Elective course - Psychology of love
Course content
The purpose of the course is to offer a socio-historical panorama of the evolution and psychological and cultural meaning of loving relationships. Along with this, this course aims to understand the psychological status and significance of loving relationships in contemporary societies.
This course will introduce the students to a reconstructive social historical methodology. The introductory part of the course deals with the socio-historical development of the phenomenon of love. In particular, it addresses the different forms and expressions that phenomena of friendship, family and romantic love have taken over time - from tribal societies and all the way up to modern (and postmodern) societies.
The second part of the course will deal with the psychological consequences of modern and postmodern ideas of love. We will examine the psychological, ethical and moral challenges that contemporary subjects are confronted with in the context of modern and postmodern love and personal relationships (family and friendship)
Finally we will discuss the implications of these contemporary expressions of intimate relationships for therapy and for psychology as a science.
The course is open to:
- Bachelor Programmes in Psychology
The course is open to:
- Exchange and Guest students from abroad
After completing the course, the student is expected to be able to:
Knowledge:
- The course will give the students a rigorous view of the socio-historical evolution of loving relationships and an overview of loving relationships reflect the society in which they arise.
- The course will offer the students an idea of the psychological challenges and possibilities that are to be faced by contemporary individuals in the context of loving relationships nowadays.
Skills:
- The students will develop the capacity to compare and analyze the psychological meaning of love and relationships in different societies and historical contexts.
Competences:
- The students will be prepared to problematize and discuss the main conflicts of the phenomenon of contemporary love and the psychological and therapeutical implications hereof.
Lectures, guest lectures (at least 4x), dynamic ppt’s, group work, individual reflection, class discussions, extracts of movies and classic literature as examples.
Main Literature
Extracts of:
- Arendt, Hannah "Human Condition "
- Giddens, Anthony "The transformation of intimacy"
- Luhmann, Niklas "Love as passion"
- Kierkegaard, Søren “Forførens dagbog”
- Mauss, Marcel "On gift”
- Elias, Norbert "On Civilization”
- Gunder Hansen, Nils ”Moderne Kærlighed”
- Cicero, ”On friendship”
- Aristoteles, ”Nicomachean Ethics”
When registered you will be signed up for exam.
- Full-degree students – sign up at Selfservice on KUnet
- Exchange and guest students from abroad – sign up through Mobility Online and Selfservice- read more through this website.
- Credit students from Danish universities - sign up through this website.
The dates for the exams are found here Exams – Faculty of Social Sciences - University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
Please note that it is your own responsibility to check for overlapping exam dates.
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Home assignment
- Type of assessment details
- Individual or group essay on psychology of love in contemporary society. The students chose a related topic which has to be preapproved by the lecturer. The students reflect on the psychological challenges relating to the chosen phenomenon. The expected essay supposes a discussion of the state of the art on the chosen subject followed by a concise description of a psychological problem related to the phenomenon of interest and a critical discussion of limits and possibilities relating to the problem.
- Examination prerequisites
-
For all elective courses, the attendance requirement is 75%. However, the course is based on full participation.
Students must do a group presentation.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
Unless otherwise specified, the Department of Psychology prohibits the use of generative AI software and large language models (AI/LLMs), such as ChatGPT, for generating novel and creative content in written exams. However, students may use AI/LLMs to enhance the presentation of their own original work, such as text editing, argument validation, or improving statistical programming code. Students must disclose in an appendix if and how AI/LLMs were used; this appendix will not count toward the page limit of the exam. This policy is in place to ensure that students’ written exams accurately reflect their own knowledge and understanding of the material.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
- Exam period
-
Exam information:
The examination date can be found in the exam schedule here
- Re-exam
-
Same as the ordinary exam.
Reexam information:
The reexamination date/period can be found in the reexam schedule here
Criteria for exam assessment
Students are assessed on the extent to which they master the learning outcome for the course.
To obtain the top grade “12”, the student must with no or only a few minor weaknesses be able to demonstrate an excellent performance displaying a high level of command of all aspects of the relevant material and can make use of the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes.
To obtain the passing grade “02”, the student must in a satisfactory way be able to demonstrate a minimal acceptable level of the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes.
- Category
- Hours
- Class Instruction
- 30
- English
- 30
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
Partially in Danish
- Course number
- APSB21772U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Bachelor
Full Degree MasterMaster’s minor subject
- Duration
-
1 semester
- Placement
- Spring
- Capacity
- About 30 students per class, 15 Bachelor and 15 Master students
- Studyboard
- Department of Psychology, Study Council
Contracting department
- Department of Psychology
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Social Sciences
Course Coordinator
- Benedikte Kudahl (3-656e784373767c316e7831676e)
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