85361 - Sociology of Wellness

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student knows the organizational dynamics of complex social systems; the socio-cultural and communication processes that characterize the culture of wellness, sports tourism, leisure time; the cultural and socialization processes in the areas of welfare, health, self-care.

Course contents

The course aims to illustrate the wellness dimension as a cultural transformation that today involves health, sport and society. The concept of wellness will be analyzed in a multidimensional and relational perspective, in order to enhance its subjective, collective and environmental and consumer aspects.

In addition, the course will illustrate the main socio-cultural processes that characterize the evolution of the concept of well-being and "sports culture" that emerge from the transformation of contemporary movement practices, in particular those activities aimed at good health of the wellness. The main purpose is to focus both the strategic policies that invite the population to adopt healthy and active lifestyles; and the circuit of production and consumption of wellness which involves a thriving international market (sport, health, beauty, tourism, etc.).

Finally, the course will focus on the cultural and communicative processes that today involve health-oriented sports practices, by the web communication and the most well-known social media platform. In this perspective, it will be discussed the consumption processes in which sport and physical activity express new forms of citizenship, empowerment and social innovation with a view to improving the quality of life.

Readings/Bibliography

The students attending the course will be given articles, reports and others materials in English and Italian as like the main basis of study and distributed during the course by the teacher (articles, reports located in the IOL platform). Non-attending students will bring the same articles, reports and others materials downloadable from the same IOL portal.

Teaching methods

Basically, it runs lecture in class, or online by TEAM or MEET, and by some video lessons about some case studies, others movies and well-known notorious testimonials in the wellness/fitness business.

Assessment methods

The student will acquire the 6 CREDITS through a written paper of 20/30 pages agreed with the teacher during the lessons. The subject of the writing work chosen will be checked and then verified, and at the end of this process it will then be approved, and after that it will be exposed during the oral exams through a Power Point, or infographic or video presentation of your choice.

This process and some more details about the oral exams, deadline, how to do the written work, it will be explained by the teacher during the class.

Teaching tools

Power Point presentation, YouTube movies, some searching items on Internet by Google search, and some materials from the digital library

Office hours

See the website of Giorgio Cappello