OVERVIEW

The course aims to provide the student with the basic categories of sociological analysis

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide the student with the basic categories of sociological analysis needed to understand contemporary reality through the illustration of concepts used by sociology (culture and society, groups, organizations, family, deviance, inequality, education, mobility, migration, Economy, work, power) and analyzing globalization and its influence on everyday life

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide students with basic knowledge of the discipline, to understand the way in which sociology interprets and analyzes the contemporary reality, critically discussing the basic concepts according to the main theoretical references of the discipline.

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• understand the key concepts of the discipline;
• demonstrate their understanding of the main sociological theories, both classical and contemporary;
• make connections between these theories and the key concepts of the discipline;
• critically examine the main phenomena of contemporary society;
• recognize transversal skills and their applicability to different contexts and circumstances.

For attending students, participation in some structured activities will allow them to acquire an OPEN BADGE which will certify participation in a training path that can promote the acquisition and development of soft skills relating to specific key competencies: functional alphabetic competence A; personal skills A; social skills A; competence learning to learn B.

TEACHING METHODS

The course consists of lectures for a total of 36 hours (equivalent to 6 CFU), during which theoretical arguments will be presented, exemplifications will be carried, and collective discussions on the topics presented will be strongly encouraged. It is foreseen the possibility of eventual participation in thematic seminars on the topics dealt with. On Aulaweb the slides and in-depth materials relating to the lessons will be available.

During the course, for attending students, structured DEBATE activities will be provided. These activities will allow attending students to acquire an OPEN BADGE which will certify participation in a course aimed at acquiring soft skills related to the following key competences: functional alphabetic competence A; personal skills A; social skills A; competence learning to learn B.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course provides the basics of sociology, focusing in particular on the following topics:

What is the object of sociology? The formation of modern society; The texture of the social fabric; Culture, identity, socialization; Language and communication. Standards, Deviance and Crime, Layering, Social Classes and Social Mobility, Gender and Age Differences, Breeds, Ethnicities and Nations, Family and Marriage, Education and Education, Economics and Society, Labor, Manufacturing and Consumption, Politics and Administration, Population and Social Organization in Space.

The course contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda, with particular reference to Goal 4 "Provide quality, equitable and inclusive education and learning opportunities for all".

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Both for the non-attending students, both for attending students:

Manual: A. Bagnasco, M. Barbagli, A. Cavalli, Elementi di sociologia II ed, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2013
 

In addition, one of the following texts of your choice:

Z. Bauman, La società individualizzata, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2010

U. Beck, I rischi della libertà. L'individuo nell'epoca della globalizzazione, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2012

P.L. Berger, T. Luckmann. La realtà come costruzione sociale, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1969

E. Durkheim, Il suicidio. Studio di sociologia, BUR (Universale Rizzoli), Milano, 2007

V. Pandolfini, P.  Cardinali, N. Rania, L. Migliorini, Le sfide della valutazione. Un percorso tra teoria e pratica valutativa in un progetto nazionale di contrasto alla povertà educativa, FrancoAngeli, Milano, 2025

Weber, L' etica protestante e lo spirito del capitalismo, BUR (Universale Rizzoli), Milano, 1991

Slides and other material made available by the lecturer on aulaweb.

Students with DSA, disability or other special educational needs are recommended to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course, in order to organize teaching and assessment, taking in account both the class aims and the student's needs and providing suitable compensatory instruments.

For international students, texts and articles in English are available on request. For international students who request it, it will be possible to take the examination orally in English.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

I semester

Monday 22 September 2025

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

For the non-attending students, the exam is written (5 open-ended questions, 4 on the manual and 1 on the other book chosen by the student among the suggested books). The student who has passed the written exam, once informed of the mark, will decide whether to accept it, integrate it with a question about a specific thematic area, which will be asked in oral mode in the next call, or reject the mark and present itself in subsequent session.

For each open-ended question, the range is 0-6 points. The available time will be 90 minutes. (total marks from 0 to 30).

For the attending students (i.e. those who have attended at least 70% of the total hours of lessons), it is possible to use the mode envisaged for the non-attending students, or to carry out intermediate test, consisting of an oral in groups test (DEBATE) organized in collaboration with the teaching of "Critical thinking and argumentation", integrated with a final oral exame regarding the contents of the course.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For the non attending students the written exam is structured in 5 open-ended questions (4 on the manual and 1 on the other book chosen by the student among the suggested books). The student who has passed the written exam, once informed of the mark, will decide whether to accept it, integrate it with a question about a specific thematic area, which will be asked in oral mode in the next call, or reject the mark and present itself in subsequent session.

For each open-ended question, the range is 0-6 points. The available time will be 90 minutes (total marks from 0 to 30).

The written exam aims to verify the students’ actual knowledge and acquisition of the concepts and theoretical notions covered in the course, the ability to make connections between these theories and the key concepts of the discipline, the capacity to critically examine the main phenomena of contemporary society and to master the technical terminology.

For the attending students (i.e. those who have attended at least 70% of the total hours of lessons), it is possible to use the mode envisaged for the non-attending students, or to carry out intermediate test, consisting in a short final oral exam on the contents discussed during the lessons.

The oral examination aims to verify the students' actual knowledge and acquisition of the concepts and theoretical notions covered in the course, as well as their ability to apply the notions to specific contexts, to demonstrate critical thinking about the main sociological theories, both classical and contemporary. Competence in the specific use of technical terminology used to analyze the studied phenomena will constitute a preferential evaluation criterion.

FURTHER INFORMATION

All students are invited to periodically consult the page of this course on the AulaWeb e-learning portal (accessible from the University site or at: http://www.aulaweb.unige.it/). All information and materials related to this course are provided exclusively on that site.