Italy

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program and is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. This course analyzes mass culture in Italy, including the creation, production, circulation processes, and use of the social meanings. Students learn to analyze the phenomena and processes of contemporary life such as its means of communication (new and old media), consumption and production of cultural heritage (music, paintings, newspapers, books, etc.), connections between cultural processes, and social inequalities and the organizational bases of media and artistic communication, the wide range of different forms of consumption, production, organization, financing, and evaluation of cultural heritage and objects. The course teaches how to recognize various phenomena linked to communication and analyze these from an interdisciplinary perspective. The first section of the course focuses on the theoretical state of the art. It reconstructs and defines core concepts from the academic fields of cultural sociology as well as media and cultural studies. It builds a conceptual tool-kit to analyze the socially constructed and historically rooted – yet contested and changeable – meanings of the notions of “Italian”, “Popular”, and, especially, “Culture(s)”. The second section presents the results of various empirical research projects on Italian popular cultures carried out over the last two decades. In particular, it focuses on Italian cultural icons, visual culture, and popular music. It applies the conceptual tool-kit outlined in the first section to a variety of cultural objects and case studies, in order to explore, among others, such issues as the crucial role of increasingly digital media in the process of production, circulation and consumption of popular culture; the role of popular culture and media rituals in the construction of (trans-)national identity; the relationship between popular culture and national politics in Italy.

This course offers a cultural history journey of the Mediterranean, employing the lens of food as a unique entry point. Through critical reflection on the intricate interplay of tradition and innovation in food systems within Syracuse, Florence, and Istanbul, the course traverses the Mediterranean's evolution from antiquity to the modern era. The exploration analyzes the social history of exchanges, interactions, and cultural encounters, emphasizing their pivotal role in shaping sustainable food practices. Drawing upon the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a guiding framework, the course facilitates an understanding of the relationship between innovation and sustainability in contemporary food systems. Key themes covered in the course are as follows: 1) Relational Dynamics: Explore regionalism, cosmopolitanism, and orientalism as distinct forms of relationality that shape cultural encounters within the Mediterranean. These dynamics, whether resulting in rapprochements or conflicts, provide a conceptual toolbox for comparative analysis across the three city modules. 2) Historical Impacts: Discuss the transformative impact of the opening of the Atlantic and the Columbian exchange on food systems and Mediterranean trade relations. Critically analyze imperial networks within the Mediterranean, highlighting the pivotal role of port cities as hubs for economic interactions among diverse cultures. 3) Cultural Encounters: Study various forms of cultural encounters and their implications for the development and transformation of regional and local identities. Through this exploration, students gain insights into the intricate dynamics that have shaped the cultural tapestry of the Mediterranean.
 

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program. The course is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The course focuses on the basic concepts of Criminology as they apply to the relationships between migration, deviance, and social control; the “new” prevention of crime in urban settings; and the sociology of social control and punishment. The course highlights the sociological theory of crime and punishment and in particular the relationship between such theories and the broader framework of migration in the European Union. What is the connection between processes of European unification (legal, political, economic and social) and migrants' criminalization -- in the two aspects of criminalization, i.e. migrants' participation in criminal behavior, and the construction of migrants as criminal subjects? Theories discussed include the ecological theory of the Chicago School, differential association theory, the theory of anomie, labelling theory, and the theories of “everyday life.”

The course focuses on the fundamental issues of the political and social history of contemporary Africa. Emphasis is placed on the colonial period, decolonization paths, and the processes and dynamics involved in independent state formation. Using an appropriate methodological apparatus, the course highlights the formation of the main political systems on the African continent, and especially the relationship with international politics and the political and developmental crises of the last decades. The course addresses the evolution of African political systems from the last phases of the pre-colonial period up through the contemporary period. Particular attention is placed on sub-Saharan Africa. The first part of the course focuses on Africa's history in the 19th and 20th centuries. The first part discusses topics including the end of the slave trade, the development of international trade, the colonial penetration, and the scramble for Africa by European powers; the main characteristics of the various colonial administrations and the impact of colonial domination on African societies; the decolonization process in the changing international context after World War II; the independences of African states, the nation-state, and the different policies and ideologies of the independent governments; the debate on the heritage of the colonial State; and the crises of the African State and economic development policies. The second part focuses on Africa's political systems and discusses topics including the political and economic reforms of the 1980s and 1990s; democracy, the fight against poverty, and conflicts in post-cold war Africa; the challenges of the third millennium; and recent and current events. The course includes weekly lectures and in class discussions of pertinent issues related to the topics presented. A special introductory section is devoted to the use of internet in the study of African history and its political systems. Slides and maps are also included. Assessment is based on a final oral examination.

Thiscourse that is part of the Laurea Magistrale program in Health Economics and Management. The course is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The course focuses on how health services research can be used to support health care policymakers in shaping how health care is delivered and paid for, and to improve clinical practice through innovation. The course familiarizes students with the set of tools used to conduct Health Services Research and, through the use of case studies, underscores the need for an interdisciplinary approach to be able to identify the pros and cons of existing and new financial and organizational mechanisms. Specific topics may vary but include the organization of primary and managed care under the paradigm of patient centered healthcare systems, the issue of appropriateness in clinical practice, and the role of hospitals and medical research in evolving healthcare systems. Students analyze current and new models in healthcare financing and delivery and their implications for access, cost, and quality of care; model the links between organizational settings and economic and health outcomes; and apply different evaluation methods to systematically evaluate innovations in health programs and policies. Specific topics include: long term sustainability of health care systems, population health management, the organization of primary and intermediate care, the role of clinical governance tools, and the development of hospital networks. The course includes video materials presented in class. The course is based on traditional lectures and in class discussions. Assessment is based on a final oral exam during which the student can discuss a presentation on one of the themes dealt with during the course. Those who do not choose to give the presentation must take a written test to assess their ability to critically evaluate the themes of the course. In the written test, students are given outlines to develop two short essays in two hours. Students can choose the approach that is best given their experience and background. Students are expected to address the proposed themes with rigor and appropriateness and to keep in mind the interdisciplinary nature of the issues at stake.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program. The course is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The course focuses on the debate regarding pension’s policy and how it affects individuals, a debate which interests policy and academic audiences. The lifecycle model is employed as a key tool for analyzing the issues of interest and for understanding existing analyses. Finally, the course addresses topical policy questions and the recent contributions to academic literature about how individuals are affected by, and respond to, public policy. The course focuses on the role for government intervention in the economy (why should government intervene?), and on some principles that might guide the design of economic policy. The course focuses on public policy regarding pensions / social security, and how this affects the decisions of individuals regarding consumption and savings. Topics include motives for government intervention in the economy, raising government revenue, and pensions and social security.

Bullying: Beyond common examines the phenomenon of youth bullying. The course focuses on both traditional bullying that usually takes place on school premises and cyberbullying, which occurs via information and communication technologies. With a social-ecological perspective, the first part of the course explores the boundaries of these phenomena, and analyzes the characteristics of youth involved and the social-psychological processes that underlie the different roles youth play in bully-victim-bystander dynamics. The second part of this course covers the prevention and intervention strategies available at the international level. The course recommends students have previous knowledge of theories and methodologies from developmental psychology and social psychology as a prerequisite.