Ateneo - UPO

The seminar offers an interdisciplinary study program focusing on social inclusion, which will be explored from both legal and socio-economic perspectives. Social inclusion has been defined by the European Commission as a process aimed at ensuring that all individuals at risk of social exclusion—due to poverty or other personal circumstances—are given the opportunity to participate fully in collective life under conditions of well-being. From a legal discipline point of view, the concept lies at the intersection of fundamental principles of the Italian constitutional system, such as equality, solidarity, and participation, all of which are encapsulated in Article 3 of the Italian Constitution. In this light, social inclusion emerges as a principle that requires the Republic to remove the barriers that hinder individuals’ effective participation in the political, economic, and social life of the country. This is accomplished through the protection and promotion of social rights. More specifically, social inclusion implies the existence of particularly entrenched obstacles that disproportionately affect certain categories of individuals—such as those experiencing economic poverty, physical or mental disability, socio-health vulnerability, or racial discrimination. From this perspective, social inclusion poses additional challenges for welfare state systems, as it requires them to tailor services and benefits to meet the unique needs of these "at-risk" groups. Hence, the relevance of also exploring the concept from a socio-economic perspective, beginning with an analytical framework based on Karl Polanyi’s three models of integration between economy and society: redistribution, exchange, and reciprocity.

Professors will provide handouts and materials through the DIR - Didattica In Rete platform.

The seminar aims to provide students with the conceptual frameworks and analytical tools necessary to understand the notion of social inclusion and the related public policies within both the European and Italian contexts.

The prerequisites generally required for third-year courses in the Master’s Degree Program in Law (LMG) apply.

The professors favour an interactive teaching style that encourages active student engagement. This method builds on learners’ existing knowledge and fosters the development of critical awareness of the theoretical categories explored throughout the seminar. The approach is supported by seminar-style sessions, practical exercises, and simulation activities.

Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or Special Educational Needs (SEN) may request dedicated services and support tools by contacting the Career Development and Student Services Coordination Staff and consulting the dedicated page on the University website: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studenti-disabili-e-dsa Additionally, students with disabilities, SLD, or SEN are encouraged to contact the course teacher to clarify or define the specific exam arrangements.

Given its objectives and content, the seminar requires students’ regular attendance and active participation in classroom discussions. Learning will be assessed through the evaluation of students’ engagement in discussions and practical workshop activities held during the seminar, as well as through a final oral examination based on a selection of readings agreed upon with professors.

The seminar will address the following key themes and topics: - The fundamental principles of the republican form of the State as guaranteed by the Italian Constitution (including the principles of personalism, equality, solidarity, labor, pluralism, and secularism); - The relationship between formal equality and substantive equality; - Defining features of the Italian welfare state; - The three forms of exchange and social integration in Karl Polanyi’s theory (redistribution, market exchange, and reciprocity); - The application of Polanyi’s three forms of integration to the contemporary reality of the Italian welfare state and the broader European welfare model; - The implementation of the principle of social inclusion with respect to vulnerable groups (e.g., persons with disabilities); - The role of the Third Sector in promoting inclusion and supporting welfare policies.

At the end of the course, students should have acquired the following: - Knowledge: know the problems and terms of the debate (in its legal terms and in its points of dialogue and connection with other social sciences such as sociology and economics) on social inclusion and its implementation at various levels and contexts of public and institutional life; o know and critically interpret some forms of implementation of the principle in the Italian context. - Skills: Ability to analyse social phenomena and contexts from the perspective of social inclusion and its implementation. - Understanding: to be able to understand the various aspects connected with the difficult implementation of the principle of social inclusion and to link different phenomena connected with this problem. - Skill: Ability to constantly update on the scientific debate of the main topics of the course. Ability in legislative research functions in the field of social inclusion and its promotion at various levels of government. Ability to read and interpret empirical data on the multiple dimensions and variables of social inclusion.