Sociological Theory

The course aims to provide students with a solid knowledge of the main sociological paradigms. Students will acquire skills in the analysis of sociological texts, in relation to their historical context and to the social problems under investigation.

Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- describe and present the main sociological research themes;
- illustrate sociological approaches and theories
- understand and critically assess the concepts and arguments advanced by the authors considered
- master the sociological vocabulary and recognize the methodologies of sociological research
- recognize the main theories, their epistemological and methodological features, the bibliographical essential tools of the discipline, which are needed to understand and analyze social situations, group interactions, and dyadic relationships

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to:
- address complex issues adopting appropriate methodological perspectives
- understand the works of the authors discussed in relation with their contexts of production and corresponding functions
- approach general issues relevant to the specific fields of application of the discipline with an epistemologically and methodologically appropriate perspective

Learning skills
At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to:
- develop skills that enable students, also taking into account their theoretical and personal preferences, to autonomously investigate one of the topics covered during the course;

Communication skills
At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to:
- develop, through in-class activities, communication skills useful for team-work and public dissemination