Ateneo - UPO

The course provides an overview of sociology's fundamental categories, approaches, and tools, with particular focus on its practical applications to modern issues and problems. Given the specific degree programs this course is part of, significant emphasis will be placed on the theoretical dimension, which is crucial as a foundation for both sociological practice and applied sociology.

Cavalli, A. (2016), Incontro con la sociologia, Il Mulino.
Manza, J., Arum, R. & Haney, L. (2018), Progetto Sociologia. Guida all’immaginazione sociologica - 2ed, Pearson.
Santambrogio, A. (2019), Introduzione alla sociologia, Laterza.
Zevallos, Z. (2020), Che cos’è la sociologia applicata, Edizioni Homeless Book.

The course aims to provide students with the necessary sociological tools for analyzing, interpreting, and understanding the contemporary world, as well as to develop skills for applying the acquired knowledge in empirical research, addressing social problems from a policy perspective, and responding to analysis/intervention requests from both public and private stakeholders/principals.

There are no formal requirements for attending the course, in terms of background knowledge or successfully passing exams.

The course is organized into lectures and lab sessions. Attendance is not mandatory but recommended.

Attending Students: A written examination comprising open-ended and multiple-choice questions. The assessment will focus on:
• Understanding of the topics presented and discussed during the course.
• Proficiency in using appropriate, scientifically rigorous language.
• Critical thinking, argumentative skills, and clarity of exposition.
Students wishing to improve their written exam grade may opt for an additional oral examination, under terms to be agreed upon.
Non-Attending Students: Oral examination. Those unable to attend the course are encouraged to contact the instructor well before they plan to take the exam to arrange modes and contents.

Essential coordinates of sociology as a discipline: subject, boundaries, and differences from other social sciences.
Themes, approaches, and classical authors of sociology.
Perspectives and paradigms for the analysis: structure, culture, and action.
Sociological theory and empirical research.
Meanings and interpretations of applied sociology. Public sociology.

By the end of the course, students will possess a thorough understanding of sociology's key analytical and methodological tools. They will be capable of using the discipline's conceptual categories and specific terminology both appropriately and independently, with particular reference to the various meanings and areas of applied sociology explored and discussed in class.