Scienze dell'Educazione | GENERAL SOCIOLOGY AND METHODOLOGY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

cod. 4412400120

GENERAL SOCIOLOGY AND METHODOLOGY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

	4412400120
	DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE UMANE, FILOSOFICHE E DELLA FORMAZIONE
	EQF6
	EDUCATIONAL SCIENCE
	2022/2023

CURRICULUM STUDY PLAN OF PROFESSIONAL SOCIO-PEDAGOGICAL EDUCATORS

	OBBLIGATORIO
	YEAR OF COURSE 1
	YEAR OF DIDACTIC SYSTEM 2019
	FULL ACADEMIC YEAR

TEACHING UNITS

	SSD	CFU	HOURS	ACTIVITY	TYPE OF ACTIVITY
1	SOCIOLOGIA GENERALE
	SPS/07	6	36	LESSONS	BASIC COMPULSORY SUBJECTS
2	METODOLOGIA DELLE SCIENZE SOCIALI
	SPS/07	6	36	LESSONS	BASIC COMPULSORY SUBJECTS

PROFESSORS

	GIUSEPPE MASULLO1 T Curriculum
	ANGELA DELLI PAOLI2 Curriculum

	Objectives
	THE COURSE AIMS TO PROVIDE THE CONCEPTUAL TOOLS FOR THE SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD. THE COURSE IS DIVIDED INTO TWO MODULES. THE FIRST ONE FOCUSES ON THE THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN SOCIALITY AND THE CONCEPTUAL TOOLS FOR DECODING CONTEMPORARY WORLD AND SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS. THE SECOND ONE DEALS WITH THE EPISTEMOLOGICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: - PROVIDE THEORETICAL TOOLS FOR UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL PHENOMENA FROM A MACRO, MESO AND MICRO SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES; - OFFER THE MAIN CATEGORIES OF SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS (CULTURE, SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS, CULTURAL PROCESSES, POWER, SOCIALISATION, SOCIAL RELATIONS, ETC.); - PROMOTE KNOWLEDGE OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS (MEDIA, POLITICS AND ECONOMICS) AND SOCIAL PROCESSES (IDENTITY, INEQUALITIES, STRATIFICATION, GENDER AND SEXUALITY); ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: - PROVIDE CONCEPTUAL CATEGORIES FOR THE ANALYSIS OF SOCIETY; - PROVIDE THE ANALYTICAL CATEGORIES TO DESIGN EMPIRICAL SOCIAL RESEARCH (BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE); - PROVIDE METHODOLOGICAL TOOLS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL PHENOMENA. COMMUNICATION SKILLS: - DEVELOP SKILLS IN PRESENTING THE INTERPRETATIVE HYPOTHESES, RESEARCH QUESTIONS, SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS AND METHODOLOGICAL CHOICES OF AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH PROCESS; - TO DEVELOP SKILLS IN COMMUNICATING THE RESULTS OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH.

THE COURSE AIMS TO PROVIDE THE CONCEPTUAL TOOLS FOR THE SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD. THE COURSE IS DIVIDED INTO TWO MODULES. THE FIRST ONE FOCUSES ON THE THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN SOCIALITY AND THE CONCEPTUAL TOOLS FOR DECODING CONTEMPORARY WORLD AND SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS. THE SECOND ONE DEALS WITH THE EPISTEMOLOGICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING:
- PROVIDE THEORETICAL TOOLS FOR UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL PHENOMENA FROM A MACRO, MESO AND MICRO SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES;
- OFFER THE MAIN CATEGORIES OF SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS (CULTURE, SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS, CULTURAL PROCESSES, POWER, SOCIALISATION, SOCIAL RELATIONS, ETC.);
- PROMOTE KNOWLEDGE OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS (MEDIA, POLITICS AND ECONOMICS) AND SOCIAL PROCESSES (IDENTITY, INEQUALITIES, STRATIFICATION, GENDER AND SEXUALITY);

ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING:
- PROVIDE CONCEPTUAL CATEGORIES FOR THE ANALYSIS OF SOCIETY;
- PROVIDE THE ANALYTICAL CATEGORIES TO DESIGN EMPIRICAL SOCIAL RESEARCH (BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE);
- PROVIDE METHODOLOGICAL TOOLS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL PHENOMENA.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
- DEVELOP SKILLS IN PRESENTING THE INTERPRETATIVE HYPOTHESES, RESEARCH QUESTIONS, SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS AND METHODOLOGICAL CHOICES OF AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH PROCESS;
- TO DEVELOP SKILLS IN COMMUNICATING THE RESULTS OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH.

	Prerequisites
	NO PRE-REQUISITE IS REQUIRED

	Contents
	MODULE 1 THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE (6 HOURS THEORY + 2 HOURS PRACTICAL) - THE OBJECT OF SOCIOLOGY - THE HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL CONTEXT OF SOCIOLOGY - SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES THE MAIN CATEGORIES OF SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS (6 HOURS THEORY + 2 HOURS PRACTICAL) - CULTURE, INSTITUTIONS AND CULTURAL PROCESSES - POWER, SOCIAL ACTION AND STRUCTURES - SOCIAL INTERACTIONS, GROUPS AND SOCIALISATION PROCESSES IDENTITIES, DIFFERENCES, INEQUALITIES (8 HOURS THEORY + 3 HOURS PRACTICAL) - MIGRATION - GENDER AND SEXUALITY - STRATIFICATION AND INEQUALITIES SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROCESSES (6 HOURS THEORY + 3 HOURS PRACTICAL) - MEDIA AND CONSUMPTION - POLITICS AND ECONOMICS - DEVIANCE - GLOBALISATION MODULE 2 THE METHODOLOGY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (2 HOURS THEORY) - METHODOLOGICAL LANGUAGE: METHODOLOGY, METHOD, TECHNIQUES - METHODOLOGICAL COMPETENCE - SCIENCE AND COMMON SENSE EPISTEMOLOGICAL RESEARCH TRADITIONS (2 THEORY HOURS) - POSITIVISM - INTERPRETIVISM - POST-POSITIVISM FROM THEORY TO RESEARCH: QUANTITATIVE (STANDARD) AND QUALITATIVE (NON-STANDARD) APPROACHES TO SOCIAL RESEARCH (4 THEORY HOURS) - QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH - QUALITATIVE RESEARCH - INSPECTABILITY OF THE EMPIRICAL BASE THE ELEMENTS OF METHODOLOGICAL DISCOURSE (2 HOURS THEORY + 1 HOUR PRACTICAL) - CONCEPTS - ASSERTIONS - EXPLANATIONS - CONCEPTUAL OPERATIONS (CLASSIFICATIONS, TAXONOMIES, TYPOLOGIES) THE DESIGN OF QUANTITATIVE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH (3 HOURS THEORY + 2 HOURS PRACTICAL) - FROM THEORIES TO CONCEPTS - FROM CONCEPTS TO VARIABLES - FROM UNITS OF ANALYSIS TO CASES - THE ORGANISATION OF INFORMATION: THE CASES X VARIABLES MATRIX THE EMPIRICAL TRANSLATION OF A CONCEPT (4 HOURS THEORY + 2 HOURS PRACTICAL) - TYPES OF PROPERTIES - TYPES OF VARIABLES - OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS THE EMPIRICAL TRANSLATION OF CONCEPTS NOT DIRECTLY MEASURABLE (4 HOURS THEORY + 2 HOURS PRACTICE) - INDICATORS - THE SEMANTIC EVALUATION OF AN INDICATOR - THE VALIDITY OF INDICATORS THE SAMPLE SURVEY (4 HOURS THEORY + 2 HOURS PRACTICAL) - SURVEY INSTRUMENTS THROUGH QUESTIONING: TYPES OF QUESTIONS - DISTORTIONS IN QUESTIONS - DISTORTIONS IN ANSWERS QUALITATIVE TECHNIQUES (2 HOURS THEORY) - PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION - NON-DIRECTIVE INTERVIEWS

Contents

MODULE 1
THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE (6 HOURS THEORY + 2 HOURS PRACTICAL)
- THE OBJECT OF SOCIOLOGY
- THE HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL CONTEXT OF SOCIOLOGY
- SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES
THE MAIN CATEGORIES OF SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS (6 HOURS THEORY + 2 HOURS PRACTICAL)
- CULTURE, INSTITUTIONS AND CULTURAL PROCESSES
- POWER, SOCIAL ACTION AND STRUCTURES
- SOCIAL INTERACTIONS, GROUPS AND SOCIALISATION PROCESSES
IDENTITIES, DIFFERENCES, INEQUALITIES (8 HOURS THEORY + 3 HOURS PRACTICAL)
- MIGRATION
- GENDER AND SEXUALITY
- STRATIFICATION AND INEQUALITIES
SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROCESSES (6 HOURS THEORY + 3 HOURS PRACTICAL)
- MEDIA AND CONSUMPTION
- POLITICS AND ECONOMICS
- DEVIANCE
- GLOBALISATION

MODULE 2
THE METHODOLOGY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (2 HOURS THEORY)
- METHODOLOGICAL LANGUAGE: METHODOLOGY, METHOD, TECHNIQUES
- METHODOLOGICAL COMPETENCE
- SCIENCE AND COMMON SENSE
EPISTEMOLOGICAL RESEARCH TRADITIONS (2 THEORY HOURS)
- POSITIVISM
- INTERPRETIVISM
- POST-POSITIVISM
FROM THEORY TO RESEARCH: QUANTITATIVE (STANDARD) AND QUALITATIVE (NON-STANDARD) APPROACHES TO SOCIAL RESEARCH (4 THEORY HOURS)
- QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
- QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
- INSPECTABILITY OF THE EMPIRICAL BASE
THE ELEMENTS OF METHODOLOGICAL DISCOURSE (2 HOURS THEORY + 1 HOUR PRACTICAL)
- CONCEPTS
- ASSERTIONS
- EXPLANATIONS
- CONCEPTUAL OPERATIONS (CLASSIFICATIONS, TAXONOMIES, TYPOLOGIES)
THE DESIGN OF QUANTITATIVE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH (3 HOURS THEORY + 2 HOURS PRACTICAL)
- FROM THEORIES TO CONCEPTS
- FROM CONCEPTS TO VARIABLES
- FROM UNITS OF ANALYSIS TO CASES
- THE ORGANISATION OF INFORMATION: THE CASES X VARIABLES MATRIX
THE EMPIRICAL TRANSLATION OF A CONCEPT (4 HOURS THEORY + 2 HOURS PRACTICAL)
- TYPES OF PROPERTIES
- TYPES OF VARIABLES
- OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
THE EMPIRICAL TRANSLATION OF CONCEPTS NOT DIRECTLY MEASURABLE (4 HOURS THEORY + 2 HOURS PRACTICE)
- INDICATORS
- THE SEMANTIC EVALUATION OF AN INDICATOR
- THE VALIDITY OF INDICATORS
THE SAMPLE SURVEY (4 HOURS THEORY + 2 HOURS PRACTICAL)
- SURVEY INSTRUMENTS THROUGH QUESTIONING: TYPES OF QUESTIONS
- DISTORTIONS IN QUESTIONS
- DISTORTIONS IN ANSWERS
QUALITATIVE TECHNIQUES (2 HOURS THEORY)
- PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION
- NON-DIRECTIVE INTERVIEWS

	Teaching Methods
	THE COURSE COMPRISES THEORETICAL LECTURES AND CLASSROOM EXERCISES FOR A TOTAL OF 72 HOURS OF TEACHING. THE LECTURES WILL ALLOW THE STUDENTS TO ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT INSTITUTIONS, SOCIAL PHENOMENA AND PROCESSES AND CATEGORIES OF ANALYSIS OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY. THE EXERCISES WILL BE AIMED AT PROVIDING METHODOLOGICAL TOOLS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL PHENOMENA AND INSTITUTIONS. DURING THE EXERCISES, STUDENTS WILL BE ASKED TO SOLVE METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS RELATING TO THE EMPIRICAL TRANSLATION OF CONCEPTS, THE ANALYSIS OF DIGITAL CONTEXTS FOR DISCUSSION, AND THE INTERPRETATION OF SECONDARY DATA. ATTENDANCE AT THE COURSE IS NOT COMPULSORY BUT STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

Teaching Methods

THE COURSE COMPRISES THEORETICAL LECTURES AND CLASSROOM EXERCISES FOR A TOTAL OF 72 HOURS OF TEACHING. THE LECTURES WILL ALLOW THE STUDENTS TO ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT INSTITUTIONS, SOCIAL PHENOMENA AND PROCESSES AND CATEGORIES OF ANALYSIS OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY. THE EXERCISES WILL BE AIMED AT PROVIDING METHODOLOGICAL TOOLS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL PHENOMENA AND INSTITUTIONS. DURING THE EXERCISES, STUDENTS WILL BE ASKED TO SOLVE METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS RELATING TO THE EMPIRICAL TRANSLATION OF CONCEPTS, THE ANALYSIS OF DIGITAL CONTEXTS FOR DISCUSSION, AND THE INTERPRETATION OF SECONDARY DATA. ATTENDANCE AT THE COURSE IS NOT COMPULSORY BUT STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

	Verification of learning
	THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF A WRITTEN TEST AND AN ORAL INTERVIEW ON THE COURSE CONTENT. THE WRITTEN TEST - LASTING 60 MINUTES - WILL CONSIST OF MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS, OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS AND METHODOLOGICAL EXERCISES AND WILL BE MARKED IN THIRTIETHS. STUDENTS WHO DO NOT PASS THE WRITTEN TEST WILL ALSO BE ALLOWED TO TAKE THE ORAL TEST. THE ORAL INTERVIEW WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT: - KNOWLEDGE OF SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES AND CATEGORIES OF SOCIAL ANALYSIS; - THE QUALITY OF PRESENTATION AND USE OF APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE; - THE ABILITY TO REASON AND CROSS-REFERENCE THE VARIOUS TOPICS OF THE COURSE; - THE METHODOLOGICAL AWARENESS OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH. FOR THE COURSE PARTICIPANTS, THERE WILL BE TWO INTER-COURSE TESTS WITH THE ATTRIBUTION OF A GRADE THAT WILL GENERATE EXEMPTION FROM A PART OF THE EXAMINATION PROGRAMME, AFTER HALF OF THE LESSONS AND AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER. THE INTER-COURSE TESTS - LASTING 60 MINUTES - WILL CONSIST OF MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS, OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS AND METHODOLOGICAL EXERCISES AND WILL BE GRADED IN THIRTIETHS. PARTICIPATION IN THE INTER-COURSE TESTS IS OPTIONAL. THE FINAL MARK WILL BE THE AVERAGE OF THE MARKS OBTAINED IN THE TWO TESTS AND WILL BE VALID FOR THE TWO EXAMINATION SESSIONS FOLLOWING THE ONE IN WHICH THE COURSE IS HELD. IF THE STUDENT FAILS ONE OF THE TWO INTER-COURSE TESTS, HE/SHE MAY TAKE AN ORAL INTERVIEW ON THE CORRESPONDING PART OF THE SYLLABUS, WHICH WILL BE AVERAGED WITH THE MARK OF THE INTER-COURSE TEST PASSED. IN THE EVENT OF FAILING BOTH INTER-COURSE TESTS, THE STUDENT MUST TAKE THE WRITTEN TEST DURING AN EXAMINATION SESSION. PARTICIPATION IN ONLY ONE OF THE TWO TESTS IS PERMITTED. IN THIS CASE, THE STUDENT WILL BE EXEMPT FROM THE CORRESPONDING PART OF THE PROGRAMME AND WILL ONLY HAVE TO TAKE THE ORAL TEST ON THE REMAINING PART IN ONE OF THE TWO EXAMINATION SESSIONS FOLLOWING THE ONE IN WHICH THE COURSE IS HELD.

Verification of learning

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF A WRITTEN TEST AND AN ORAL INTERVIEW ON THE COURSE CONTENT.
THE WRITTEN TEST - LASTING 60 MINUTES - WILL CONSIST OF MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS, OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS AND METHODOLOGICAL EXERCISES AND WILL BE MARKED IN THIRTIETHS.
STUDENTS WHO DO NOT PASS THE WRITTEN TEST WILL ALSO BE ALLOWED TO TAKE THE ORAL TEST.
THE ORAL INTERVIEW WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT:
- KNOWLEDGE OF SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES AND CATEGORIES OF SOCIAL ANALYSIS;
- THE QUALITY OF PRESENTATION AND USE OF APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE;
- THE ABILITY TO REASON AND CROSS-REFERENCE THE VARIOUS TOPICS OF THE COURSE;
- THE METHODOLOGICAL AWARENESS OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH.

FOR THE COURSE PARTICIPANTS, THERE WILL BE TWO INTER-COURSE TESTS WITH THE ATTRIBUTION OF A GRADE THAT WILL GENERATE EXEMPTION FROM A PART OF THE EXAMINATION PROGRAMME, AFTER HALF OF THE LESSONS AND AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER. THE INTER-COURSE TESTS - LASTING 60 MINUTES - WILL CONSIST OF MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS, OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS AND METHODOLOGICAL EXERCISES AND WILL BE GRADED IN THIRTIETHS.
PARTICIPATION IN THE INTER-COURSE TESTS IS OPTIONAL. THE FINAL MARK WILL BE THE AVERAGE OF THE MARKS OBTAINED IN THE TWO TESTS AND WILL BE VALID FOR THE TWO EXAMINATION SESSIONS FOLLOWING THE ONE IN WHICH THE COURSE IS HELD.
IF THE STUDENT FAILS ONE OF THE TWO INTER-COURSE TESTS, HE/SHE MAY TAKE AN ORAL INTERVIEW ON THE CORRESPONDING PART OF THE SYLLABUS, WHICH WILL BE AVERAGED WITH THE MARK OF THE INTER-COURSE TEST PASSED. IN THE EVENT OF FAILING BOTH INTER-COURSE TESTS, THE STUDENT MUST TAKE THE WRITTEN TEST DURING AN EXAMINATION SESSION.
PARTICIPATION IN ONLY ONE OF THE TWO TESTS IS PERMITTED. IN THIS CASE, THE STUDENT WILL BE EXEMPT FROM THE CORRESPONDING PART OF THE PROGRAMME AND WILL ONLY HAVE TO TAKE THE ORAL TEST ON THE REMAINING PART IN ONE OF THE TWO EXAMINATION SESSIONS FOLLOWING THE ONE IN WHICH THE COURSE IS HELD.

	Texts
	FIRST PART CROTEAU D., HOYNES W. (2018), SOCIOLOGIA GENERALE. TEMI, CONCETTI, STRUMENTI, MC GRAW-HILL. MASULLO G. COPPOLA M. (2022), AFFETTIVITÀ INVISIBILI. STORIE E VISSUTI DI PERSONE E FAMIGLIE TRANSGENDER, PM EDIZIONI. SECOND PART MERAVIGLIA C. (2017), METODOLOGIA DELLE SCIENZE SOCIALI. UN'INTRODUZIONE, CAROCCI. MASULLO G., ADDEO F., DELLI PAOLI A., (A CURA DI), ETNOGRAFIA E NETNOGRAFIA. RIFLESSIONI TEORICHE, SFIDE METODOLOGICHE E ESPERIENZE DI RICERCA, PAOLO LOFFREDO EDITORE.

Texts

FIRST PART

CROTEAU D., HOYNES W. (2018), SOCIOLOGIA GENERALE. TEMI, CONCETTI, STRUMENTI, MC GRAW-HILL.

MASULLO G. COPPOLA M. (2022), AFFETTIVITÀ INVISIBILI. STORIE E VISSUTI DI PERSONE E FAMIGLIE TRANSGENDER, PM EDIZIONI.

SECOND PART

MERAVIGLIA C. (2017), METODOLOGIA DELLE SCIENZE SOCIALI. UN'INTRODUZIONE, CAROCCI.

MASULLO G., ADDEO F., DELLI PAOLI A., (A CURA DI), ETNOGRAFIA E NETNOGRAFIA. RIFLESSIONI TEORICHE, SFIDE METODOLOGICHE E ESPERIENZE DI RICERCA, PAOLO LOFFREDO EDITORE.