Ateneo - UPO

module 1: The module aims to illustrate classical and contemporary sociological theories of power, with a focus on topics such as authority, influence, domination, resistance, biopolitics, and technology.

The reference texts will be communicated during the introductory lecture.

module 2: The module analyzes social control from the perspective of "critical criminology," which views it as the set of mechanisms, practices, and institutions through which societies regulate individual and collective behaviors to maintain and legitimize the status quo.

The reference texts for module 1: Marzano, Potere e società, il Mulino, Bologna, 2024 (capitoli: 1,4,5,6,7,9,10); Scarscelli, Controllo e autodeterminazione nel lavoro sociale. Una prospettiva anti-oppressiva, Meltemi, Milano, 2022 (capitolo 1); Mantovan, Dalla law in book alla Law in action: i processi di implementazione delle norme, in Altopiedi, De Felice, Ferraris, Comprendere la sociologia del diritto, Carocci, 2002; Bobbio, Teoria delle élite, voce del Dizionario di Politica, Bobbio e Matteucci, Utet; Bobbio, Marxismo, voce del Dizionario di Politica, Bobbio e Matteucci, Utet. The reference texts for module 2: Gallino, voce “Controllo sociale”, in Dizionario di sociologia, Utet, Torino, pp. 172-174; Joseph W. Schneider, Social problmes theory: the constructionist view, in Annual Review of Sociology, 11. 1985, pp. 209-229, https://www.jstor.org/stable/2083292; Wacquant, L. The Penalisation of Poverty and the rise of Neo-Liberalism. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research 9, 401–412 (2001); Vianello, Il carcere come istituzione sociale, in Rinaldi e Saitta, Criminologie critiche contemporanee, 2018, Lefebvre Giuffrè, pp- 75-104. O'Neil, Armi di distruzione matematica, 2016, Bompiani (cap. 1 Bombe e componenti; cap. 10 Il cittadino targettizzato). Parra Saiani, Verso un welfare state digitale? L’intelligenza artificiale tra politiche sociali e apparati di controllo, in Rivista delle Politiche Sociali, 4, 2020, pp. 237-254 https://www.futura-editrice.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/RPS-4-2020-13-Parra-Saiani.pdf Zuboff, Surveillance Capitalism and the Challenge of Collective Action, in New Labor Forum, 2019, 28, 1, pp. 10–29 Scarscelli, La spiegazione biologica della devianza, in Scarscelli, Vidoni, Altopiedi, La devianza, 2025, Carocci, pp. 195-216

module 1 : The module aims to achieve the following learning objectives: understanding sociological theories of power; analyzing power as a relational, institutional, and discursive phenomenon; exploring the interaction between power and social inequalities, considering aspects such as class, gender, and race; and developing the ability to apply theoretical concepts to social institutions and contemporary social phenomena.
module 2: The module aims to achieve the following objectives:
understand the connection between social control and power in contemporary societies; acquire tools for critically analyzing mechanisms of social control and their implications for social inequalities; explore the role of institutions in regulating social behaviors; develop critical skills to analyze contemporary phenomena such as digital surveillance, security policies, etc., and to recognize and evaluate forms of resistance to social control as expressions of power.

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module 1: To achieve the learning objectives, the presentation of sociological theories will be complemented, with the use of audiovisual materials and excerpts from literature, by exercises where students will have the opportunity to apply the learned theories to specific cases. Attendance is therefore recommended.
module 2: To achieve the educational objectives, theoretical lectures will be supplemented with exercises, including the use of audiovisual materials and literary excerpts, where students will have the opportunity to apply the theoretical concepts learned to specific cases.
Attendance is therefore recommended.

The educational material used during the lessons will be made available to students on the DIR online platform.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/servicesstudents-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The assessment of the degree of learning of the theoretical content discussed will take place through a final written exam (duration of the written exam: 2 hours).
The final evaluation includes a series of open-ended questions on the content of the exam texts.

module1: Introduction to the Concept of Power: Definition and Types of Power. Classical Sociological Theories of Power. Power as a Diffuse Phenomenon, Rooted in Social and Cultural Structures, and Productive of Reality: Theoretical Contributions of Bourdieu, Foucault, and Goffman. Power and Inequalities. Resistance to Power. Case Studies and Practical Applications. module 2: From the perspective of critical criminology, social control is considered a means of exercising power and domination, where norms and laws reflect the interests of political, cultural, and economic elites. The roles of certain institutions in the production of social control will therefore be explored. The relationships between control, power, and social inequalities will be examined in depth, with a focus on topics such as deviance, surveillance, and forms of resistance.

module 1: With regard to the assessment of learning, students must demonstrate that they have acquired knowledge of the main sociological theories of power and the ability to apply theoretical concepts to social institutions and contemporary social phenomena.
module 2: Regarding the assessment of learning, students must demonstrate that they have acquired the knowledge to explore the role of institutions in regulating social behaviors, critically analyze contemporary phenomena such as digital surveillance, security policies, etc., and recognize and evaluate forms of resistance to social control as expressions of power.