LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course explores a multiplicity of themes and approaches developed within the sociology of deviance, encouraging students to move beyond a theoretical approach to deviance and control in order to understand their public representation. Particularly, it aims at: encouraging students' aunonomy; increasing their ability in critically assessing how academic theories are translated into public discourses, for example in film and media; developing their critical capability in the analysis of media communication on social deviance and control.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course has as its main objectives:

• to provide a compendium of the main sociological theories on deviance and social control;

• to describe their public representation;

• to understand the contribution of this theoretical discourse to the production and governance of the deviant.

Upon completion of the course students will be able to:

• acquire a basic vocabulary on discourses on deviance and social marginality;
• understand how academic theories are translated in public speeches (e.g. in the cinema and media);
• critically interpret media communication on deviance and control;
• present the knowledge acquired in oral and written form.

PREREQUISITES

Students must have passed the General Sociology exam.

TEACHING METHODS

Combination of traditional lectures (approx.20 hours), tutorials and classroom discussions of video and assignments presented by working groups of students (approx. 16 hours).

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course is chiefly aimed to describe the most relevant models of interpretation of deviant phenomena and their control. A brief description of the main  sociological research methods on deviance will be also provided. Then, through the presentation of empirical researches, the focus will shift to processes, practical and discursive strategies, implemented by institutional (and non-institutional) apparatuses, which contribute to the "construction" the governance of deviant and marginal people.  Students will be encouraged to work together on group projects in order to develop critical skills in reading and analysing deviance and social control representations through different media. 

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Attending students:

- Selected chapters of: C. Rinaldi, P. Saitta (a cura di), Devianze e crimine, Antologia ragionata di teorie classiche e contemporanee, PM Edizioni, Varazze 2017.

- Selected chapters of: W. Baroni, F. Boni, S. Consigliere e G. Petti, Gli spettri della pandemia. Scientismo, terrore e controllo sociale, PM Edizioni, Varazze, in corso di pubblicazione.

The selection of chapters to be studied and any other materials will be indicated during the course, so it is advisable to wait for the start of lessons for the purchase of texts.

Non-attending students:

- F. Prina, Devianza e criminalità. Concetti, metodi di ricerca, cause, politiche, Carocci, Roma 2019; 

- W. Baroni, F. Boni, S. Consigliere e G. Petti, Gli spettri della pandemia. Scientismo, terrore e controllo sociale, PM Edizioni, Varazze, in corso di pubblicazione.