Society and Social Change
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The overall objectives of the course consist in learning sociology's main concepts and theoretical-interpretive paradigms applied to its most relevant fields of investigation. First, the specificity of the sociological perspective as scientific knowledge (theoretical perspectives, methods, and techniques of social research) will be clarified. Students will then become familiar with the discipline's various fields of investigation (economic and labor market sociology, politics, the territorial dimension of social phenomena, family, school and religion, the media). On a weekly basis, throughout the course, exercises will be proposed aimed at promoting the development of soft skills (e.g., teamwork, argumentative skills, and public speaking). Particularly, attention will be paid to students' ability to understand and analyse the progress of the scientific debate on issues pertaining to the topics covered during the course, as well as to appreciate and distinguish the methodological approaches (qualitative or quantitative) used by the various proposed empirical research.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, students should have understood and acquired sociology's basic vocabulary, together with the knowledge concerning its main authors and its prevailing theoretical perspectives; they should have acquired the ability to distinguish between common sense assumptions and scientific knowledge; they should have developed the necessary skills to carry out a critical review of the scientific literature; they also should have developed autonomous analytical and judgment skills with reference to the main dynamics and processes characterizing contemporary societies, being therefore capable of consciously positioning themselves within the existing academic debate.
Students should have acquired the ability to autonomously apply the acquired knowledge to the analysis of ongoing processes in contemporary societies, also from a historical-comparative point of view.
Finally, students should have become familiar with the most relevant databases produced by the main national and international bodies (Istat, Eurostat, OECD), but also with the use of ad hoc software for the creation and administration of questionnaires, in order to develop, in the future, independent paths of research and study in the field.
Students should have acquired the ability to autonomously apply the acquired knowledge to the analysis of ongoing processes in contemporary societies, also from a historical-comparative point of view.
Finally, students should have become familiar with the most relevant databases produced by the main national and international bodies (Istat, Eurostat, OECD), but also with the use of ad hoc software for the creation and administration of questionnaires, in order to develop, in the future, independent paths of research and study in the field.
Lesson period: Second 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
Second trimester
Course syllabus
The course is structured into three modules.
In Module 1, the instructor will provide some preliminary notions aimed at clarifying the specificity of the sociological perspective as a scientific discipline (in terms of paradigms, theories, research methods, and techniques). Students will then be introduced to the main fields of sociological inquiry, starting with economic sociology and the sociology of the labor market. Various sociological approaches to the study of inequality and social stratification will be presented (with particular reference to class/status analysis and social mobility phenomena), followed by a focus on the sociology of education and the study of educational systems. The course will then address other significant forms of inequality and social diversity (gender and sexual orientation, age, race, and ethnicity). The main social institutions will also be examined, including the study of the family, religious life, politics, and bureaucratic organizations. Subsequently, the social role of the media will be analyzed, and students will be introduced to the sociology of deviance and crime. The module will conclude with a reflection on the limits and perspectives of sociology as the study of nation-states, in light of increasing processes of supranational integration and the emergence of institutions operating on a global scale.
In Module 2, the instructor will offer an in-depth, historically and comparatively informed exploration of a particularly relevant topic addressed during the course.
In Module 3, the instructor, supported by a teaching assistant, will guide students through a series of exercises designed to develop and strengthen specific transversal skills. Students will participate in group work aimed at analyzing secondary data and independently sourcing specific materials and databases relevant to the analysis of social phenomena. They will also be equipped with tools to reconstruct scientific debates on specific topics and will learn to support their arguments through presentations and classroom debates.
More detailed information will be made available in the weeks leading up to the start of the course on the MyAriel platform.
Further details will be made available in the weeks leading up to the course on the MyAriel platform.
In Module 1, the instructor will provide some preliminary notions aimed at clarifying the specificity of the sociological perspective as a scientific discipline (in terms of paradigms, theories, research methods, and techniques). Students will then be introduced to the main fields of sociological inquiry, starting with economic sociology and the sociology of the labor market. Various sociological approaches to the study of inequality and social stratification will be presented (with particular reference to class/status analysis and social mobility phenomena), followed by a focus on the sociology of education and the study of educational systems. The course will then address other significant forms of inequality and social diversity (gender and sexual orientation, age, race, and ethnicity). The main social institutions will also be examined, including the study of the family, religious life, politics, and bureaucratic organizations. Subsequently, the social role of the media will be analyzed, and students will be introduced to the sociology of deviance and crime. The module will conclude with a reflection on the limits and perspectives of sociology as the study of nation-states, in light of increasing processes of supranational integration and the emergence of institutions operating on a global scale.
In Module 2, the instructor will offer an in-depth, historically and comparatively informed exploration of a particularly relevant topic addressed during the course.
In Module 3, the instructor, supported by a teaching assistant, will guide students through a series of exercises designed to develop and strengthen specific transversal skills. Students will participate in group work aimed at analyzing secondary data and independently sourcing specific materials and databases relevant to the analysis of social phenomena. They will also be equipped with tools to reconstruct scientific debates on specific topics and will learn to support their arguments through presentations and classroom debates.
More detailed information will be made available in the weeks leading up to the start of the course on the MyAriel platform.
Further details will be made available in the weeks leading up to the course on the MyAriel platform.
Prerequisites for admission
As this is a first-year (second trimester) course, there are no prerequisites other than those required for admission to the degree program. However, a solid understanding of general knowledge, especially in current events and 20th-century history, can be beneficial for effectively contextualizing the course content.
Teaching methods
The course includes both lectures supported by slides and moments of active participation from students. Participants will be encouraged to creatively apply the concepts and perspectives learned from the textbooks to social phenomena described in news articles, in-depth essays, and quantitative data provided by the instructor. Attendance is not mandatory but is highly recommended.
Teaching Resources
For students attending the course:
Anthony Giddens, Philip W. Sutton, Fondamenti di sociologia (2022, sesta edizione), Il Mulino
Piketty T., (2021), Una breve storia dell'uguaglianza, La Nave di Teseo.
Slides and other materials for attending students available on the MyAriel platform.
For students non attending the course:
Anthony Giddens, Philip W. Sutton, Fondamenti di sociologia (2022, sesta edizione), Il Mulino
Piketty T., (2021), Una breve storia dell'uguaglianza, La Nave di Teseo.
Anthony Giddens, Philip W. Sutton, Fondamenti di sociologia (2022, sesta edizione), Il Mulino
Piketty T., (2021), Una breve storia dell'uguaglianza, La Nave di Teseo.
Slides and other materials for attending students available on the MyAriel platform.
For students non attending the course:
Anthony Giddens, Philip W. Sutton, Fondamenti di sociologia (2022, sesta edizione), Il Mulino
Piketty T., (2021), Una breve storia dell'uguaglianza, La Nave di Teseo.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Attending students will take a written exam and must participate in a series of exercises during the course. The final exam consists of open-ended questions based on the content of the textbooks and materials presented in class. Attending students who did not pass the partial assessments (or declined their results) will be required to take written exams. Non-attending students, on the other hand, will take oral exams. The assessments evaluate the level of knowledge of the course content, the ability to use specialized terminology, and the quality and clarity of expression. Independent judgment is assessed based on the students' ability to critically analyze readings and data in light of the concepts and theories discussed in class and/or presented in the textbooks.
Professor(s)