76041 - Sociology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, participants will have acquired a basic understanding of social change in relation to values, lifestyles, and modes of social communication.
They will be able to analyse the processes through which normative orientations emerge and spread, and to address the complexity of contemporary social structures.

Course contents

The course offers an introduction to the basic theoretical tools of the sociology of cultural and communication processes.
It explores the concept of culture as a constitutive dimension of social life, providing tools to understand and question the symbolic and relational dynamics of contemporary society.
It also analyses the transformation of the health/sickness relationship in light of new scenarios linked to lifestyles, with the aim of bringing practices of meaning closer to professional practice.

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students
Course and exam materials (approx. 90–100 pages total):

• Griswold, W. (2023). Sociologia della cultura. Bologna: Il Mulino (Ch. 1 and 7).

• Maturo, A., & Setiffi, F. (2018). Sociologia del wellness. Bologna: Il Mulino → Ch. 3: “La costruzione culturale del benessere.”

• Lonardi, C. (2008). “Salute,” in C. Cipolla (ed.), I concetti del sapere sociologico. Milano: FrancoAngeli, pp. 75–103 / selected section.***

• Woodward, S., & Fisher, T. (eds.) (2023). Show Reels: Shoes, Feet and the Politics of Walking. London: Bloomsbury. (Introduction, pp. 1–12): https://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/show-reels-shoes-feet-and-the-politics-of-walking

Articles, case studies, film sequences, and visual documents will be provided and discussed during lectures.

Non-attending students

• Griswold, W. (2023). Sociologia della cultura. Bologna: Il Mulino.

• Lonardi, C. (2005). “Salute,” in C. Cipolla (ed.), I concetti del sapere sociologico. Milano: FrancoAngeli.***

• Maturo, A., & Setiffi, F. (2018). Sociologia del wellness. Bologna: Il Mulino → Ch. 3: “La costruzione culturale del benessere.”

***Provided by the instructor; see Virtuale, supplementary materials folder.

 

Teaching methods

Classes are conducted in a frontal and interactive format, encouraging active participation and discussion.
The teaching approach emphasizes learning by doing and the use of visual and multimedia sources (images, videos, film sequences), supported by PowerPoint and/or Prezi presentations.
Focused discussions and collective reflection activities on the proposed materials are also planned.

Assessment methods

Assessment includes the completion of a final project (individual or group) applying the tools of cultural and communication sociology to concrete cases or objects.

The project may take one of the following forms:

• A thematic project integrating visual sources (photos, videos, drawings, handmade materials, or works produced with artificial intelligence — promptographies or sintographies);

• An individual dossier (progressive book) collecting the activities, analyses, and reflections developed during the course, including visual and creative components.

Evaluation will consider theoretical coherence, sociological insight, interpretive autonomy, and the argumentative and creative quality of the work.

For non-attending students, the exam consists of an oral test on the assigned readings, with three open-ended questions aimed at assessing critical understanding of the contents and the ability to apply them.

Teaching tools

Multimedia presentations (Prezi, PowerPoint); audiovisual materials; photographs and visual documents; scientific articles; guided discussions; group work; interactive classroom activities.

Office hours

See the website of Francesca Guarino