In the first of its kind in India, DelhiUniversity (DU) is introducing a new elective course titled:
**Negotiating Intimate Relationships**
The course is for UG students, set to begin in the 2025-26 academic session.
This course, offered by the Department of Psychology, aims to equip students with skills to navigate emotional challenges in friendships and romanticrelationships, particularly in the context of modern influences like socialmedia and datingapps.
The pioneering & ingenious initiative responds to growing concerns about emotional distress and rising incidents of violence linked to toxicrelationships among youngadults.
Curriculum is divided into 4 main units:
1. Psychology of Friendships and Intimate Relationships.
2. Theories of Love and Sexuality. Covers psychological theories such as Robert Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love and the Two-Factor Theory, providing frameworks to understand love and attraction.
3. Signs of Relationships Going Sour. Focuses on identifying red flags, including jealousy, romantictransgressions, break-ups, and intimate partner violence, to help students recognize toxicpatterns early.
4. Flourishing Relationships. Emphasizes building healthy relationships through effective communication, emotional support, and strategies to enhance relationshipsatisfaction.
The tutorials include engaging activities such as:
- Analyzing social media networks to understand relationship dynamics.
- Reviewing films like *Kabir Singh* and *Titanic* to critically examine portrayals of love and conflict.
- Debating online datingculture and challenges (like, issues on platforms like Tinder).
- Conducting self-awareness and forgiveness exercises, and using tools like Sternberg’s Triangular LoveScale to assess romantic relationships.
Delhi University’s course is described as a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, particularly for its focus on addressing modernrelationship challenges faced by GenZ .
Globally, University of Edinburgh, offers a sociology course called, Intimate Relationships, which explores sociological perspectives on relationships. However, it doesn't focus on modern digital influences or practical emotional skills like DU’s course.
The DU Course therefore, is indeed a paradigmshift in academics / highereducation with real focus on the really young, those in their teens or early tweens.
The course was developed in response to alarming incidents in Delhi, linked to jealousy and toxic relationships, and the high-profile 2022 Shraddha Walkar case. These events underscored the need for education on healthy boundaries and emotional regulation.
I dare add, while the 'best-West' addressed issues of toxicmasculinity, social media's influence, and the challenges of adolescence, with an OTT Series, Adolescence, India has taken a substantial substantive step forward.
This post was originally shared by on Linkedin.