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
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 -

PART THREE: SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
Classical Sociology - The main sociological perspectives: functionalism, conflictualism, interactionism. Contemporary social theories: Bauman, Beck, Touraine, Bourdieu.

PART FOUR: WORKSHOP
(Arguments will be communicated at the beginning of the class)

Core Documentation

Parts One, Two, Three:

– CROTEAU D.,HOYNES W. (2022), SOCIOLOGIA GENERALE, Third Italian Edition edits by Antonelli F., Rossi E., McGraw Hill, Milano [NO CHAPTERS 10 and 11].
- SLIDES BY THE PROFESSOR (On Moodle Platform)
For Insights on Part Three:
- Santambrogio A. (2019), INTRODUZIONE ALLA SOCIOLOGIA, Laterza, Roma-Bari.
- Ghisleni M., Privitera W. (eds.), SOCIOLOGIE CONTEMPORANEE, Utet, Torino.

Part Four:
- Textbooks and teaching materials will be comunicated at the beginning of the class.

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

Educational activities: lessons; workshops and classworks; lectures; homework. Book launches will be arranged on current social stransformations.

Attendance

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

Type of evaluation

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".