Social and Political Attitudes
A.Y. 2023/2024
Learning objectives
The course provides the theoretical tools to understand and study attitudes and attitude change. Measurement of attitudes is a core element of the course.
The substantive issues on which the course focuses range from attitudes toward science, gender roles, immigration to authoritarianism, democratic values, liberalism and conservatism, trust in government, national identity.
Most of the practical work will be carried out using data coming from international survey programs.
The substantive issues on which the course focuses range from attitudes toward science, gender roles, immigration to authoritarianism, democratic values, liberalism and conservatism, trust in government, national identity.
Most of the practical work will be carried out using data coming from international survey programs.
Expected learning outcomes
Students will acquire the theoretical knowledge for understanding the relations that exist between attitudes, opinions, values, behaviours. Moreover, they will learn to handle specific measurement models based on correlational analysis in order to measure attitudes.
During the course, the students will be required to pay particular attention to effective and efficient communication of scientific results, both orally and in writing.
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During the course, the students will be required to pay particular attention to effective and efficient communication of scientific results, both orally and in writing.
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Lesson period: Third trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Third trimester
Course syllabus
These are the main topics that will be presented during the course:
What is an attitude? Definition of the concept of attitude and its relevance in the social research
Attitude measurement: conceptualization and statistical modeling
Factor analysis: validity and reliability analysis
Sources of data for the study of attitudes: international survey programs (ESS, EVS, ISSP, Electoral Studies)
The study of social attitudes:
- Attitudes toward Science
- Attitudes toward Europe and EU
- Attitudes toward gender roles
- Happiness
- Basic Human Values
- Traditionalism
- Immigration and racial attitudes
The study of political attitudes:
- Authoritarian attitudes
- Democratic values and political tolerance
- Economic values and attitudes toward inequality
- Liberalism and Conservatism
What is an attitude? Definition of the concept of attitude and its relevance in the social research
Attitude measurement: conceptualization and statistical modeling
Factor analysis: validity and reliability analysis
Sources of data for the study of attitudes: international survey programs (ESS, EVS, ISSP, Electoral Studies)
The study of social attitudes:
- Attitudes toward Science
- Attitudes toward Europe and EU
- Attitudes toward gender roles
- Happiness
- Basic Human Values
- Traditionalism
- Immigration and racial attitudes
The study of political attitudes:
- Authoritarian attitudes
- Democratic values and political tolerance
- Economic values and attitudes toward inequality
- Liberalism and Conservatism
Prerequisites for admission
The methods of multivariate statistics are substantial tools for fruitful attendance to the course. It is also necessary to have a basic knowledge of social and political concepts and a good understanding of the logic of social phenomena. It is thus advisable to have followed the course of Behavioural Sociology.
Teaching methods
During the course, different online teaching methods will alternate:
- Traditional lectures, limited to the presentation of the basic concepts;
- Discussion of materials distributed in advance;
- Small workshops on a specific topic;
- Work sessions in which the teacher provides a very precise written work plan and instructions, followed by the proposal of a more creative task at the end of the course.
The platform for student-teacher interactions is MC Teams.
Updates concerning the course and supplementary materials will be mainly posted in the dedicated MS Teams group. The Ariel website will only provide basic information.
Office hours will take place remotely, upon request by email.
- Traditional lectures, limited to the presentation of the basic concepts;
- Discussion of materials distributed in advance;
- Small workshops on a specific topic;
- Work sessions in which the teacher provides a very precise written work plan and instructions, followed by the proposal of a more creative task at the end of the course.
The platform for student-teacher interactions is MC Teams.
Updates concerning the course and supplementary materials will be mainly posted in the dedicated MS Teams group. The Ariel website will only provide basic information.
Office hours will take place remotely, upon request by email.
Teaching Resources
The exam should be prepared on the following materials:
** On the concept of "attitude" **
Lavrakas, Paul J. 2008. Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods. SAGE.
Entries: Attitudes + Attitude Strength + Attitude measurement + Nonattitudes
Eagly, A. H., & Chaiken, S. (2007). The advantages of an inclusive definition of attitude. Social Cognition, 25(5), 582-602.
Stangor, Charles (2014) Principles of Social Psychology. BCcampus. Chapter 4.1. Exploring Attitudes
https://opentextbc.ca/socialpsychology/
** On attitude change and beìhavioural consequences **
Albarracín, Chan, and Jiang (2018) Attitudes and Attitude Change: Social and Personality Considerations About Specific and General Patterns of Behavior. The Oxford Handbook of Personality and Social Psychology (2nd edn). Edited by Kay Deaux and Mark Snyder
Forgas, Cooper, Crano (2011) The Psychology of Attitudes and Attitude Change. New York: Psychology Press
Chapter 1 and 2
** On attitude measurement, factor analysis and validity **
Gawronski, B. (2007). Editorial: Attitudes can be measured! But what is an attitude? Social Cognition, 25(5), 573-581. Retrieved from http://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/ 10.1521/soco.2007.25.5.573
Paul F. Lazarsfeld (1958) "Evidence and Inference in Social Research." Daedalus, Vol. 87, No. 4, On Evidence and Inference (Fall, 1958), pp. 99-130 (in particular 99-109)
Krabbe P. (2016) The Measurement of Health and Health Status: Concepts, Methods and Applications from a Multidisciplinary Perspective. Amsterdam: Academic Press.
Chapter 4: Measurement
Chapter 7: Validity
Chapter 8: Reliability
** On the concept of "attitude" **
Lavrakas, Paul J. 2008. Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods. SAGE.
Entries: Attitudes + Attitude Strength + Attitude measurement + Nonattitudes
Eagly, A. H., & Chaiken, S. (2007). The advantages of an inclusive definition of attitude. Social Cognition, 25(5), 582-602.
Stangor, Charles (2014) Principles of Social Psychology. BCcampus. Chapter 4.1. Exploring Attitudes
https://opentextbc.ca/socialpsychology/
** On attitude change and beìhavioural consequences **
Albarracín, Chan, and Jiang (2018) Attitudes and Attitude Change: Social and Personality Considerations About Specific and General Patterns of Behavior. The Oxford Handbook of Personality and Social Psychology (2nd edn). Edited by Kay Deaux and Mark Snyder
Forgas, Cooper, Crano (2011) The Psychology of Attitudes and Attitude Change. New York: Psychology Press
Chapter 1 and 2
** On attitude measurement, factor analysis and validity **
Gawronski, B. (2007). Editorial: Attitudes can be measured! But what is an attitude? Social Cognition, 25(5), 573-581. Retrieved from http://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/ 10.1521/soco.2007.25.5.573
Paul F. Lazarsfeld (1958) "Evidence and Inference in Social Research." Daedalus, Vol. 87, No. 4, On Evidence and Inference (Fall, 1958), pp. 99-130 (in particular 99-109)
Krabbe P. (2016) The Measurement of Health and Health Status: Concepts, Methods and Applications from a Multidisciplinary Perspective. Amsterdam: Academic Press.
Chapter 4: Measurement
Chapter 7: Validity
Chapter 8: Reliability
Assessment methods and Criteria
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The students are requested to participate in the classes and to give their contributions during the discussion of the material.
The final evaluation is based on:
a) active participation in the lectures;
b) a presentation made in class, illustrating one of the relevant topics in the study of social and political attitudes;
c) a report presenting an empirical analysis on the same topic, using survey data.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
Oral exam based on the materials listed in the Bibliography session.
The students are requested to participate in the classes and to give their contributions during the discussion of the material.
The final evaluation is based on:
a) active participation in the lectures;
b) a presentation made in class, illustrating one of the relevant topics in the study of social and political attitudes;
c) a report presenting an empirical analysis on the same topic, using survey data.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
Oral exam based on the materials listed in the Bibliography session.
Professor(s)
Reception:
Please, send an e-mail to fix an appointment.
Room 4, First floor, Via Conservatorio or MS Teams Platform