemporary World" we assume that, for the evidence, students will make use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools as part of the learning process and in the preparation of the work. We live in a world in constant transformation, and AI is a technology that is already redefining many areas of our society. It is therefore necessary to learn how to interact with these technologies effectively, critically and ethically. A university education is an ideal time to become familiar with AI, explore its capabilities and understand its limitations. Therefore, the work must include a critical reflection on how AI has influenced its process and the final result of the activity, in addition to identifying which parts or tasks have been carried out with this technology and specifying the tools used. The personal contribution in the analysis and reflection must always be significant. Take advantage of this space to experiment, learn and integrate these technologies responsibly into your training. Learn more about using AI and academic work in https://publicacions.uab.cat/es/revistas/politica-ia


Link to Faculty Evaluation Guidelines:https://www.uab.cat/web/estudiar/graus/graus/avaluacions-1345722525858.html

Bibliography

Basic bibliography

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Ávila Cantos, D., Cassián Yde, N., García García, S., & Pérez Pérez, M. (2017). The field of evaluation and social intervention. Open University of Catalonia.

Berroeta, H. (2014). The work of Community Psychology: Coordinates for a cartography. Psychoperspectives, 13(2), 19–31. https://doi.org/10.5027/psicoperspectivas-Vol13-Issue2-fulltext-352

Goikoetxea Iturregui, Marije (2024) Perspectiva ética de los cuidados. Grand Place. Pensamiento y cultura/Pentsamendua eta Kultura, num. 22, Cuidados, pp. 17-30: https://marioonaindiafundazioa.org/2025/07/27/grand-place-no-22-cuidados/

Gough, B. (Ed.). (2025). The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Social Psychology (2º ed. 2025). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80533-2

Kohen, B. (2005). Ciudadanía y ética del cuidado. En Elisa Carrió y Diana Mafia (comp.) Búsquedas de sentido para una nueva política. Buenos Aires: Paidós.

Pujal i Llombart, M., M. Calatayud and P. Amigot. 2020. "Subjectivity, Social Inequality, and Gender Discomforts: A Rereading of the DSM-V." International Journal of Sociology. 78(2): e155. https://doi.org/10.3989/ris.2020.78.2.18.113

Sánchez-Antonio, J. C. (2021). The problem of the subject in Michel Foucault: Towards a critical sociology of social action. Editorial Universidad del Rosario. https://elibro.net/es/ereader/uab/198506


Complementary bibliography

Amigot Leache, Patricia. 2022. "Gender, Power and Violence. An intersubjective approach". Politics and Society 59(1):e72354. doi:10.5209/poso.72354.

Barrio, J., Franco Aguirre, M. J., & Suárez Zárate, D. (2021). Psychology and neoliberalism: Government of oneself and of others. Journal of Psychology: (University of Antioquia), 13(2), 1–24. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=8935309

Bettache, K., A. Travaglino, G., & Beattie, P. (2026). Redefining power in social psychology. British Journal of Social Psychology, 65(1), e70031. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.70031

Broggi, M.A. (2003). Gestió dels valors "ocults" en la relació clínica. Med. clín (Ed. impr.) , 705-709.

Camacho, M. A. M., & Valencia, N. M. (2018). Social Intervention as an Object of Study: Discourses, Practices, Problematizations and Proposals. Athenea Digital. Journal of Social Thought and Research, 18(3), e-2055. https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/athenea.2055

Caponi, Sandra. 2022. "Psychopharmacological Management of Femininity: Antipsychotics for Unsubmissive Women". Resistances. Journal of the Philosophy of History 3(6):e21094. doi:10.46652/resistances.v3i6.94.

Caponi, Sandra, Jesús ez Martínez Sevilla, and Leticia Hummel do Amaral. 2023. "Gender Bias in Discourse and Psychiatric Interventions." Revista Estudos Feministas 31(1):e93055. doi:10.1590/1806-9584-2023v31n193055.

Carrasquer, P. (2013). El redescubrimiento del trabajo de cuidados: algunas reflexiones desde la sociología. Cuadernos de relaciones laborales, 31(1), 91-113.

Ciccia, R., & Sainsbury, D. (2018). Gendering welfare state analysis: tensions between care and paid work. European Journal of Politics and Gender, 1(1-2), 93-109.

Climent, María Teresa, i Marta Carmona, ed. 2018. Transpsychiatry. Queer Approaches in Mental Health. Madrid: Spanish Association of Neuropsychiatry.

Crespo, E., Fernández-Villanueva, C., & Devillard, M. J. (2024). La economía plateada: un dispositivo productor de subjetividad y prácticas neoliberales. Dossieres EsF, 53, 22-31.

Daly, M., and Lewis, J. (2000). The concept of social care and the analysis of contemporary welfare states. The British Journal of Sociology , 51 (2), 281-298.

Durán Heras, M. A. (2018). La riqueza invisible del cuidado. Valencia: Universidad de Valencia.

Esping Andersen, G. (1993). Los tres mundos del Estado del Bienestar. Alfons el Magnànim. Institució Valenciana d'Estudis i Investigació.

Fernández Villanueva, M. C., Artiaga Leiras, A., & Dávila De León, M. C. (2013). Cuidados, género y transformación de identidades. Cuadernos de Relaciones Laborales, Vol. 31, Núm. 1: 57-89

García Dauder, S. 2020. "Feminist Critical Theory as an Epistemic Corrective in Psychology". Atlantic. International Journal of Feminist Studies 4(1):117-50. doi:10.17979/arief.2019.4.1.4843.

García Dauder, Dau, Barragán Gómez, Silvestre, & Guzmán Martínez, Grecia. (2025). A critical review of the approach to trans mental health. Convergence, 32, e24561. Epub 2025, Sep 22.https://doi.org/10.29101/crcs.v32i1.24561

Guzmán, A. M. (2014). Changing metaphors in the social psychology of public action: From intervening to getting involved. Athenea Digital. Journal of Social Thought and Research, 14(1), 3–28. https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/athenea.793

Guzmán Martínez, Grecia, Margot Pujal i Llombart, Enrico Mora Malo, i Dau García Dauder. 2021. "Feminist Antecedents of Mutual Support Groups in the Loco Movement: A Historical-Critical Analysis." Salud Colectiva 17:e3274. doi:10.18294/sc.2021.3274.

Hall, S. (1996). Who needs “identity”? In S. Hall & P. du Gay (Eds.), Questions of Cultural Identity (pp. 1–17). Sage Publications.

Medina Cárdenas, O. (2019). The government of happiness. Analysis of self-help discourses in Positive Psychology. Quaderns de psicologia. International journal of psychology, 21(1), e1481–e1481. https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/qpsicologia.1481

Montero, M. (2004). Relations between Community Social Psychology, Critical Psychology and Liberation Psychology: A Latin American Response. Psykhe (James), 13(2), 17–28. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-22282004000200002

Molinier, P., Legarreta, M. (2016) Subjetividad y materialidad del cuidado: ética, trabajo y proyecto político. Papeles del CEIC, vol. 2016/1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1387/pceic.16084

León Cedeño, A. (2007). Constructive barter: Seeking respectful ways of working with counter-hegemonic practices.

León Cedeño, A. A. (2012). Community Psychology of the Everyday. Editorial Académica Española.

Paiva, V., Ayres, J. R., Capriati, A., Amuchástegui, A., & Pecheny, M. (2018). La dimensión psicosocial del cuidado. En Prevención, promoción y cuidado. Enfoques de vulnerabilidad y derechos humanos. Buenos Aires: Ed. Teseo.

Pavón-Cuéllar, D. (2019). Critical Psychology: Definition, Background, History and Present. Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo.

Pérez Pérez, Beatriz, Margot Pujal i Llombart, and Enrico Mora. 2022. "Human Rights and Psychiatric Power in Dispute: Towards a Radicalization of Democracy?" Direito e Práxis 1-33. doi:10.1590/2179-8966/2022/65459e.

Pie Balaguer, A. (2019). La insurrección de la vulnerabilidad. Para una pedagogía de los cuidados y la resistencia. Edicions Universitat Barcelona.

Sáenz, J. D. (2007). Topics for reflection in social intervention. CS Journal, (1), 189–215. https://doi.org/10.18046/recs.i1.406

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Thomas, C. (1993). Deconstruint conceptes de cura. Sociology , 27 (4), 649-669.

Tommasino, N. (2020). The Production of the Commons: Keys to a Reconfiguration of­Community Social Psychology. Puerto Rican Journal of Psychology, 31(2), 222–236. https://www.repsasppr.net/index.php/reps/article/view/630

Torns, T., Borrás, V., Moreno, S., & Recio, C. (2012). El trabajo de cuidados: un camino para repensar el bienestar. Papeles de relaciones ecosociales y cambio global, 119: 93-101.

Valderrama, C. J. G., & Martínez, M. M. (2015). Governmentality and Inclusion/Exclusion Relations: Social Intervention Devices Aimed at Immigrant Women in Spain. Universitas Psychologica, 14(5), 1667–1680. https://doi.org/10.11144/Javeriana.up14-5.grie

Vega Solís, C. (2009). Culturas del cuidado en transición: espacios, sujetos e imaginarios en una sociedad de migración (Vol. 139). Editorial UOC.

Wiesenfeld, E. (2014). Community Social Psychology in Latin America: Consolidation or Crisis? Psychoperspectives. Individual and Society, 13(2), 6–18. https://doi.org/10.5027/psicoperspectivas-Vol13-Issue2-fulltext-357

Zahid, S., Kumari, U., & Khan, A. (2024). The dark side of social media: The emergence of Snapchat Dysmorphia syndrome. International Journal of Surgery: Global Health, 7(2), e0410. https://doi.org/10.1097/GH9.0000000000000410

Software

This subject encourages the use of free software for ethical and political reasons. We recommend that students use free operating systems.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 3 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 4 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 111 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 112 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 113 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 114 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 211 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 212 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 213 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 214 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 311 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 312 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 313 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 314 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 411 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 412 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 413 Catalan second semester morning-mixed