Ateneo - UPO

The course offers a sociological and constructivist approach to diversity, social stigma, institutional discrimination and struggles against discrimination. After an introductory part in which forms of discrimination and social reactions to discrimination of migrants and migrants' children will be analysed, the course will continue by investigating some of the most relevant institutional and civil society reactions to discrimination in the Italian context. Under the guidance of the lecturer, students will research various recent or ongoing initiatives aimed at countering forms of injustice and inequality affecting migrants and their children, and return the results of this brief research to the classroom. The course will conclude with a collective discussion on the materials analysed, which will provide an insight into the assumptions and effectiveness of these civil battles.

For frequent participants, study materials will be agreed upon together during the course.
Non-participating students should prepare themselves on the following texts:
- Reni Eddo-Lodge, Perché non parlo più di razzismo con le persone bianche
- Clelia Bartoli, Razzisti per legge. L’Italia che discrimina

The general objectives of the course are:
- provide tools for a sociological reading of inequality, discrimination, stigma, resistance and counter-narrative, dividing the level of institutional initiatives from that of bottom-up activism;
- to analyse together the most promising initiatives of resistance to structural and institutional discrimination and try to assess their assumptions and effectiveness.
A specific objective of the course is
- to recognise the plurality of voices and viewpoints in the field of those fighting discrimination.

No preconditions are required.

The course adopts a mixed teaching method. A frontal introductory part, marked by collective discussions, will be followed by a workshop part, in which students will investigate different initiatives (organised militancy, campaigns, monitoring actions, institutional initiatives) by doing small research on the contents produced by these initiatives and by producing short interviews. Finally, these short research activities will be presented and discussed in classroom.

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.

For non-attending students, the examination will be a written text that will last two hours (3 or 4 open questions on the books). In addition to mnemonic ability and the ability to use correct language, much weight in the assessment will be given to the ability to critically discuss the texts analysed, to connect them and to be able to discern between the different points of view and disciplinary or action perspectives that the texts convey, understanding their motivations and discussing their effectiveness in bringing about a perspective of rupture and change.
For those attending, the examination will be oral, on the discussions held in the classroom and on the short texts agreed with the lecturer. Involvement in the process of discovery, research, analysis and discussion, the ability to critically distance oneself and to evaluate the initiatives analysed, as well as a general understanding of what it means to maintain a sociological perspective, will play an important role in the assessment.

The course offers a sociological and constructivist approach to diversity, social stigma, institutional discrimination and anti-discrimination battles.
It is structured as follows:
- A first introductory part in which the topics of diversity, social stigma and the various forms of discrimination affecting migrants and migrants' children will be presented, but also the organised forms of resistance to institutional discrimination, both within the institutions and politics themselves, as well as in the world of associations, and finally in that of social movements and protest groups. Some concepts such as those of cultural resistance, anti-racism, repertoires of protest, counter-narratives, etc. will then be introduced and discussed.
- A second part - preceded by a brief introduction to Italian initiatives aimed at countering discrimination on migration - will be dedicated to individual and group work, under the guidance of the lecturer, to study some of these initiatives with content analyses and interviews.
- A third part, in which these analyses will be returned to the classroom and we will engage in a collective discussion on the assumptions and efficacy of these civil battles, with a close look at the discourses they pursue, the alliances they try to build, and the communication strategies implemented.

During the course, the issue of gender as a central dimension of the approach to social discrimination will be addressed. The gender dimension will also be addressed from the perspective of intersectionality

The main expected learning outcomes are as follows:
- understanding of the terms at the core of the course from a relational and constructivist sociology perspective;
- understanding of the importance of organised actions to create forms of resistance and counter-narrative, being able to grasp contextual (cultural, social, economic) limits and opportunities;
- understanding of the different forms of political action and pressure that are part of the repertoires of active social movements and protest groups;
- understanding of the tools of analysis and evaluation of social resistance actions on the topic of migrants and discrimination;
- understanding of the role of communication and the various communication tools available within these initiatives.