Learning objectives
About the knowledge and understanding (Descriptor 1 = knowledge and understanding), at the end of the course the student must have acquired the fundamental knowledge about the semantic evolution and the conceptual history of the concept of care within some of the major authors and major authors of the history of political thought.
With respect to applied knowledge and understanding (Descriptor 2 = applying knowledge and understanding), through an educational path based on the Socratic lesson/heuristic method, the student must have acquired that ability to understand and analyze the topics covered in class which allows you to develop your own critical thinking on the problems dealt with in the lessons concerning the historical and semantic development of the concept of care.
About the autonomy of judgment (Descriptor 3 = making judgments) students both during and in particular at the end of the course they must have acquired the ability to autonomously analyze the major arguments tackled in teaching in order to be able to relate to them in a critical way.
With respect to communication skills (Descriptor 4 = communication skills) through the methods of method of the heuristic / Socratic lesson the student will have to acquire a satisfactory property expressive both at a terminological and conceptual level aimed at exposing the themes dealt with in the teaching in an autonomous way.
About the ability to learn (Descriptor 5 = learning skills) students will have acquired those bibliographic and linguistic-lexical tools as well as concepts that will allow them to autonomously develop a critical reflection on the problems dealt with in the teaching. The student must also have acquired the ability to autonomously develop their own thoughts on teaching topics and express it in a documented way to the teacher and colleagues.
Prerequisites
None.
Course unit content
The teaching module in History of political thought and theories of care (3 CFU) intends to offer an overview of the semantic evolution of the concept of care through some of the authors who have contributed within the history of political thought to its conceptual definition starting from the ancient Greek and Roman world.
Particular attention will be given to the concept of vulnerability and its relationship with the concept of care.
Finally, the relationship between the concept of care and the idea of relational welfare will be explored.
Full programme
For a conceptual history (Begriffsgeschichte) of the word care.
Semantic developments of the word cure: some historical, philosophical and religious examples.
City, Community, Care: for a political semantics of the relationship.
The word care in the common sense: some definitions for a semantics of the relationship.
Presence of the concept of care in the Declaration of Human Rights.
Rediscovering the concept of care between ethics and politics: Carol Gilligan, Nel Noddings, Virginia Held, Sara Ruddik, Joan C. Tronto.
Care, politics, democracy.
Some philosophical-political outlines of the concept of care in Francisco Suárez.
From "care of subjects" to "care among citizens": the care between Robert Filmer, John Locke and Ugo Grotius.
Care and democracy in Gian Battista Vico.
Care work in Edward Bellamy's utopia.
The cure in Hannah Arendt: antidote to inhumanity.
Vulnerability and care: paths between political thought, law and ethics.
The concept of care in the idea of relational Welfare.
Bibliography
▪︎ F. Folgheraiter, Scartati. Alla ricerca del Rispetto nelle pratiche di cura, Collana "Saggi professionali", Erickson, Trento, 2024.
▪︎ C. Faraco, M.P. Paternò (a cura di), Cura e politica, Editoriale Scientifica, Napoli, 2022 (Sezione Prima: capitoli 1, 2; Sezione Seconda: capitoli 2, 3, 5).
▪︎ A. Furia, S. Zullo (a cura di), La vulnerabilità come metodo. Percorsi di ricerca tra pensiero politico, diritto ed etica, Carocci, Roma, 2020.
Selected parts, to be indicated on Elly, of the book will be read and commented upon:
▪︎ Fondazione Nilde Iotti (ed.), Le leggi delle donne che hanno cambiato l'Italia, Third Edition, Futura, Rome, 2024.
Teaching methods
The teaching activities will be conducted through the method of the frontal lesson /presentation and the method of the lesson Heuristic/ Socratic; a sequential type of expositive teaching (with steps of knowledge) will be alternated with a hypothetical or heuristic teaching based on questions/ stimulus. This mode of teaching aims to promote in the students the autonomous research of meaning on the topics of the frontal lessons. With the use of the Simulation/Role playing and Cooperative Learning methods, we will try to involve the students actively in the construction of the lesson.
Assessment methods and criteria
The three questions of the module History of political thought and theories of care will be about the contents of the two books indicated for the preparation of the exam.
ATTENDING AND NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
Both attending and non-attending students will be required to take an exam in Italian, after registering on the Unipr Esse3 platform according to the official exam calendar of the Department of Law, Political and International Studies. It will be a unique written exam for the whole integrated module. It will consist of a 120-minute examination with 6 open questions: 3 for the first part of the module, 1 for each of the following three parts.
Students will have to demonstrate they have learned and understood notions, concepts, theories of the sociology of care, of caregiving, also in their transnational dimension, and of the evolution of the concept of care within the history of political thought. They will also have to demonstrate the ability to apply their knowledge through examples and to discuss them with different target audiences, by using an appropriate language. The evaluation will be carried out on a scale between 18 to 30, based on a weighted average for the total credits. In order to pass the exam, students will have to pass each of the four parts of the integrated module. Honours will be awarded to students whose score is 30 for each of the questions and who can demonstrate their mastery of the discipline and the capacity to discuss the relevant topics also by means of interdisciplinary connections. The results of the exam will be published on the Esse3 portal within 2 weeks. The lecturers will be available for an appointment to discuss the outcome of the exam.
Other information
GET THE REFERENCE BOOKS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO HAVE THEM IN THE CLASSROOM DURING THE LESSONS AS A PRIMARY TEACHING TOOL. All students must register immediately on the page dedicated to teaching on the Elly platform. Synthetic teaching materials will be uploaded and made available to students on the teaching page on the Elly platform.
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
Goal 3 Health and well-being
Goal 11 Sustainable cities and communities
Goal 16 Peace, justice and strong institutions
