09660 - Sociology of Culture (O-Z)

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide an analytical and comparative definition of cultural sociology, proposing to the student the learning and use of a specific model of interpretation, applied (and applicable) to the analysis of cultural objects. At the end of the course the student will be able to - clearly distinguish between sociology of culture and cultural sociology; - analyze and understand social phenomena as 'cultural objects'; - apply a model of cultural analysis to different social processes and structures.

Course contents

The course adopts a teaching method which is organized in two different sections.

The first COMMON section consists of lectures (16 lessons + 1 intermediate exam for 34 total hours) and it aims at introducing the students to the acquisition of basic conceptual and theoretical tools. The second section consists of seminars (7 lessons for 14 total hours) and it aims at deepening the learned knowledge and applying it.

As regards the second section, the students will be divided into 4 groups each of which will take only one lesson per week, thus having time to prepare for the next lesson. Students are required to attend the class having already read and studied the assigned material. Based on the individual readings of each student, an active participation will be required for the realization of thematic insights or the analysis of case studies.

Readings/Bibliography

Common section:

1) Niklas Luhmann, La realtà dei mass media, Milano, FrancoAngeli (ultima edizione)

 

Seminars.

7 lessons, each based on a chapters of:

Hans-Georg Moeller, Paul J. D'Ambrosio, Il tuo profilo e te. L'identità dopo l'autenticità, Mialno-Udine, Mimesis, 2022.

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Teaching methods

In the COMMON part of the course (the first 16 lessons), the professor will present the contents of the text to be studied, stimulating the critical participation of the students.

For the SEMINAR part, and for each of the 7 seminars, the teacher will divide the class into 7 groups, each of which will have to present the contents of one chapter of the book to the other students.

Assessment methods

The course is evaluated in a different but appropriate way for attending and non-attending students

1) NON-ATTENDANTS will take a written test. The written test will last 1 hour and 30 minutes and will focus on open questions regarding the contents of the textbooks.



2) ATTENDING sudents:

1) will carry out an INTERMEDIATE TEST at the end of October on the first text by N. Luhmann. The written test will last 1 hour and a half.

2) they will carry out the second part of the exam, written, in the January-February and March sessions. The writing will focus on the second essay and will last 1 hour and a half.

Those who do not complete the second part by March must retake the exam like non-attending students.

 

All written tests will be assessed as follows:

The purpose of the written test is investigating the students’ ability to apply the notions and knowledge which she has learned, and to make the necessary logical-deductive links. The decision of the final grade takes place on the basis of the following criteria:

• Preparation on a very limited number of topics covered in the course and achievement of a very limited ability to analyze and interpret, but both expressed in a correct language conceptually and terminologically: grade 18-19;
• Preparation on a limited number of topics covered in the course and achievement of the ability to analyse and interpret autonomously only pure notional issues, expressed in correct language: grade 20-24;
• Preparation on a large number of topics covered in the course, together with the ability to carry out independent and critical analyses and interpretations, with a good command of specific lexicon and concepts: grade 25-29;
• Substantially exhaustive preparation on the topics addressed in the course, with the ability to carry out independent, well-argued, critical and original analyses and interpretations, together with a full mastery of specific lexicon and concepts: grade 30-30L.

Teaching tools

In this course no slides, power points, or anything else are produced. It is based on class attendance and the study of texts.

Office hours

See the website of Riccardo Prandini

See the website of Gianluca Maestri

See the website of