PA123-4-AU-CO:
Understanding Individuals Groups and Organisations : An Introduction to Psychodynamic Concepts
2024/25
Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 13 December 2024
15
12 June 2024
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA LCJ8 Sociology with Psychosocial Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA LJ8C Sociology with Psychosocial Studies (Including Year Abroad),
BA LJC8 Sociology with Psychosocial Studies,
FDA LX51 Therapeutic Communication and Therapeutic Organisations,
BA C847CO Psychodynamic Practice,
BA C848CO Psychodynamic Practice (Including Foundation Year),
BA C849CO Psychodynamic Practice (Including Year Abroad),
BA C850CO Psychodynamic Practice (Including Placement Year),
BA C890 Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies,
BA C89A Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA C89B Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies (Including Year Abroad),
BA C89C Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA L520 Childhood Studies,
BA L521 Childhood Studies (Including Year Abroad),
BA L522 Childhood Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA L523 Childhood Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA L333 Criminology with Counselling Skills,
BA L334 Criminology with Counselling Skills (Including Year Abroad),
BA L335 Criminology with Counselling Skills (Including Placement Year),
BA L332 Sociology with Counselling Skills
This module will introduce and familiarise students with the key concepts of psychodynamic thinking. In particular, they will become aware of unconscious dynamics at work in individuals, groups and organisations. The module aims to establish a theoretical foundation for the rest of the programme. As such students will study the basis of a psychodynamic approach, the key theoretical ideas and their place within the discipline. The importance of the unconscious and early experience will be emphasised. Students will explore the way individuals affect one another, institutions affect the people who work in them and vice versa, and what impact this has upon therapeutic practice.
The aims of the module are:
- To familiarise students with the key concepts of psychodynamic thinking applied to individuals, groups and organisations
- To build on students' understanding of the psychodynamics of human behaviour by applying these ideas to groups and organisations
- To become aware of the unconscious dynamics at work in individuals, groups and organisations
- To begin to understand how psychodynamic insight can be applied to groups and organisations
- To begin to understand the unconscious psychodynamics of institutions
By the end of the module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Understanding of key psychodynamic concepts and their place within discipline
- Basic understanding of key psychodynamic concepts as they apply to individuals
- Awareness of unconscious processes in relationships and interactions
- Basic capacity to apply psychodynamic ideas to their workplace roles and relationships
- Capacity to apply psychodynamic thinking to group and organisational dynamics
- Basic understanding of the ways in which organisational dynamics have an impact on effective functioning
No additional information available.
This module will be delivered via:
- Weekly one-hour lectures by staff, followed by one-hour seminars led by GTA’s
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Preston-Shoot, M. and Agass, D. (1990)
Making sense of social work: psychodynamics, systems and practice. Basingstoke: Macmillan. Available at:
https://www-bloomsburycollections-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/book/making-sense-of-social-work-psychodynamics-systems-and-practice/.
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Kegerreis, S. (2010a)
Psychodynamic counselling with children and young people: an introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/15765.
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Leiper, R. and Maltby, M. (2004) ‘Psychodynamics: A Changing Theory’, in
The psychodynamic approach to therapeutic change. London: Sage Publications, pp. 12–33. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/reader.action?docID=354897&ppg=22.
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Trowell, J. (1995) ‘Key psychoanalytic concepts’, in
The Emotional Needs of Young Children and Their Families: Using Psychoanalytic Ideas in the Community. 1st edn. London, UK: Routledge, pp. 12–21. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203135129-6/key-psychoanalytic-concepts-judith-trowell.
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Curtis, H. (2015a)
Everyday life and the unconscious mind: an introduction to psychoanalytic concepts. London: Karnac Books, pp. 30–59. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429474354#TANDF.
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Salzberger-Wittenberg, I. (1970)
Psycho-analytic insight and relationships: a Kleinian approach. London: Routledge & K. Paul. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780203722596.
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Dina Rosenbluth (1970) ‘Transference in Child Psychotherapy’,
Journal of Child Psychotherapy, 2, pp. 72–87. Available at:
https://pep-web-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/search/document/JCPTX.002D.0072A.
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Isca Salzberger-Wittenberg, Gianna Henry, and Elsie L. Osborne (1999)
The emotional experience of learning and teaching. London: Karnac Books. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780203393093.
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Kegerreis, S. (2010b)
Psychodynamic counselling with children and young people: an introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/15765.
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Heimann, P. (1950) ‘On Counter-Transference’, The International Journal of Psycho-analysis, 31, pp. 81–84.
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Holmes, G. and Perrin, A. (1997) ‘Countertransference: What is it? what do we do with it?’,
Psychodynamic Counselling, 3(3), pp. 263–277. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1080/13533339708402492#TANDF.
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Young, R.M. (1994) Mental space. London: Process Press.
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Winnicott, D.W. (1971) ‘Mirror-role of Mother and Family in Child Development’, in
Playing and reality. London: Tavistock, pp. 111–118. Available at:
https://pep-web-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/browse/document/ZBK.017.0111A?page=P0111.
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Miller-Pietroni, M. (1999) ‘Containment in theory and practice’,
Psychodynamic Counselling, 5(4), pp. 407–427. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1080/13533339908404980#TANDF.
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Shohet, R. (1999) ‘Whose feelings am I feeling? Using the concept of projective identification’, in
Loving, hating, and survival: a handbook for all who work with troubled children and young people. Aldershot: Ashgate, pp. 39–53. Available at:
https://www-taylorfrancis-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429445347-4/whose-feelings-feeling-using-concept-projective-identification-robin-shohet?context=ubx&refId=6c0ed84b-9a0c-4b85-b8b5-0024d0775d0f.
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Robert De Board (2014) ‘The leader—the influence of Sigmund Freud’, in
The Psychoanalysis of Organizations: A psychoanalytic approach to behaviour in groups and organizations. New York, US: Routledge, pp. 15–21. Available at:
https://www-taylorfrancis-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/chapters/mono/10.4324/9781315752662-2/leader%E2%80%94the-influence-sigmund-freud-robert-de-board?context=ubx&refId=2f151dc6-870f-45a6-8e03-1eba1b298205.
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De Board, R. (2014a) ‘Groups and their basic assumptions —the in?uence of Wilfred Bion’, in
The Psychoanalysis of Organizations: A psychoanalytic approach to behaviour in groups and organizations. 1st edn. New York, US: Routledge, pp. 35–48. Available at:
https://www-taylorfrancis-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/chapters/mono/10.4324/9781315752662-5/groups-basic-assumptions%E2%80%94the-influence-wilfred-bion-robert-de-board?context=ubx&refId=e4ba5755-3ba1-4a31-8847-edc354faa59c.
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Kegerreis, S. (2016) ‘Psychodynamic Understanding of Institutions and Networks’, in. Available at:
https://moodle.essex.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=262796.
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Youell, B. and Canham, H. (2006c) ‘Projective processes: gangs, bullying, and racism’, in
The Learning Relationship: Psychoanalytic Thinking in Education. 1st edn. London: Karnac, pp. 118–129. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429482281-11/projective-processes-gangs-bullying-racism-biddy-youell-hamish-canham.
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Youell, B. and Canham, H. (2006a) ‘Families and schools’, in
The Learning Relationship: Psychoanalytic Thinking in Education. 1st edn. London, UK: Karnac, pp. 130–141. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429482281-12/families-schools-biddy-youell-hamish-canham.
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Youell, B. and Canham, H. (2006b) ‘Group dynamics in school’, in
The Learning Relationship: Psychoanalytic Thinking in Education. 1st edn. London, UK: Karnac, pp. 104–117. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429482281-10/group-dynamics-school-biddy-youell-hamish-canham.
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William Halton (1994) ‘Some unconscious aspects of organisational life: contribution from psychoanalysis’, in
The Unconscious at work: individual and organizational stress in the human services. London: Routledge, pp. 11–18. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780203359860/chapters/10.4324/9780203359860-8.
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Obholzer, A. and Zagier Roberts, V. (1994) ‘The troublesome individual and the troubled institution’, in
The Unconscious at Work: Individual and Organizational Stress in the Human Services. 1st edn. London, UK: Routledge, pp. 129–138. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203359860-21/troublesome-individual-troubled-institution-anton-obholzer-vega-zagier-roberts.
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De Board, R. (2014b) ‘Organization as a defence against anxiety’, in
The Psychoanalysis of Organizations: A psychoanalytic approach to behaviour in groups and organizations. New York, US: Routledge, pp. 112–129. Available at:
https://www-taylorfrancis-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/chapters/mono/10.4324/9781315752662-9/organization-defence-anxiety-robert-de-board?context=ubx&refId=f952ffa7-0416-41af-8ce9-84580337a27c.
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Anton Obholzer (1994) ‘Authority, power and leadership: Contributions from group relations training’, in
The Unconscious at work: individual and organizational stress in the human services. 1st edn. London, UK: Routledge, pp. 40–45. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203359860-11/authority-power-leadership-anton-obholzer.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Essay |
20/01/2025 |
100% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Chris Nicholson, email: cnich@essex.ac.uk.
Dept of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
Student Administration 5A.202; telephone 01206 874969; ppsug@essex.ac.uk
Yes
Yes
Yes
Dr Anthony John Faramelli
Goldsmiths
Lecturer in Visual Cultures
Available via Moodle
Of 35 hours, 35 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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