Communications Culture

A.Y. 2023/2024
9
Max ECTS
60
Overall hours
SSD
SPS/08
Language
Italian
Learning objectives
The course provides an analysis of the different cultures of communication, as intersection of classical issues of communication studies and the cultures characterizing communication in the media and in everyday life. Nowadays, communication is paramount in different areas of social life. The course focuses on the social actors of communication represented in terms of 'difference', both as cultural difference and gender difference. The aim of the course is to develop the critical and analytical capacities of the student in intercepting and interpreting the role of such differences in communication strategies. Indeed, communicative competences are crucial tools in everyday life and in front of current institutional grammars of communication. The course will offer the development of all the relevant competences to orient oneself in a heterogeneous field of communications' cultures, in agreement with the general targets of the B.A. Comunicazione e Società.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student should have developed knowledge and understanding of the communicative dynamics in professional, productive and everyday life situations; Applying knowledge and understanding, with an autonomous and critical evaluation of the characteristics of mediate and interpersonal communication in different fields of social life. Autonomy of judgement, and students' communicative capabilities will be developed by discussions and working papers.The final exam aims to verify the expected learning outcomes in respect to the students' capacity of understanding, applying knowledge, developing a critical analysis of the theoretical perspectives introduced by the course.
Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Lesson period
First trimester
Course syllabus
The programme of the course is based on 9 credits. The first unit deals with communicative practices and cultural difference (gender difference, multiculturalism, pluralism in global societies, and so on); the second unit addresses the topic of gender difference, cultural difference and human/nature difference from a sociological, cultural and historical point of view; the third unit is based on the practical analysis of the previous topics with case studies. Attending students will be invited to present working papers and to an active participation to the course.
Prerequisites for admission
The student should have basic knowledge in the field of general sociology (exam Sociologia e Cultura).
Teaching methods
In the classroom the lesson will be supported by slides (uploaded in the Ariel website of the course). The course includes discussions and working papers. The student will be invited to choose specific topics of study.
Teaching Resources
For attending students the programme includes: (first unit). Rebughini Sociologie della differenza. Genere, Cultura, Natura, Carocci 2022; (second unit) to choose one of the following books (all available in English) E. Said Orientalismo, Feltrinelli 2002; E. Goffman Rappresentazioni di genere, Mimesis, 2015; J. Moore Antropocene o capitalocene?, OmbreCorte, 2017; (third unit) readings to be provided during the course according to working papers.
For not attending students the programme includes: (first unit) E. Said Orientalismo, Feltrinelli 2002 (available also in English); (second unit) Baumann, G. L'enigma multiculturale, Il Mulino, Bologna (available also in English); (third unit) Benhabib S. La rivendicazione dell'identità culturale, Il Mulino, Bologna; or Pomeranz K. La grande divergenza, Il Mulino (both available also in English).
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam is written with open questions, to verify knowledge and competences developed during the course, in line with the expected results. Attending students will be evaluated as well on the base of class discussions, thematic workshops and working papers. Collective working papers are part of the training, with the aim to develop autonomous judgment, critical capacity, competences in selecting and further explore the topic of the course. For all students, the final written exam will evaluate the capacity to critically present concepts and theoretical perspectives, taking into account the accuracy of the answers, lexical precision and the capacity to explain one's arguments. The first exam date will be set immediately after the end of the course.
SPS/08 - SOCIOLOGY OF CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)
Reception:
by appointment