Learning objectives
The course presents an introduction to the Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes, with a focus on the analysis of the construction and reproduction of social inequalities and stigma in the educational worlds. At the end of the course, following the Dublin descriptors, the student is expected to be able to:
-to know and understand the main concepts and research strands of the Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes, particularly with reference to the analysis of social inequalities and stigma in educational worlds;
-to apply the concepts and research studied to a critical analysis of the role of educational worlds in the reproduction of social inequalities and access to culture;
-to be able to independently analyse and interpret the political and non-neutral nature of formal education in the construction of school and social trajectories;
-to be able to communicate and explicate in the sociological analysis of educational worlds the field of conflict between groups belonging to different social classes and bearers of different interests, values and objectives, as well as the ambivalent relationship between merit and social equity and the effects of education in the processes of selection, assimilation and ratification of social status;
-to be able to apply the knowledge and interpretative methods learnt in the course to the professional contexts of reference, putting them at the service of one's own professional actions.
Prerequisites
The course has no prerequisites
Course unit content
This course is an introduction to the Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes and first examines the main concepts, theories and research strands of the discipline. The course focuses on conflict theories and the social reproduction paradigm in the analysis of the construction and reproduction of social inequalities within the educational worlds. A key concept of the course will be the notion of “stigma”, analysed through classical literature and recent research on the intersectional construction of inequalities in educational contexts.
Full programme
The first part of the course consists of a handbook path on the main concepts, theories, authors and research strands of the Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes. The historical origins of the scientific concept of 'culture' are presented, as well as the different processes of definition, and the main authors and theories relating to the two main disciplinary macro-positions: on the one hand, systemic theories and structuralism, which attribute structures a prevalence over individual acting; on the other hand, the Weberian approach and symbolic interactionism, which consider society above all as the result of the acting of individuals. The course then analyses the theme of the construction and reproduction of social inequalities in the educational worlds, through the classic contribution of Pierre Bourdieu, emphasising concepts such as cultural capital, social capital, habitus, field, The political and far from neutral nature of formal education in the construction of school and social trajectories is analysed and the role of schools in the processes of reproduction of social inequalities is explored. The last part of the course will present a series of recent research on the subject of the schooling of the working classes, students of migrant origin and multicultural schools, analysing the reproductive processes of the educational paths of subaltern subjects. One of the crucial concepts of the course will be that of 'stigma', thought of in intersectional terms (from class, race, gender, etc.), which is linked to theories of labelling and more generally to the reproductive dimension of social inequalities.
Bibliography
Crespi F. (2003) Manuale di sociologia della cultura. Laterza: Bari-Roma, capitoli 1 e 2, pp. 1-96.
Bourdieu P. (1997) Le disuguaglianze di fronte alla scuola e alla cultura. In: Morgagni E. e Russo A. (a cura di) L’educazione in sociologia. Testi scelti. Bologna, Clueb: 107- 123.
One essay of your choice from a list of essays indicated at the beginning of the course and uploaded on Elly Platform
Teaching methods
The course favours an approach centred on participation and the co-production of knowledge, involving the use and integration of different teaching methods: lectures; dialectical and interactive lessons based on discussion moments; viewing of documentaries related to the topics in question and debate; seminar meetings with experts and members of associations.
Assessment methods and criteria
The examination is conducted by means of an oral interview, in which students will be able to demonstrate that they have acquired the main concepts and theories of the discipline, that they know how to analyse and argue the perspectives and results of the research of their choice, and that they have developed the ability to reason critically on the topics studied.
The assessment of the examination is based on the following indicators: knowledge and understanding of the syllabus content; critical ability to analyse, rework the content and argue the issues studied; ability to apply concepts and theories of the discipline to the research analysed and to one's own experience; ability to present the subject in a clear manner and with appropriate language.
The grade is awarded as follows:
- the insufficiency is determined by the lack of knowledge of the minimum contents of the teaching, as well as the absence of the other capacities made explicit by the assessment indicators;
- grades 18-22/30 correspond to barely sufficient/sufficient preparation;
- grades 23-26/30 correspond to more than sufficient preparation;
- grades 27-29/30 correspond to good/very good preparation;
- grades 30/30 and 30/30 cum laude correspond to excellent and exceptional preparation respectively.
Other information
All course materials, including pdf essays (both the compulsory and the optional ones) and the list of choice essays, can be found on the Elly Platform.
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
Goal 4: Quality education; Goal 10: Reduce inequalities
