Sociologia | POLITICS AND SOCIETY

cod. 0312300068

POLITICS AND SOCIETY

	0312300068
	DIPARTIMENTO DI STUDI POLITICI E SOCIALI
	EQF6
	SOCIOLOGY
	2022/2023

CURRICULUM ECONOMICO

	OBBLIGATORIO
	YEAR OF COURSE 2
	YEAR OF DIDACTIC SYSTEM 2019
	SPRING SEMESTER

TEACHING UNITS

	SSD	CFU	HOURS	ACTIVITY	TYPE OF ACTIVITY
	SPS/04	9	60	LESSONS	COMPULSORY SUBJECTS, CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CLASS

EXAMS

Exam	Date	Session
POLITICA E SOCIETA'	05/06/2023 - 09:00	SESSIONE ORDINARIA
POLITICA E SOCIETA'	19/06/2023 - 09:00	SESSIONE ORDINARIA
POLITICA E SOCIETA'	10/07/2023 - 09:00	SESSIONE ORDINARIA

	Objectives
	EDUCATIONAL AIMS THIS COURSE AIMS TO IDENTIFY FUNDAMENTAL REFERENCE POINTS IN THE STUDY OF POLITICAL PROCESSES AND ACTIVITIES USING APPROPRIATE ANALYTICAL CATEGORIES AND ADOPTING THE SPECIFIC METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCES. PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE A BROAD OVERVIEW OF THEORETICAL REFLECTIONS AND EMPIRICAL FINDINGS ON THE MAIN THEMES REGARDING THE POLITICAL SPHERE. BY EXPLORING THE BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS USED BY POLITICAL AND SOCIAL SCIENTISTS TO STUDY POLITICAL PHENOMENA, STUDENTS WILL DEVELOP A COMPARATIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE POLITICAL AND INSTITUTION FRAMEWORKS OF THE MATURE DEMOCRACIES AND WILL BE INVITED TO ADOPT A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF CRUCIAL ASPECTS OF THE ITALIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM AND ITS RECENT TRANSFORMATIONS. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING STUDENTS SHOULD KNOW HOW TO ORIENT THEMSELVES IN THE POLITICAL LITERATURE BY IDENTIFYING THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS DEVELOPED BY THE MAIN THEORETICAL APPROACHES AND RESEARCH PARADIGMS AND BY SELECTING THE PROBLEMATIC AND CONTROVERSIAL ASPECTS. ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING IT IS INTENDED THAT STUDENTS APPLY THIS SET OF CONCEPTS AND THEORIES TO POLITICAL REALITY TO IDENTIFY THE MAIN EVOLUTIONARY DYNAMICS ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL AND IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE.

EDUCATIONAL AIMS
THIS COURSE AIMS TO IDENTIFY FUNDAMENTAL REFERENCE POINTS IN THE STUDY OF POLITICAL PROCESSES AND ACTIVITIES USING APPROPRIATE ANALYTICAL CATEGORIES AND ADOPTING THE SPECIFIC METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCES. PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE A BROAD OVERVIEW OF THEORETICAL REFLECTIONS AND EMPIRICAL FINDINGS ON THE MAIN THEMES REGARDING THE POLITICAL SPHERE.
BY EXPLORING THE BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS USED BY POLITICAL AND SOCIAL SCIENTISTS TO STUDY POLITICAL PHENOMENA, STUDENTS WILL DEVELOP A COMPARATIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE POLITICAL AND INSTITUTION FRAMEWORKS OF THE MATURE DEMOCRACIES AND WILL BE INVITED TO ADOPT A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF CRUCIAL ASPECTS OF THE ITALIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM AND ITS RECENT TRANSFORMATIONS.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

STUDENTS SHOULD KNOW HOW TO ORIENT THEMSELVES IN THE POLITICAL LITERATURE BY IDENTIFYING THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS DEVELOPED BY THE MAIN THEORETICAL APPROACHES AND RESEARCH PARADIGMS AND BY SELECTING THE PROBLEMATIC AND CONTROVERSIAL ASPECTS.

ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

IT IS INTENDED THAT STUDENTS APPLY THIS SET OF CONCEPTS AND THEORIES TO POLITICAL REALITY TO IDENTIFY THE MAIN EVOLUTIONARY DYNAMICS ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL AND IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE.

	Prerequisites
	NONE

	Contents
	THE COURSE IS SUBDIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS: 1) THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF POLITICS; 2) REFLECTIONS FROM A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE ON CONTEMPORARY DEMOCRATIC REGIMES; 3) ANALYSIS OF THE ITALIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM. THE FIRST AREA IS DEVOTED TO THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND THEORIES THAT THE SOCIAL SCIENCES HAVE DEVELOPED AND PROPOSED WITH REFERENCE TO POLITICAL PHENOMENA, ESPECIALLY REFLECTIONS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLITICAL SPHERES AND SOCIETY IN GENERAL. PRELIMINARILY, THE IDEA OF POLITICS ITSELF WILL BE DESCRIBED ACCORDING TO DIFFERENT THEORETICAL APPROACHES. THE MAIN FOCUS WILL BE ON POLITICAL REGIMES AND IN PARTICULAR ON CONTEMPORARY DEMOCRACIES AND CONSEQUENTLY ON REPRESENTATION, PARTICIPATION, PARTIES, GROUPS AND MOVEMENTS. THE SECOND MODULE WILL ADOPT A COMPARATIVE APPROACH TO THE EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CONTEMPORARY DEMOCRACIES, BUILDING ON THE RESULTS OF RESEARCH CARRIED OUT IN RECENT DECADES. PARTICULAR ATTENTION WILL BE FOCUSED ON FORMS OF GOVERNMENT, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ELECTORAL AND PARTY SYSTEMS, AND THE FORMS OF STATE AS THEY MAY BE OBSERVED IN MAJOR WESTERN COUNTRIES. THE OBJECT OF STUDY DURING THE THIRD MODULE IS THE ITALIAN CASE, INCLUDING ITS FORM OF GOVERNMENT, ELECTORAL SYSTEM, PARTY SYSTEM, ELECTORAL BEHAVIOUR, POLITICAL CULTURE ETC. IN PARTICULAR, THE COURSE WILL EXPLORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM AND THE POLITICAL TRANSFORMATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN RECENT YEARS. THE ANALYSIS OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS WILL BE THE PRINCIPAL TOOL USED TO ANALYSE THE CHANGING ITALIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM FROM THE MID-1990S ONWARDS.

Contents

THE COURSE IS SUBDIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS: 1) THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF POLITICS; 2) REFLECTIONS FROM A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE ON CONTEMPORARY DEMOCRATIC REGIMES; 3) ANALYSIS OF THE ITALIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM.

THE FIRST AREA IS DEVOTED TO THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND THEORIES THAT THE SOCIAL SCIENCES HAVE DEVELOPED AND PROPOSED WITH REFERENCE TO POLITICAL PHENOMENA, ESPECIALLY REFLECTIONS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLITICAL SPHERES AND SOCIETY IN GENERAL. PRELIMINARILY, THE IDEA OF POLITICS ITSELF WILL BE DESCRIBED ACCORDING TO DIFFERENT THEORETICAL APPROACHES. THE MAIN FOCUS WILL BE ON POLITICAL REGIMES AND IN PARTICULAR ON CONTEMPORARY DEMOCRACIES AND CONSEQUENTLY ON REPRESENTATION, PARTICIPATION, PARTIES, GROUPS AND MOVEMENTS.
THE SECOND MODULE WILL ADOPT A COMPARATIVE APPROACH TO THE EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CONTEMPORARY DEMOCRACIES, BUILDING ON THE RESULTS OF RESEARCH CARRIED OUT IN RECENT DECADES.

PARTICULAR ATTENTION WILL BE FOCUSED ON FORMS OF GOVERNMENT, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ELECTORAL AND PARTY SYSTEMS, AND THE FORMS OF STATE AS THEY MAY BE OBSERVED IN MAJOR WESTERN COUNTRIES.
THE OBJECT OF STUDY DURING THE THIRD MODULE IS THE ITALIAN CASE, INCLUDING ITS FORM OF GOVERNMENT, ELECTORAL SYSTEM, PARTY SYSTEM, ELECTORAL BEHAVIOUR, POLITICAL CULTURE ETC. IN PARTICULAR, THE COURSE WILL EXPLORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM AND THE POLITICAL TRANSFORMATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN RECENT YEARS. THE ANALYSIS OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS WILL BE THE PRINCIPAL TOOL USED TO ANALYSE THE CHANGING ITALIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM FROM THE MID-1990S ONWARDS.

	Teaching Methods
	LECTURES, EXERCISES, SEMINARS. THE TRADITIONAL TEACHING APPROACH (LECTURES FOR THE PRESENTATION OF CONTENTS) WILL BE INTEGRATED BY OTHERS METHODS, WITH THE AIM OF ENCOURAGING INTERACTION AMONG STUDENTS WHO, ABOVE ALL DURING THE SEMINARS, WILL BE STIMULATED TO BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE DISCUSSION. FURTHERMORE, WE WILL TRY TO STIMULATE STUDENTS’ ABILITY TO CRITICALLY AND CONSCIOUSLY APPLY CONCEPTS AND THEORIES TO EMPIRICAL RESEARCH THROUGH THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN EXERCISES ON SPECIFIC RESEARCH TOPICS.

Teaching Methods

LECTURES, EXERCISES, SEMINARS. THE TRADITIONAL TEACHING APPROACH (LECTURES FOR THE PRESENTATION OF CONTENTS) WILL BE INTEGRATED BY OTHERS METHODS, WITH THE AIM OF ENCOURAGING INTERACTION AMONG STUDENTS WHO, ABOVE ALL DURING THE SEMINARS, WILL BE STIMULATED TO BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE DISCUSSION. FURTHERMORE, WE WILL TRY TO STIMULATE STUDENTS’ ABILITY TO CRITICALLY AND CONSCIOUSLY APPLY CONCEPTS AND THEORIES TO EMPIRICAL RESEARCH THROUGH THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN EXERCISES ON SPECIFIC RESEARCH TOPICS.

	Verification of learning
	ORAL EXAMINATION. THE VERIFICATION OF LEARNING WILL TAKE PLACE THROUGH THE ORAL INTERVIEW ON THE CONTENTS OF THE COURSE. THE OVERALL EVALUATION TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE ABILITY TO REPORT THE CONTENTS OF THE REFERENCE TEXTS WITH APPROPRIATE AND CORRECT LANGUAGE, ESPECIALLY WITH REFERENCE TO THE DEFINITIONS OF CONCEPTS AND THEORIES AND THEIR RELATIVE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS. THE EVALUATION WILL BE HIGHER IF THE STUDENT SHOWS REMARKABLE LANGUAGE PROPERTIES AND A SIGNIFICANT CAPACITY FOR AUTONOMOUS PROCESSING AND CRITICAL RE-ELABORATION OF THE EXAM TOPICS.

Verification of learning

ORAL EXAMINATION. THE VERIFICATION OF LEARNING WILL TAKE PLACE THROUGH THE ORAL INTERVIEW ON THE CONTENTS OF THE COURSE. THE OVERALL EVALUATION TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE ABILITY TO REPORT THE CONTENTS OF THE REFERENCE TEXTS WITH APPROPRIATE AND CORRECT LANGUAGE, ESPECIALLY WITH REFERENCE TO THE DEFINITIONS OF CONCEPTS AND THEORIES AND THEIR RELATIVE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS. THE EVALUATION WILL BE HIGHER IF THE STUDENT SHOWS REMARKABLE LANGUAGE PROPERTIES AND A SIGNIFICANT CAPACITY FOR AUTONOMOUS PROCESSING AND CRITICAL RE-ELABORATION OF THE EXAM TOPICS.

	Texts
	1) L. CECCARINI, I. DIAMANTI, TRA POLITICA E SOCIETÀ. FONDAMENTI, TRASFORMAZIONI E PROSPETTIVE. IL MULINO, BOLOGNA, 2018 (EXCLUDING PART FOUR, CHAPTERS X AND XI) 2) S. VASSALLO (A CURA DI) SISTEMI POLITICI COMPARATI - SECONDA EDIZIONE 2016 (LIMITED TO CHAPTERS I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII) 3) A BOOK OF YOUR CHOICE FROM: A)D. FRUNCILLO, VERSO LA POLITICA POST-ELETTORALE RUBBETTINO SOVERIA MANNELLI 2020; B)M. CALISE F. MUSELLA, IL PRINCIPE DIGITALE. BARI-ROMA, LATERZA 2019; C)E. MELCHIONDA, ALLE ORIGINI DELLE PRIMARIE. DEMOCRAZIA E DIRETTISMO NELL’AMERICA PROGRESSISTA, EDIESSE ROMA 2005 D)R. DI LEO, IL RITORNO DELLE ÉLITES, MANIFESTOLIBRI, ROMA 2012

Texts

1) L. CECCARINI, I. DIAMANTI, TRA POLITICA E SOCIETÀ. FONDAMENTI, TRASFORMAZIONI E PROSPETTIVE. IL MULINO, BOLOGNA, 2018 (EXCLUDING PART FOUR, CHAPTERS X AND XI)
2) S. VASSALLO (A CURA DI) SISTEMI POLITICI COMPARATI - SECONDA EDIZIONE 2016 (LIMITED TO CHAPTERS I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII)

3) A BOOK OF YOUR CHOICE FROM:

A)D. FRUNCILLO, VERSO LA POLITICA POST-ELETTORALE RUBBETTINO SOVERIA MANNELLI 2020;
B)M. CALISE F. MUSELLA, IL PRINCIPE DIGITALE. BARI-ROMA, LATERZA 2019;
C)E. MELCHIONDA, ALLE ORIGINI DELLE PRIMARIE. DEMOCRAZIA E DIRETTISMO NELL’AMERICA PROGRESSISTA, EDIESSE ROMA 2005
D)R. DI LEO, IL RITORNO DELLE ÉLITES, MANIFESTOLIBRI, ROMA 2012