Social dynamics, communication and cooperation are part of everyday life and are underlying everything we in do in professional and private settings. Analysing these dynamics helps to better understand different settings and can be a tool for various topics: Planning a project, building a team, designing research processes, shaping an intervention, and developing a communication strategy, a.s.o..

In this course we are addressing dynamics and processes that are usually not part of our conversations in daily life: How do individuals navigate their surroundings? How do teams and groups form and interact?  What is the purpose of organizing and how are organisations working? How can cooperation on different levels be designed? And finally: What is the role of communication in all of this? What are the differences between face to face and Online-conversations and -settings?

All these questions are relevant for social sciences and research as well: Therefore, the implementation and development of social skills into research will be another cross disciplinary connection tackled in the course.

The seminar is structured as a participatory workshop with an emphasis on practice and exercises. Students are invited to bring examples, materials, observations, and their experiences to class.

Emphasis of the winter semester:

- principles of social constellations

- working in teams and groups and their social dynamics

- organizations: theories and principles

- leadership and leadership-styles

Questions addressed:

How do individuals navigate their surroundings? How do teams and groups form and interact?  What is the purpose of organizing and how are organisations working?

Preview for summer semester:

- participation and the design of workshops

- project management

- communication and organizing

- presentations and presenting

- Contribution to the discussions

- No absence without prior excuse, 80 %  attendance

- exercises in group settings: observations of groups and organizational settings

- presentation and discussion of findings

- tasks and practices related to the contents of the lecture

Students from other faculties or universities are invited to participate.