Learning objectives
The course has the goal of permitting students to reach knowledge and comprehension of some basic and essential elements of general sociology. This in order to develop in the students the competence of: - sociological observation and analysis of social ambience and context;
- acting some communication strategies;
- learning some skills to deal with institutions.
At the end of the course, the student should prove to have got;
- knowledges and understanding of the basic elements of sociology (describer 1);
- communication
skils with institutions (describer 4); - applying sociological knowledge in order to act in the context (describer 2);
- making judgements about the development of social identity (describer 3);
- making judgements about the construction of social representations (describer 3). Students, then, should be able: - to do simple sociological observations and analyses;
- to analyze context of life from a sociological point of view (describer 3);
- to communicate with groups and institutions (describer 4);
- to analyze the construction of social and cultural reality (describer 3);
- to apply good practice with different groups (describer 2).
Prerequisites
Attitude to the analysis and the critical thinking.
Course unit content
The contents of the first part of the course are about some of the fundamental sociological elements such as identity, socialization, social relations, social representations, communication, culture. The second part of the course will deal with institutions such as family, instruction and the influence of mass media on culture and social reality. In the third part of the course, some researches will be exposed in order to understand how institutions can exercise an influence upon identity and the construction of social reality.
Full programme
- Basic and fundamental elements of society and general sociology; - socialization; - identity; - communication; - social representations; - culture and subcultures; - institutions.
Bibliography
- Ferrari M.G., E’ possibile comunicare?, Unicopli, Milano, 2009; Bagnasco A., Barbagli M., Cavalli A., Corso di sociologia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1997 (II, III, V parts); Goffman E., Asylums, Piccola Biblioteca Einaudi, torino, 2010;
written text of University lectures.
Teaching methods
In the first part of the course the lessons will be frontal. The students, however, will be sollecited to answer continous questions, applying a brainstorming method. The goal will be that of approaching students in a socratic and maieutics way. In the second part of the course, in order to develop the ability of sociological analyzis, it will be proposed a study about social representations
, such as desribed by Moscovici.
Then, the focus will go to total insititutions, described by Goffman. It will be requested to students to comment two films about total insituttions, a mental hospital and a prison. In this way, students should recreate context in which they will probabily work.
Their written comments will be valued as the first part of their global valuation. At the end, students will be requested to propose project works about rehabilitation of mental sick people and prisoners. This will be an experience learning.
Assessment methods and criteria
It will be proposed a written exam diveded in two parts to check the acquisition of knowledge, understanding and competence about social studies. In the first part of the exam, students will analizy and comment two films about two total institutions. Students will have one hour and a half to answer just an open question.
In the second part of the exam, student will answer four open question in a hour and half. the four question will be about texts, lessons and written lectures. the goal is that of evaluating the students' ability of planning an observation, analisys and intervening in a working context. The valutation will be positive, if the student will prove a good ability in the description, analyzis and reasoning of the contents of the first and second part o f the exam. the valutation of the second part of the exam will be sufficient if students answer, at least, to three of the four questions.
It will be valued the knowledge, competence, clearness and the personal considerations and contribution. the valuation of the two parts of the exam will be from 0 to 30. the global valuation will not result from the mathematical average. the first part of the exam will count a third of the global proof. Students will know their valutation on esse3, that give them possibility to accept or not the vote in 7 days. The not attending students will study another text that will be arranged in accord with the teacher. The frequency to seminars and meeting proposed by other teachers will be valued such as added score. The registration to the exam will be make on-line.
Other information
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