22563 - MUTAMENTO SOCIALE

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will:

• have acquired a sound knowledge of the study of human societies, with particular attention to processes of social change over time and the theoretical approaches used to analyse them;
• possess the analytical tools needed to understand major contemporary social phenomena and to interpret them from the perspective of social change, drawing on relevant theoretical and analytical concepts from classical and contemporary sociology.

Course contents

The course aims to provide students with the theoretical and conceptual tools needed to understand and interpret the changes that have characterised human societies over time, and to apply the knowledge acquired to specific historical and contemporary phenomena.

In particular, the course focuses on the concept and processes of social change, examining the relationship between forms of social organisation and the underlying economic and structural phenomena. We will explore how transformations in the economic and productive system—and, more specifically, the evolution of capitalism from modernity to the contemporary period—have affected forms of social organisation over time. These transformations include the transition from modernity to postmodernity, from societies based on reciprocity to market societies, and from societies organised around the nation-state to globalised societies.

We will also examine how bottom-up social processes, such as social movements and conflicts, can act as drivers of social change.

The course will cover the following topics:

• The concept of “social change”
• Capitalism and social change in market societies: Karl Polanyi and The Great Transformation
• Social change under Fordist capitalism: social protection and emancipation
• Social movements and bottom-up dynamics of social change
• Crisis, capitalism and transformation: the transition from Fordism to post-Fordism, the crisis of the welfare state and the recommodification of labour
• Technology and social change
• The climate crisis as a new “Great Transformation”?

Readings/Bibliography

Readings/BibliographyMain reference text

Polanyi, K. (1944) (2010). La grande trasformazione. Turin: Einaudi.

Additional examination text for non-attending students

In addition to the seminar readings:

Fraser, N. Capitalismo cannibale. Bari: Laterza.

The additional bibliography—comprising articles and individual book chapters used to explore the course topics in greater depth— will be uploaded to the Virtuale platform at the start of the course.

These additional readings form part of the examination syllabus for both attending and non-attending students.

Teaching methods

The course adopts the so-called “Y-shaped” teaching format. Course content is presented and discussed through a combination of:

• lectures attended by the entire class, using slides and class discussion, for a total of 32 hours, including the mid-term and final assessments conducted in class;
• seminar-format classes, in which the class is divided into two groups in order to encourage interaction and in-depth discussion of the assigned readings. Each group will attend seven seminars, for a total of 14 seminar hours per group.

During the seminar classes, students will undertake group activities and exercises involving discussion and critical analysis of the assigned readings.

Assessment methods

Attending students

• Written assessment: Attending students will take an in-class written test worth 50% of the final grade. The test will consist of open-ended questions.
• Group project and presentation: Each student will take part in a group presentation during the seminar classes. The presentation will be based on a group research project carried out during the second half of the semester. Together with a brief written report summarising its content, the presentation will account for 50% of the final grade.

The assessments for attending students will take place on two sets of dates confirmed during the course.

To be considered an attending student, students must attend at least 12 of the 16 lectures and at least 5 of the 7 seminars.

Non-attending students

During the examination period, non-attending students will take an in-person written examination consisting of open-ended questions.

Only the grade obtained in the most recent examination attempt will be valid. Students who pass the examination may reject the grade only once.

Teaching tools

Materials uploaded to the Virtuale platform.

Office hours

See the website of Arianna Tassinari