AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The class aims to develop a sociological gaze towards social reality, providing basic knowledges about main sociological research methods for observation and understanding of contemporaneity. Specifically, theories and methods of sociology will be framed into the broad context of the society of image and communication.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The first module provides a general introduction to sociology. The goal is to understand and apply key sociological concepts and social theories. The class aims to develop the knowledge and skills required to analyse the organization of societies. The goal will be accomplished by introducing students to the fundamental concepts and principles of sociology.

The primary objective of this course is to awaken students’ sociological imagination, by helping them to see how social forces and social environments affect human behaviors in multiple and complex ways. Beginning with an examination of core sociological ideas on how societies are organized and the inherent strengths and problems within different social arrangements, the class then explores these sociological principles through concrete studies .

Knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts and principles of general sociology; applying knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts and principles of sociology to analyze the organization of societies; ability to examine with scientific methods socio-cultural phenomena; disciplinary communication skills; ability to understand classical problems of sociology.

TEACHING METHODS

The course is based on the assumption of the co-construction of knowledge and the inductive method. It presupposes an active role on the part of the course participant in the reworking and reorganisation of knowledge.

 The training objective of this didactic perspective is the development of critical skills and the autonomous use of the analytical categories of sociology.

The programme will be presented on the aulaweb page of the course and will be constantly updated as it progresses. Also on the aulaweb page, slides and in-depth materials relating to the lectures will be available.

Lectures will be conducted favouring discussion and small group work, as far as possible using participative methodologies (see in particular brainstorming, and debate)

The activities with which the lectures will be conducted are PEER EVALUATION tools. These activities will enable the attending students to acquire an OPEN BADGE that will certify participation in a course aimed at the acquisition of soft skills related to the following key competences: functional literacy; personal; social; learning to learn.

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SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Core topics:

Introduction to sociology - Social research - Culture - Structure, social action and power - Interaction, groups, organisations - Stratification, social classes and global inequalities - Ethnicity and migration - Gender and sexuality - Families and socialisation processes - Deviance - Media and consumption - Politics and economics - Social change: globalisation and social movements

Monographic part:

Youth Studies; biographical transitions; youth cultures; neoliberal society

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Required literature:

David Croteau, William Hoynes, Sociologia generale. Temi, concetti, strumenti, Milano, McGraw-Hill, 2015

Recommended literature (monograph):

one book of your choice among:

- Benasso S. e Stagi L. (2018), Ma una madre lo sa? La responsabilità della corretta alimentazione nella società neoliberale, Genova University Press, Genova

- Benasso S. e Benvenga L. (a cura di) (2024), Trap! Suoni, segni e soggettività nella scena italiana, Novalogos, Roma

- Benasso S. (2013), Generazione shuffle. Traiettorie biografiche tra reversibilità e progetto, Aracne Editrice, Roma

- Filippi D. (2024), Vita curriculi. Università neoliberale, meritocrazia e rincorsa al CV, Rosenberg & Sellier, Torino

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

SEBASTIANO BENASSO (President)

LUCA GUZZETTI (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

I semester (see https://corsi.unige.it/corsi/11417/studenti-orario)

Class schedule

MOD. 1 GENERAL SOCIOLOGY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Attending students (i.e. attending at least 75% of the lectures) will take the examination through a final written test on topics covered in the lectures and dealt with in the textbook.

The written test will aim to assess the learning of theoretical knowledge and the ability to rework the knowledge acquired during the course and apply it to the interpretation of social phenomena.

The written test will consist of 3 open short essays to be answered with a maximum of 700 words for each. 

The maximum score obtainable through the written test is 27 points (9 points maximum per question).

Attending students who have passed the written test will take the oral examination by preparing only on the chosen monographic text. Attending students who obtain lower marks than 18 for the written test must study the whole programme (textbook and monograph) for the oral examination.

Non-attending students will discuss the entire syllabus (textbook and monograph) orally.

In the oral examination, conducted on the monograph book for the attending students and on the entire programme for the non-attending students, the ability to analyse and use sociological categories on a specific topic will be assessed.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The written test aims to assess

- the acquisition of basic notions

- the ability to link concepts

The oral test, on the other hand, is aimed at understanding the acquisition of sociological skills.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students with disabilities or specific learning disabilities (DSA). 

Students with disabilities or with DSA are reminded that to request adjustments for examinations they must first enter their certification on the University website at servizionline.unige.it in the "Students" section. The documentation will be checked by the University's Services for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and DSA Sector (https://rubrica.unige.it/strutture/struttura/100111). 

Subsequently, well in advance (at least 10 days) of the exam date, an e-mail must be sent to the teacher with whom the exam is to be taken, with a copy to both the School's Inclusion Services for students with disabilities and with DSA (laura.traverso@unige.it) and the Sector indicated above using one of the following addresses (disabili@unige.it; dsa@unige.it). The e-mail must specify the name of the teaching course the date of the call the student's surname, first name and roll number the compensatory tools and dispensatory measures that are considered functional and required. 

The contact person (Prof. Laura Traverso) will confirm to the teacher that the applicant has the right to request adaptations during the examination and that these adaptations must be agreed upon with the teacher. The lecturer will respond by stating whether the requested adaptations can be used.  

ERASMUS students are advised to contact the lecturer at the beginning of the course to agree on teaching and examination methods which take account of individual learning modes and provide suitable compensatory tools.