Ateneo - UPO

The course examines the functioning of organisations and professional work in social services and health and social care services, drawing on selected theoretical perspectives from the sociology of organisations and the sociology of professions, with particular attention to transformations in professional work. It also explores governance and the organisational issues related to health and social care integration. The course includes the analysis of empirical cases and service coordination tools, enabling students to apply the theoretical perspectives learned during the course to concrete situations.

For students attending the course:
• Albano R., Fabbri T., (a cura di), (2024), La regolazione organizzativa nei servizi sociali. Strumenti di analisi e casi concreti, Giappichelli Editore, Torino, chapters:
- Albano R., L’organizzazione e il suo ambiente di riferimento: una lettura in chiave processuale;
- Costantini E., Governance, processi e strumenti delle politiche;
• Tousijn W., Dallavalle M., (a cura di), (2017), Logica professionale e logica manageriale. Una ricerca sulle professioni sociali, Il Mulino, Bologna, chapters:
- Tousijn W., Logica professionale e logica manageriale: conflitto o integrazione?;
- Cataldi L., I «nuovi» servizi sociali: vecchio managerialismo e moderna burocratizzazione;
- Cellini G., Scavarda A., Il servizio sociale di fronte al managerialismo e alla crisi del welfare: verso un nuovo professionalismo?;
• Lecture slides and scientific articles provided by the lecturer.
For students not attending the course:
• Albano R., Fabbri T., (a cura di), (2024), La regolazione organizzativa nei servizi sociali. Strumenti di analisi e casi concreti, Giappichelli Editore, Torino, chapters:
- Albano R., L’organizzazione e il suo ambiente di riferimento: una lettura in chiave processuale;
- Costantini E., Governance, processi e strumenti delle politiche;
• Tousijn W., Dallavalle M., (a cura di), (2017), Logica professionale e logica manageriale. Una ricerca sulle professioni sociali, Il Mulino, Bologna, chapters:
- Tousijn W., Logica professionale e logica manageriale: conflitto o integrazione?;
- Cataldi L., I «nuovi» servizi sociali: vecchio managerialismo e moderna burocratizzazione;
- Cellini G., Scavarda A., Il servizio sociale di fronte al managerialismo e alla crisi del welfare: verso un nuovo professionalismo?;
• Lecture slides and scientific articles provided by the lecturer

The course aims to provide students with the theoretical and analytical tools of the sociology of organisations needed to understand the functioning of social services and health and social care services, with particular attention to professional work, transformations in models of organisational regulation, and processes of integration between services and professions. The course also aims to develop students’ ability both to critically interpret the organisational issues that arise in the planning and management of services and to identify possible approaches to coordinating and integrating interventions.

None

The course includes lectures, analysis and discussion of empirical cases, and group activities. Practical exercises are designed to apply the theoretical concepts learned during the course to the interpretation of organisational issues and to the development of possible solutions for the coordination and integration of services. Attendance at the course is therefore recommended.

The teaching materials used during the lectures will be made available to students on the DIR online platform.
Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (DSA), or Special Educational Needs (BES) may request dedicated services and specific support by contacting the Student Careers Development and Coordination and Student Services Staff and consulting the dedicated page on the University website: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studentidisabili-e-dsa. After contacting the relevant University Staff, students with disabilities, DSA, or BES may contact the lecturer responsible for the course regarding the examination arrangements and the related educational aspects.

For students attending the course: Written examination and assessment of group work. More specifically, the written examination will consist of two open-ended questions on the required readings. Tale esame avrà una durata di 60 minuti e varrà il 70% della valutazione finale. The examination will last 60 minutes and will account for 70% of the final grade. The remaining 30% of the final grade will be based on the assessment of the group work presented in class.
For students not attending the course: Written examination on the required readings. More specifically, the examination will consist of three open-ended questions and will last 90 minutes.

The course is structured around three thematic areas:

1. Organisations, Professions and Managerialism
The first thematic area introduces the sociological concept of organisation and the main theoretical perspectives on the rationalisation of work and bureaucracy, exploring the limits of formal regulation and actors’ strategies.
It also addresses key concepts in the sociology of professions, with particular attention to the autonomy and control of social workers’ work and to the relationship between professional and managerial logics. Finally, the focus shifts to professionals’ everyday practices, with an in-depth theoretical examination of Street-Level Bureaucracy.

2. Governance and Health and Social Care Integration
The second thematic area examines the governance of social services and health and social care services, with particular attention to the distribution of competences and responsibilities across institutional levels and to inter-organisational relations. Health and social care integration is analysed as an organisational issue, with a focus on coordination and collaboration processes among institutional actors, organisations and professionals.

3. Organising Integration
The third thematic area explores the organisational processes and tools that support coordinated pathways for access, assessment and care, with particular attention to multi-professional collaboration, continuity of interventions, and the participation of individuals (e.g. patients) and caregivers.

Across all three thematic areas, the course includes activities involving the analysis and discussion of case studies and/or scientific articles with the lecturer, aimed at applying the theoretical perspectives covered in the course to the interpretation of organisational issues and the identification of possible solutions for the coordination and integration of services. In addition, students attending the course will work in small groups, with the support and supervision of the lecturer, on specifically designed case studies. They will be required to prepare a PowerPoint presentation to be delivered in class, demonstrating their ability to critically analyse organisational issues and use appropriate scientific terminology. This activity will form an integral part of the final assessment.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• understand and use selected concepts and theoretical perspectives from the sociology of organisations to analyse the functioning of social and health and social care services;
• analyse the relationships between organisational rules, professional autonomy and work practices, with particular reference to the role of social workers;
• identify the main tensions between professional and managerial logics and understand their implications for the organisation of services;
• interpret the governance and coordination issues that characterise the integration of health and social care services;
• apply concepts and theories learned during the course to the analysis of empirical cases, identifying possible organisational solutions to support the coordination and integration of services;
• use appropriate scientific terminology and critically discuss their analyses and operational choices.