Ateneo - UPO

Sociological concepts and perspectives on culture, socialisation, identity, class, gender, ethnicity, racism, nationalism, and intersectionality.

Compulsory readings

For attending students:
Two books chosen from the following:

• A. Cirulli (2019), Etnoregionalismi, Mondadori Università;
• E. Ruspini (2023), Le identità di genere, Carocci;
• E.A.G. Arfini (2024), Che cos'è l'intersezionalità, Carocci;
• U. Hannerz (2001), La diversità culturale, Il Mulino.

For non-attending students:

1) L. Sciolla, P.M. Torrioni (2020), Sociologia dei processi culturali, Il Mulino (excluding Chapter 7)

2) Two books chosen from the following:

• A. Cirulli (2019), Etnoregionalismi, Mondadori Università;
• E. Ruspini (2023), Le identità di genere, Carocci;
• E.A.G. Arfini (2024), Che cos'è l'intersezionalità, Carocci;
• U. Hannerz (2001), La diversità culturale, Il Mulino

Additional material for further study (open-access journal articles and book chapters), not required for the examination, will be uploaded to the course DIR page.

The course aims to provide students with knowledge and conceptual tools for understanding, from a sociological perspective, the processes through which culture and identities are produced, differentiated, and transformed. By the end of the course, students will be able to distinguish the main sociological meanings of the concept of culture; analyse the relationships between culture, social structure, and action; understand the role of socialisation and interaction in the construction of personal, role, and social identities; interpret processes of belonging, recognition, and boundary-making; and critically examine class, gender, ethnic, and national identities in relation to inequalities and power relations. The course also aims to develop students’ ability to compare different theoretical perspectives, apply them to the analysis of social and cultural phenomena, and formulate independent arguments using appropriate disciplinary terminology.

No specific background knowledge is required

Lectures, close reading and discussion of texts, and classroom discussions.

Students are advised to enrol on the course DIR page. Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs), or Special Educational Needs (SEN) may request dedicated services and support by contacting the Student Careers Development and Coordination and Student Services Office and consulting the relevant University webpage: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studentidisabili-e-dsa. After contacting the appropriate University Office, students with disabilities, SLDs, or SEN may contact the course instructor to discuss the implementation of examination arrangements and other teaching-related matters.

The final assessment consists of an oral examination lasting approximately 20–30 minutes, designed to assess the knowledge specified in the learning objectives and expected learning outcomes. Marks are awarded on a thirty-point scale. Assessment will consider the following aspects: 1) knowledge and understanding of the main topics covered, up to 18 points; 2) the ability to present ideas clearly and accurately using appropriate terminology, up to 6 points; 3) the ability to establish connections between topics and develop critical and independent reflection, up to 6 points.
To pass the examination, students must demonstrate at least a satisfactory knowledge of the course’s main topics.

The course introduces the scientific concept of culture and its main meanings in the social sciences, with particular attention to the relationship between nature, culture, and society. It examines processes of cultural differentiation in contemporary societies, focusing especially on subcultures and pluralism, as well as the ways in which culture is socially produced and shapes meanings and social action.
The second part explores processes of socialisation and identity construction. It examines the relationship between identity and identification, the differences among personal, role, and social identities, and the mechanisms of salience, belonging, recognition, and the management of multiple identities. On this basis, the course analyses class identities in relation to lifestyles and inequalities, gender identities, and ethnic identities, with particular attention to the construction of social boundaries.
The course then addresses racism as a process of categorising, othering, and hierarchising differences. The concepts of ethnic group, ethnicity, nation, and nationalism are examined through a comparison of the modernist and ethnosymbolist paradigms. The final part is devoted to intersectionality as a perspective for jointly interpreting identities, social categories, inequalities, and power relations. The course thus progresses from the foundations of the sociology of culture to the general processes through which identities are formed, and finally to a critical analysis of collective belongings and their interactions.

Knowledge and understanding: By the end of the course, students will have acquired in-depth knowledge of the main sociological concepts and approaches relating to culture, socialisation, and identity. They will understand the processual and relational character of personal, role, and social identities, as well as the main theoretical tools for analysing class, gender, ethnic, and national identities, racism, nationalism, and intersectionality.

Applying knowledge and understanding: Students will be able to use concepts and theoretical perspectives to analyse social and cultural phenomena, empirical cases, and contemporary processes of identification, belonging, recognition, categorisation, and social boundary-making. They will also be able to relate identities and social differences to historical contexts, inequalities, and power relations.

Making judgements: Students will be able to critically compare different sociological interpretations of culture and identity, assessing their assumptions, strengths, and limitations. They will be able to formulate independent and well-supported judgements on processes of racialisation and othering, theories of nation and nationalism, and the intersection of social categories and power relations, while avoiding essentialist or reductionist interpretations.

Communication skills: Students will be able to present, primarily in oral form, concepts, theories, and analytical findings relating to the course topics with clarity, coherence, and appropriate use of language. They will be able to develop well-founded arguments, establish connections between different perspectives, and participate thoughtfully in discussions of texts and cases using appropriate sociological terminology.

Learning skills: Students will develop the skills required to explore topics in the sociology of culture and identity independently, navigate the scientific literature, integrate theoretical and empirical sources, and transfer the tools acquired to the study of other social and cultural phenomena.