In a move to address the growing emotional challenges faced by young adults in the digital age, Delhi University is set to launch a new elective course titled "Negotiating Intimate Relationships" for undergraduate students starting from the 2025-26 academic session, according to the Times of India.
Introduced by the Department of Psychology, the course has been listed on the university's official website since 2023. It aims to help students understand the dynamics of friendships and romantic relationships in the era of dating apps and social media. Open to all undergraduate students, regardless of discipline, this four-credit paper is designed to help learners identify red flags, navigate emotional complexities, and build healthy interpersonal bonds.
The decision comes in the wake of rising concerns over emotional distress and incidents of violence linked to toxic relationships among youth. With structured academic engagement, the university hopes to foster greater emotional awareness and resilience among students.
Key Themes and Structure
The course spans four major units, beginning with the psychology behind friendships and close bonds. It then delves into different theories of love and sexuality, including the triangular theory of love by Robert Sternberg and the two-factor theory. The third unit explores warning signs in relationships such as jealousy, emotional manipulation, and intimate partner violence. The final segment focuses on strategies to nurture fulfilling and long-lasting relationships.
Students will attend three lectures and one tutorial every week. While there is no practical component, tutorials will include interactive exercises like movie reviews, debates on dating culture, group discussions, and social media network analysis. Films such as Kabir Singh and Titanic will be reviewed to critically examine portrayals of love and conflict. Students will also use Sternberg's triangular love scale to assess one's love towards a romantic partner.
Fostering emotional intelligence in the classroom
According to the course outline, the primary learning objectives are to help students understand the foundations of intimate relationships, recognise emotional triggers and conflicts, and cultivate the ability to form meaningful and respectful bonds. By the end of the course, students are expected to be able to analyse the psychological roots of love and distress, and apply these insights to real-life situations.
The university believes that such academic interventions are increasingly relevant, especially given recent episodes of emotional instability and interpersonal violence among students.
Only students who have cleared their Class 12 examination will be eligible to enroll in the course.
