13180 - Theory of Socialisation Processes

Learning outcomes

The course provides a panorama about general aspects of the problems in socialization processes.  A presentation of the concept of socialization will be given, with a particular attention to the exceptions and to individual and collective actors involved.

Course contents

The course will start from theoretical contributes elaborated in classical sociology (Pareto, Durkheim, Weber, Parsons).

With regard to young people and their own processes of socialization, a particular study in depth will be made; in this case, classical theories will be compared with more recent ones (in particular way, the systemic theory of Luhmann).

Then, some empiric studies about socialization and youthful uneasiness will be presented, in order to evidence the modalities of analysis of this phenomenon.

Nowadays, talking about youthful uneasiness means to seek relations and motivations that were absent in the past. We can speak about indicators of uneasiness; on the other side, it seems more emblematic the searching of causes, motivations, subjective and collective paths that can orientate these situations.

Our questions start from this point: is it possible speaking about a cause/effect mechanism for this problem? Or uneasiness has to be intended as a fluctuating and uncertain combination of different situations?

In the past, most of these mechanism were characterized by the conviction (and the presumption) that cause/effect relation was deeply connected and clear.         
 
Actually, it seems more and more believable the thesis about the presence of conditions of a-symptomatic youthful uneasiness.

Readings/Bibliography

Pieretti G., Per una cultura dell'essenzialità, Angeli, Milano, 1996.

Guidicini P., Pieretti G. (a cura di), I nuovi modi del disagio giovanile, Angeli, Milano, 1995.

Guidicini P., Pieretti G. (a cura di), San Patrignano tra comunità e società. Ricerca sui percorsi di vita di 711 ex-ospiti di San Patrignano, Angeli, Milano, 1994.

Teaching methods

Lecutres and seminars.

Assessment methods

Oral exam about reccomended reading. 

Teaching tools

Overhead projector.

Office hours

See the website of Giovanni Pieretti