Programme

FIRST PART: ESPISTEMOLOGY AND METHODOLOGY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
The origins of sociology and its epistemologic status. Epistemology, methodology and social theory. The main paradigms in sociology. Quantitative and qualitative methods.
SECOND PART: MAIN SOCIOLOGICAL CONCEPTS AND THEMES
Culture - Structures, social actions and power – Groups and organizations - Social stratification, social classes and global inequalities - Ethnicity and migrations - Gender and sexualities – Families and socialization process – Deviance - Social changes, globalization and social movements.
THIRD PART: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES
The birth of sociology: sociology and positivism - Karl Marx – Emile Durkheim – Georg Simmel – Max Weber – The Chicago School of Sociology – George H. Mead - Italian sociology at the beginning of '900 – Sigmund Freud and the birth of psychoanalysis - Critic theory – Functionalism – Alfred Schutz – Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann – Erving Goffman – Contemporary sociology
FOURTH PART: POVERTY, INEQUALITIES AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION
FIFTH PART: THE SOCIOLOGY OF GEORG SIMMEL: DOMINATION
SIXTH PART: ZYGMUNT BAUMAN AND LIQUID MODERNITY

Core Documentation

First and second part:
– CROTEAU D., HOYNES W. (2022), SOCIOLOGIA GENERALE. TEMI, METODO, CONCETTI, SECOND EDITION (EDITED BY ANTONELLI F., ROSSI E.) MC GRAW HILL EDUCATION, MILANO [with the exception of the following chapter 10].
Third part :
–JEDLOWSKI P. (2017) IL MONDO IN QUESTIONE. INTRODUZIONE ALLA STORIA DEL PENSIERO SOCIOLOGICO, CAROCCI EDITORE, ROMA, [with the exception of the following chapters 1, 13, 14].
Fourth part
– ROSSI E., (2012), IN DISPARTE. APPUNTI PER UNA SOCIOLOGIA DEL MARGINE, ARMANDO EDITORE
Fifth part
– SIMMEL G., (2017), IL DOMINIO, (edited by CARLO MONGARDINI), ROMA, BULZONI
SIXTH PART
-BAUMAN Z., (2021), MODERNITA' LIQUIDA, BARI, LATERZA

Reference Bibliography

Reference bibliography Bauman Z. (2018), Vite di scarto, Laterza Beck U. (1999), Che cos'è la globalizzazione, Carocci Durkheim E. (1971), Le forma elementari della vita religiosa, Edizioni di Comunità Elias N. (1990), La società degli individui, Il Mulino Freud S. (2003), Il disagio della civiltà e altri saggi, Bollati Boringhieri Goffman E. (2003), Asylums. Le istituzioni totali: i meccanismi dell'esclusione e della violenza, (Einaudi) Horkheimer M., T.W. Adorno, (1966), La dialettica dell'Illuminismo, Einaudi Park R.E., Burgess E. W., McKenzie R.D., (1967), La città, Edizioni di Comunità Schutz A. (1979), Saggi sociologici, Utet Simmel G. (1998), Sociologia, Edizioni di Comunità Weber M., (1974), Economia e società, Edizioni di Comunità Wright Mills C., (1962), L'immaginazione sociologica, Il saggiatore.

Type of delivery of the course

Oral lessons.The course includes lectures aimed at acquiring the concepts and main theories of the discipline. Participation of students in educational activities is optional.

Type of evaluation

The exam will be oral, aimed at evaluating the preparation of the student. The questions asked will be oriented to verify the degree of knowledge of the analytical and methodological tools of Sociology. Particular attention will be paid to verify the empirical knowledge that derives from research conducted on different topics which are illustrated in the text books. Finally, the student’s ability to establish links between the different themes will be evaluated, as well as the propensity of critical reflection on the phenomena being studied.

Programme

PART ONE: EPISTEMOLOGY AND METHODOLOGY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
The origin of the sociology and its epistemological status. The modern science and its scientific paradigms. Verificationism vs Falsificationism. Epistemology, methodology and social theory. Main sociological paradigms. Quantitative and qualitatives methods.

PART TWO: CONCEPTS, SUBJECTS AND SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
Culture, institutions and cultural processes - Power, social action and social structures - Social interactions, groups and socialization - Migrations and ethnicity - Gender and sexuality (with references to the sociology of families) - Social stratification and inequlities in the globalization era - Social changes, social movements and globalization - Classical Sociological Perspective - The main sociological perspectives: functionalism, conflictualism, interactionism. Contemporary social theories: Bauman, Touraine, Bourdieu.

PART THREE: TECHNOCRACY, EXPERTS AND DEMOCRACY
Technoscience and power - Who are the experts - Experts, crisis and governance - Experts and market - From experts to technocracy - Progressive technocracy and neoliberal technocracy - Technocracy at work - Technocracy, power and knowledge - The problem of political meritocracy in global society.

PART FOUR: BUREAUCRACY AND SOCIETY
The transformation of bureaucracy from industrial society to global society.

Core Documentation

PART ONE AND TWO
CROTEAU D.,HOYNES W. (2022), SOCIOLOGIA GENERALE, THIRD ITALIAN EDITION EDS. BY ANTONELLI F., ROSSI E. MC GRAW
HILL EDUCATION, MILANO [NO CHAPTERS 11].

PART THREE:
- CASELLI D. (2020), ESPERTI. COME STUDIARLI E PERCHE', IL MULINO, BOLOGNA.
- ANTONELLI F. (2019), TECNOCRAZIA E DEMOCRAZIA. L'EGEMONIA AL TEMPO DELLA SOCIETA' DIGITALE, L'ASINO D'ORO, ROMA [NO CHAPTER 6].
- BELL D.A. (2019), IL MODELLO CINA. MERITOCRAZIA POLITICA E LIMITI DELLA DEMOCRAZIA, LUISS UNIVERSITY PRESS, ROMA.

PART FOUR
- BONAZZI G., STORIA DEL PENSIERO ORGANIZZATIVO, VOL. II. LA QUESTIONE BUROCRATICA, FRANCO ANGELI, MILANO.

Reference Bibliography

Reference bibliography Bauman Z. (2018), Vite di scarto, Laterza Beck U. (1999), Che cos'è la globalizzazione, Carocci Durkheim E. (1971), Le forma elementari della vita religiosa, Edizioni di Comunità Elias N. (1990), La società degli individui, Il Mulino Freud S. (2003), Il disagio della civiltà e altri saggi, Bollati Boringhieri Goffman E. (2003), Asylums. Le istituzioni totali: i meccanismi dell'esclusione e della violenza, (Einaudi) Horkheimer M., T.W. Adorno, (1966), La dialettica dell'Illuminismo, Einaudi Park R.E., Burgess E. W., McKenzie R.D., (1967), La città, Edizioni di Comunità Schutz A. (1979), Saggi sociologici, Utet Simmel G. (1998), Sociologia, Edizioni di Comunità Weber M., (1974), Economia e società, Edizioni di Comunità Wright Mills C., (1962), L'immaginazione sociologica, Il saggiatore.

Type of delivery of the course

During COVID-19 Emergency, the class will be held on-line, according to art. 1, Rectoral Decree n. 703, May 5th 2020. Educational activities: lessons; workshops and classworks; lectures; homework.

Attendance

Attending lessons is optional. Nevertheless, it is strongly recommended to fully achieve all educational goals.

Type of evaluation

During COVID-19 Emergency, the exam will be held according to art. 1, Rectoral Decree n. 703, May 5th 2020. Oral test on the whole program (different for attending students and not attending students). The oral test aims to assess the knowledge of the fundamental sociological categories (i.e. social stratification, groups, socialisation, social integration ecc.) and of the sociological theories (classic sociology, interactionsim, functionalism, conflictualism, contemporary social theories) as well as student's critical abilities, in particular the capacity to understand different nexus among different sociological categories and perspectives, in their historic background. Eventually, a specific assessment is focused on the capacity to read current social reality through sociological "lens".