AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

There are three educational objectives of the course: 1. knowledge objectives: to know the concepts of disability and social inclusion and their application in the analysis and management of tourist experiences and sports practice activities for disabled people; 2. competence objectives: knowing how to identify the main elements that can hinder the inclusion of disabled people in sporting practice and the principles of organization of individual and collective sporting activities for disabled people; 3. behavioral objectives: being able to develop a critical reflection on the relationship between sport practice, disability and social inclusion in contemporary society.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching consists of two parts.

The first part aims at providing the competences to understand the characteristics and the functioning of organizations, in general and in the sport sector, through the presentation of the main theories on the topic, from a sociological and a managerial perspective.

The second part is set to define the concepts of disability and social inclusion. After a discussion of the topics in general terms, it will focus on its declination in the sports environment, referring to sailing as the main example.

The main learning outcomes of the teaching are related to:

1. Knowledge, about:  the main features of the relations between sport and politics and the basic concepts used by sociology to understand organizations, in general and in the sports environment; the concepts of disability and social inclusion and their use in the analysis of the organization of pysical activity including disabled people.

2. Understanding the main elements that can hinder the inclusion of disabled people in sport activity and the principles of organization of sport activities for disabled.

3. Making critical judgments about the relations between, sport activity, disability and social inclusion in contemporary society.

PREREQUISITES

No prerequisites required.

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal teaching, classes in attendance.

In addition to the theoretical part of the teaching, the teacher will be supported by athletes, trainers, or managers presenting their experience and relevant case-studies.

To integrate textbooks, the teacher will upload teaching materials on Aulaweb, sending also links to videos related to the topics discussed.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Introduction to the relations between sport and physical activity, disability and social inclusion.

The study of organizations:

- Bureaucracy as a rational organization and its hystorical variants

- Organizations as cooperative systems

- The institutionalist approach

- “Soft” approaches: culture, sense-making, and structuration processes

Sport and disability:

- bio-psycho-social concept of disability and social inclusion;

- Paralimpics and Special Olympics;

- use of physical activity for therapeutic purposes and social inclusion, taking some particular examples from sailing.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bonazzi G., Come studiare le organizzazioni, Il Mulino, Bologna 2006 (new ed.), except Chapt. IV.

Massa A., Pratiche motorie, sport e disabilità: forme di competizione e processi di inclusione sociale, in «Cahiers di Scienze sociali», XII, n. 23, giugno 2025, pp. 83-100.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

AGOSTINO MASSA (President)

PAOLO PARRA SAIANI

NICCOLO' MORELLI (Substitute)

LUCA RAFFINI (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Classes start mid-February 2027.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Exams are oral and are held by the Professor, together with other colleagues in sociological disciplines, for a duration of at least twenty minutes.

Please take note that, because of the high number of students enrolled, exam sessions might take place on several days.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Exams are oral. Students are expected to answer at least three questions on the topics taught in the course, aiming to verify students' capacity to apply sociological cathegories to the description and interpretation of the relations between sport and politics, the organisational aspects of sport in general, the use of the concepts of disability and social inclusion in the analysis of the organization of pysical activity including disabled people.

FURTHER INFORMATION

To request compensatory tools or dispensatory measures, students with disabilities or SLD must fill in the dedicated Webform available at https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa, at least 7 working days before the exam.

Students with SEN may instead send their request by e-mail to the lecturer, copying the Department Representative, Prof. Aristide Canepa (aristide.canepa@unige.it) and the Inclusion Office (inclusione.studenti@info.unige.it).

Requests from students will be assessed by the lecturer and may be approved or rejected.