18120 - Sociology of the Environment and the Territory

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will be able to: recognize the basic elements of this subject;know the history of the sociological debate about the concept of environment; individuate and manage the characteristics of environmental analysis; appropriately use the most important concepts of this subject.

Course contents

Thefirst part of the course will be focused on the environmental analysis: it consists on all the cognitive elements (variables, indicators, etc.) which allow to know the territory, andparticularlyto gather its more and more rapid changes. Recent empiric research providea problematic picture of environment, showing that it is time to adjust the research tools to the realprocesses of a rapidly changing society. TheChicago School shares a setting where environment is considered in its own specificity rather than something undifferentiated; the School also represents a clear option for qualitative techniques, and participant observation is considered as a prominent method.
The second part of the course (asthe Chicago approach implies) will focus onsocio-environmental analysis; in particular, urban sprawland suburbanization will be considered. Nowadays, these phenomena are a problematic (but exciting) topic in order to understand the notionof environment in sociology.

Readings/Bibliography

M. Castrignanò, La città degli individui: tra crisi ed evoluzione del legame sociale, Angeli, Milano, 2004.

G. Nuvolati e F. Piselli (a cura di), La città: bisogni, desideri, diritti. La città diffusa: stili di vita e popolazioni metropolitane, Angeli, Milano, 2009.

F. Mantovani, La città immateriale. Tra periurbano, città diffusa e sprawl: il caso Dreamville, Angeli, Milano, 2005.

Teaching methods

Lectures and seminars.

Assessment methods

Oral exam about recommended reading.

Teaching tools

Overhead projector.

Office hours

See the website of Giovanni Pieretti