Learning objectives
At the end of the course, the student should have acquired knowledge and skills related to general sociology. In particular, they should be able to:
- acquire the knowledge and understanding of basic notions and principles of sociology, starting from the work of classical authors up to contemporary scholars,
- acquire the knowledge and understanding of paradigms, theories and methodological tools with which the main sociological issues are dealt with,
- apply the knowledge acquired in interpreting contemporary social phenomena, by analysing current relevant interlinked social phenomena,
- communicate and discuss themes related to sociology, with different people and target audiences, in a clear and critical way and with appropriate language, through the use of data and information deriving both from academic and non-academic sources.
Prerequisites
None.
Course unit content
This teaching module is aimed to provide basic conceptual, theoretical and methodological tools to study and analyse contemporary social phenomena. The first part will be devoted to the presentation of the theories of some of the main authors of classical sociology (Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Simmel). The second will be dedicated to the analysis of the some monographic issues around which sociological scholarship has developed, with attention to paradigms, theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. Topics will include in particular: social interaction and networks, culture and mass media, politics and social movements, markets and labor, social stratification, gender and sexuality, families' dynamics, education, religion, migration, crime and deviance.
Full programme
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Bibliography
The teaching material, both for attending and non-attending students, includes:
1) Jedlowski P. (2009) Il mondo in questione. Introduzione alla storia del pensiero sociologico, Carocci: Roma (Chapters: Marx, Weber, Simmel, Durkheim)
2) Giddens A. e Sutton P.W. (2014 or following editions) Fondamenti di sociologia, Il Mulino: Bologna (full book)
Suggestion for further reading: 3) De Nardis (2013) Sociologia Politica, McGraw Hill: Milano
The slides used during the lectures will be an integral part of the teaching material. They will be uploaded by the lecturer, on the Elly platform, following each lecture and by the end of the same week. None of the materials provided by the lecturer can be shared, unless authorised, outside unipr, on websites such as StuDocu and Docsity.
The teaching material is defined consistently with the credit requirements for this module (maximum 60 pages for each CFU).
Teaching methods
The teaching activities will take place in the classroom, in Italian, and will include:
- lectures, with the support of slides that will be uploaded after each lesson, by the end of the same week, on the Elly platform, and will be aimed to facilitate the acquisition of the main notions, concepts, paradigms, theories, methodological tools relevant to sociology,
- classroom debates (where possible in groups, based on the number of attending students) aimed to verify students’ on-going learning and to stimulate the application of the knowledge they acquired in interpreting contemporary social phenomena,
- non-compulsory seminars, outside teaching hours, in collaboration with other modules of the department, aimed to stimulate interest in sociological themes and to provide opportunities for discussion with professionals and researchers on sociologically relevant topics.
Lessons will be held in the classroom, unless otherwise indicated.
Assessment methods and criteria
Both attending and non-attending students will be required to take a written exam in Italian, after registering for an exam session, as planned in the official exam calendar. The exam will last for 90 minutes and it will include 4 open questions with reference to the teaching material indicated above.
If the student arrives late at the exam session, they will not be admitted to it.
The students will be required to demonstrate they have learned and understood the main notions, concepts, paradigms, theories of classical sociology and contemporary social phenomena and they have developed the ability to apply the acquired knowledge through relevant examples and with adequate academic language.
The evaluation will be carried out on a scale between 18 and 30. Each of the 4 questions will weight 1/4 of the final grade, that will be calculated based on: correct replies, correct use of the Italiana and academic language, elaboration of the replies and links with relevant topics of sociology. If the grade of two or more questions is less than 18, the exam will be failed. Honors will be awarded in the event that students obtain the maximum score (30) in each of the 4 closed questions and elaborate them in a way that demostrated their mastery of the discipline. The results of the exams will be published on the Esse3 portal within 2 weeks of the exam (or in any case in time for registration for the next exam, should the exam be failed). The lecturer is available for an appointment if students are willing to discuss the outcome of their exam.
Other information
The lecturer will be available for any questions and clarifications regarding the module, the contents, the teaching materials, the exam. She can be contacted via email with written questions or to request an appointment.
For the academic year 2023/2024, the lecturer will be available, unless otherwise specified on the lecturer's personal university page, on Tuesday from 1:30 to 4:30 pm, either in person, in her office, or via the Teams platform. Students are kindly asked to write an email to ask for an appointment both for meeting the lecturer in person or in Teams.
The lecturer warmly invites both non-attending students and Erasmus students to contact her at the beginning of the module, or in any case at their earliest convenience, for any specific question.
If students feel they would benefit from extra introductory lectures on sociology, especially if they have not studied sociology before, the lecturer invites them to request them promptly, at the beginning of the module, by contacting the lecturer according to the indications given above.
All students are invited to register on the Elly platform and to regularly read the communications posted by the lecturer (programs, materials, etc.).
