17270 - Sociology of Cultural and Communication Processes

Learning outcomes

The course focuses on the main sociological dimensions of the concept of culture and communication, especially with reference to the process of technological convergence that redefines the boundaries between different media in global society. At the end of the course, the student will be able to apply the main theoretical and methodological tools of the sociology of culture and communication to the issue of global identity and power conflicts in the network society.

Course contents

The course Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes aims to provide students with the basic knowledge about the interpretation and analysis of the relationships between typically expressive aspects of human life (such as values, beliefs, world visions, etc.) and more general social changes in the light of the fundamental mediating role played by the means, structures and models of social communication.

In this regard, the course consists of two fundamental, deeply interrelated, parts: a first introductory part to the sociology of culture and a second part dedicated to the sociology of communication and the media. Through the critical exposition of the main classical and contemporary sociological theories relating to these two broad branches of social studies, the intent is to offer the theoretical and methodological tools useful for sociological research in cultural and communicative processes.

More specifically, the first part will examine the main themes related to the sociology of culture, especially considering the complex relationship between expressive aspects, such as norms, values, beliefs and, in general, every symbolic part of human experience, and the social world in its change. Therefore, the leading classical sociology authors' theoretical paradigms and research orientations will be considered and examined from this perspective without failing to offer the view of some of the best-known and most influential contemporary authors.

These latter will be especially useful for introducing a critical interpretation of the social and cultural transformations affecting the most recent globalization processes, as well as the environmental question and the ecological transition.

The second part of the course will address the main theoretical paradigms of media sociology. Especially their evolution from the more traditional analogical dimension - starting from which critical theories on the effect of mass media and the construction of their thematic agenda take shape and articulate - up to the most recent evolutions related to the ongoing digital revolution. In this last aspect, the cultural dimension connected to the network society and the social web's development will be considered.

The attention to the "techno-ecological" nature of the current cultural transition will represent the fil rouge of the two parts of the course, as well as the central aspect on which students will be called to reason upon and produce a work in small groups under the coordination of the teacher.

Readings/Bibliography

The course includes the in-depth study of the following texts, the content of which will constitute the basic exam material for ATTENDING and NON-ATTENDING students*:

• Griswold W. (2005). Sociologia della cultura. il Mulino, Bologna (cap. 1,2,3,4,5).
• Riva C., Ciofalo G., Degli Esposti P., Stella R. (2022). Sociologia dei media. Utet, Torino (cap. 2.6; cap. 3.3; cap. 4 tutto; cap. 5 tutto; cap.6 tutto; cap. 7.5, 7.6; cap. 8.2, 8.6, cap. 9.5).
• Spillare (2022). Cultura e sviluppo sostenibile. In: Paltrinieri R. (a cura di). Il valore sociale della cultura. Franco Angeli, Milano (pp. 17-36).
• Latour B., Schultz N. (2023). Facciamoci sentire. Manifesto per una nuova ecologia. Einaudi, Torino.

*Listed below are a series of texts which represent MANDATORY SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL for NON ATTENDING students who will have to choose as follow (all material will be made available to the students on Virtuale by the teacher):

a single (=1) text chosen among the following ones (only chapters indicated in brackets):

• Appadurai A. (2012). Modernità in polvere. Dimensioni culturali della globalizzazione. Cortina ed., Milano (Introduzione e cap. 1).
• Jenkins H. (2006). Cultura convergente. Apogeo, Milano (Prefazione e Introduzione).
• Rainie L., Wellman B. (2012). Networked. Il nuovo sistema operativo sociale. Guerini, Milano (Parte Prima: cap. 1,2,3,4).
• Barisione M. (2009). Comunicazione e società. Il Mulino, Bologna (cap. 1,2 e 4).

and another single text (=1) of your choice among the following essays:

• Spillare S. (2020). La responsabilità sociale nella tarda modernità: scenari, riflessività e agency dei soggetti sociali tra civic attitude e civic engagement. «Studi di sociologia», n. X, pp. 1-18.
• Spillare S. (2020). Sviluppo del comparto biologico ed evoluzione della sua cultura di consumo: un approccio socioculturale al consumer engagement. In: Kodilja R., Qualizza G. (a cura di). Il ritorno dei luoghi. Place of orgin e consumer engagement: nuove mappe per creare valore. ETS, Pisa.
• Pellizzoni L. (2007). Il cambiamento climatico come oggettoculturale: scienza, politica e incertezza. COSMOPOLIS.

Furthermore, only for those who do not have a good basis in sociology, the following texts are recommended as preparatory reading and/or to be done during the training activity:

• Jedlowski P. (2009). Il mondo in questione. Carocci, Roma (cap. 1-7, 10-14).
• Giddens A., Sutton P.W. (2014). Fondamenti di sociologia, il Mulino, Bologna (cap. 1-8, 10 e 13).

Teaching methods

The course is based on active and participatory teaching. Technological tools will support the lessons and be supplemented by in-depth seminars, analysis of multimedia documents relating to the course topics, testimonials and/or discussion meetings on empirical cases. Students will be required to play an active role through class discussions, case study analysis and/or small group work that will be presented in class in a scientific format at the end of the course.

Assessment methods

Generally, for all students enrolled in the course, the evaluation method consists of an oral interview on the contents of the reference texts. The exam will be held in the scheduled sessions. It will be aimed at testing the knowledge, understanding and ability to critically re-elaborate the course's concepts, theories and topics.

However, in order to facilitate the study, ATTENDING STUDENTS can take the exam by dividing it into two (2) tests to be held approximately in the middle (midterm test) and at the end of the course (final test). These tests will have the same value as the exam and will relieve the student from the obligation of the oral examination. The tests are expected to be in written form (usually in mixed mode, partly multiple-choice questions and partly open-ended questions). In addiction, a small group work will also requested to attending students to verifying the capacity to apply concepts and to discriminate between attending and non-attending students.

Attending students who have passed the midterm and the final tests can register the result by registering themselves to the first available official session, without the necessary physical presence during the verbalization (the registration procedure will be valid as acceptance).

Passing the midterm test is the necessary condition to access the final one. This means those who do not pass the midterm exam will NOT be admitted to the final test and will have to retake the entire program exclusively as an oral exam during official sessions.

Suppose the student refuses the vote (avoiding register themselves to the first available session and communicating it to the teacher), he or she can always retake the complete exam in an oral way during the official sessions.

It is not possible to reject only part of the vote.

We kindly remind that NON ATTENDING students have to take an oral interview during the regular sessions and they will be evaluated on the additional selected texts as indicated in the previous section, "Readings/Bibliography").

The criteria adopted for the assessment of learning are knowledge of the exam programme; ability to independently develop arguments; ability to describe and illustrate phenomena, institutional processes, micro and macro dynamics studied by the sociology of cultural and communicative processes; capacity for empirical collocation of theoretical generalizations; ability to face a sociological reflection on aspects and processes of transformation of contemporary society; adequacy of the language used.

The exam is considered passed only when all the requirements have been met.

Teaching tools

Teaching involves the use of electronic devices, such as video projectors or other. Some of the materials indicated in the exam program and other in-depth materials may be suggested and/or made available by the teacher in electronic format.

Students will also have the support of a didactic tutor.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Spillare