- Docente: Riccardo Prandini
- Credits: 8
- SSD: SPS/08
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Local and Global Development (cod. 5912)
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from Sep 15, 2025 to Nov 25, 2025
Learning outcomes
The course aims to provide theoretical and methodological tools to critically address the issue of innovations in the complex system of local welfare. It addresses the innovations in a plural way - material (what is and how is innovation implemented), social (who innovates), and temporal (with what cultures of time), analyzing the growing interdependencies between public actors, “shared” administration, social enterprise, and citizen participation, associated or not. In particular, it focuses on the themes of innovation - that is the ability to “build” and respond to new social needs; experimental, anticipatory, and bottom-linked governance; and the skills needed to design, implement, and evaluate the “new” in local welfare. At the end of the course, the student will be able to: a) understand how to analyze the innovation processes of local welfare by identifying the recent discontinuities; b) analyze the social processes and structures according to the “innovative/non-innovative” distinction; c) critically interpret what is usually presented as innovative to try to redesign local welfare processes and structures that better meet contemporary needs.
Course contents
The course introduces students to the topic of governance, especially in the field of social policy. The most widely used governance theories—top-down, bottom-up, circular, transformative, etc.—are presented, then examined from a specific perspective: that of potentiality. Potentiality governance refers to a method of coordination between different actors that seeks to avoid overly rigid structuring, while maintaining its guiding function. The temporal, material, and social dimensions of potentiality governance will be analyzed, with particular attention to how organizations, professionals, and citizens themselves are expected to change. The course concludes with a comparison between potentiality governance and experimentalism, applied to the currently highly topical issue of (social) ecosystem governance.
By the end of the course, students will have learned the tools and methods to analyze the problem of governance, with a distinctive capacity for critical observation.
Readings/Bibliography
- Niels A. Andersen e Justine Pors, Il welfare delle potenzialità, Milano-Udine, Mimesis, 2016.
- R. Prandini, (Eco)sistemi per l'innovazione sociale, in G. Ecchia, G. Ganugi e R. Prandini, Verso (Eco)sistemi di innovazione sociale, Milano, FrancoAngeli, 2024, pp. 17-55. (Questo testo è Open Access).
- R. Prandini, Governare la complessità sociale. Una governance all'ombra della gerarchia orientata allo sperimentalismo, in R. Prandini e G. Ganugi, Governance territoriali e politiche di contrasto alla grave emarginazione, Milano, FrancoAngeli, pp.78-102. (questo testo e Open Access).
Teaching methods
The lecturer will present the contents of the texts to be studied, stimulating the critical participation of the students. During the presentation of the texts, the students will have to participate in the discussion in an active and creative way, in seminar mode.
Assessment methods
Assessment is performed via a written exam, made up of 6 open-ended questions, and will last 60 minutes. It is not expected any mid-term test.
Exams are administered in exclusively *written* form and *in person*.
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:
Grading of final mark:
- Competence in a very limited number of topics discussed in the course and/or textbooks, limited ability to analyze the topics, overall correct language: grade 18-19;
- Competence in a limited number of topics discussed in the course and/or textbooks, sufficient ability to analyze the topics, correct language: grade 20-24;
- Competence on a large number of topics discussed in the course and/or textbooks, ability to make autonomous choices of critical analysis, mastery of specific terminology: grade 25-29
- Comprehensive competence in the topics discussed in the course and/or textbooks, ability to make autonomous choices of critical analysis and ability to make connections, full command of the specific terminology and ability to argue and self-reflect: grade 30-30 L.
Students with learning disabilities (LD) or temporary or permanent disabilities: Please contact the relevant University office promptly.
https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it/per-studenti
The office will be responsible for suggesting any accommodations to the affected students. These accommodations must be submitted to the instructor for approval 15 days in advance, who will evaluate their suitability, also taking into account the course's learning objectives.
Office hours
See the website of Riccardo Prandini