Sociology

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The course is intended for students who already have a strong background in literature and critical theory. The course focuses on the institutions of literature, the relationship between text and context, and the dynamics of literary communication and its political, ideological, socio-economic and editorial influence. The course explores the use of critical tools and forms of investigation that belong to the field of sociology and applies them to literature. Emphasis is placed on the thematic and sociological components of literary texts. The topic for the Spring 2018 semester is: The Other Nation–The Italian Migration. The course is divided in 6 sections with assigned readings: history of migrations, migration and literature, novels, new migrations; the question of Brain Drain, narrations. The course includes visual materials and a guest speaker series with international experts in the field of migration and authors who have addressed the question of migration in their writings. Assessment in the course is based on a final oral exam.

This course introduces the main currents of thinking on capitalism in recent social theory. It provides an understanding of global capitalism's institutional diversity and dynamics and the historical transformations of the global economic order since the 1970s. The course navigates the complexity of today's economic world using structured theoretical thinking.

This course analyzes techno-science as a socio-cultural phenomenon. It offers an introduction to Science and Technology Studies (STS). It introduces students to the multiple ways in which science and technology; individuals and institutions mutually shape one another to the benefit and sometimes detriment of society. This course takes a critical approach to science and engineering. Students think critically but constructively about aspects of science and technology by focusing on different empirical domains such as human enhancement (e.g. Google glasses, Ritalin, Blade runner), disasters (e.g. Fukushima, Hurricane Katerina), the gene revolution (e.g. Monsanto) and the politics of artifacts (e.g. park benches, the UCM building, and nuclear plants) while using a set of principles and approaches from the field of Science and Technology Studies.

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 historical development of consumer capitalism, the fundamental elements of contemporary sociological theories of consumer action, and the main issues related to the politics of consumer culture. Emphasis is placed on how theories work in practice, by addressing key contemporary empirical phenomena in the sphere of consumption, with particular attention to social boundaries and social identities, commercial institutions, and the new challenges posed by environmental issues and the process of globalization/localization. The course aims at providing a theoretically informed sociological understanding of contemporary consumer cultures and practices. While adopting an interdisciplinary outlook, it deals mainly with the sociology of consumption, concentrating on contemporary social phenomena of global relevance. The course begins with a discussion of the historical development of so-called consumer capitalism, highlighting the relevance of urbanization, colonialism, changes in social stratification (class, gender) and international commerce. It then focuses on the most important theories of consumer action, considering how economics, sociology, and anthropology have provided several distinctive perspectives on the functions, meanings, and mechanisms of consumption. Finally, the course considers the politics of consumer culture and addresses cultural industries as a vehicle for hegemonic views of the “consumer,” commercially mediated spaces as institutional contexts for a variety of dominant or alternative consumer practices and identities, and the process of globalization/localization that takes place through the global standardization of commodity chains and alternative, locally grounded market circuits.

This course examines basic concepts and theoretical logics for analyzing formal organizations such as firms, schools, hospitals, and government offices. One theme of this course is to apply organizational theories and concepts to make sense of organizational responses to Covid-19 Pandemic crises.

This is an advanced level course in the sociological analysis of contemporary society which helps students understand major social and economic changes in the contemporary world through key sociological debates concerning, amongst others: the changing nature of the organization of production and changing nature of class. Students also examine the transformation of cultural forms in contemporary society.

This course addresses aspects of pluralism and multiculturalism from a socio-psychological perspective. The course focuses on various kinds of minorities in contemporary Israel society including immigrants (“Olim”), Palestinian Arabs, Israeli Druze, and others. Students analyze the complexity of biculturalism, and its relationship with psychological and socio-cultural adaptation. Finally, students review the DOPA model as a conceptual and methodological tool for the mapping and measurement of perceptions and orientations toward cultural diversity in educational contexts.

This is a tutorial course for the course FRENCH LANGUAGE AND SOCIETY. This course provides a broad overview of modern French society in the 21st century. In each session, a different French song or aspect of French civilization is discussed followed by a presentation. The topics of the presentation are: ecology in France; media in France; political parties in France; press in France; cinema in France; French literature; languages in France; immigration in France and more.