Comparative Social Systems

The course aims to provide students with the basic knowledge and tools used in the sociological analysis of societies and social phenomena from a comparative perspective, i.e. by looking at various models of social organisation, through critical reflection on the fundamental concepts, themes and research of sociology and the discipline's most representative authors.
In addition to providing a historical overview of the development of sociological thought and its methods of investigation, the course focuses on the analysis of the main social, political, economic and cultural phenomena affecting contemporary societies, stimulating comparisons between different contexts.
The knowledge and tools acquired will enable students to understand the underlying dynamics of social phenomena, familiarise themselves with the vocabulary used in sociology and acquire the essential tools of the social sciences toolbox.

At the end of the course the student will have to know and correctly explain, using the language of social sciences, the main theories, concepts and research regarding the processes and changes that characterize contemporary societies.
The knowledge acquired - thanks also to the analysis of case studies and the in-depth analysis of particularly relevant issues in the social field - will allow students to critically understand, also from an empirical point of view, the underlying dynamics of contemporary societies in a as comparative as possible.