98414 - Neoliberalism and Social Transformations

Learning outcomes

At the end of the activity the students: - are able to orient themselves within the current debate on the transformations of contemporary society and its fundamental institutions; - know how to interpret and critically analyze the main and emerging configurations of relations of production and social reproduction; - know how to distinguish and manage the fundamental concepts of social sciences that deal with analyzing the governance of economic processes and public policies.

Course contents

The course examines neoliberalism and the governmental practices through which subjectivity is shaped in light of the most recent economic, social, and political transformations. Adopting a predominantly seminar-based approach, the course develops a transdisciplinary perspective that brings sociology into dialogue with political philosophy, critical theory, and urban studies, with the aim of investigating the major contradictions of contemporary capitalism.

Throughout the course, students will critically discuss the key concepts that constitute the theoretical vocabulary of neoliberalism while analysing the transformations affecting production, labour, welfare, social reproduction, public policies, and emerging forms of territorial governance and population management.

The course is organised around a series of seminars involving invited scholars and researchers who will present and discuss specific research topics. Each seminar will be preceded by preparatory sessions designed to introduce the themes under discussion, provide their theoretical context, and encourage active participation by students.

The seminar programme for the academic year will be published when the class timetable becomes available.

For the current academic year, the thematic focus will be on the transformations of subaltern subjectivities in the contemporary urban space, with particular attention to the relationship between institutional racism, class composition, and neoliberalism. Building upon the reading of Abolishing Security: A Manifesto (Anti-Security Collective, ombre corte, 2025) and additional materials on contemporary processes of racialisation, the course will explore the possibilities for building new alliances among marginalised subjects and the emerging political forms developing within today's urban peripheries.

Alongside the seminar activities, the course includes an urban ethnography laboratory in which students will design and carry out field research activities. The empirical materials collected during the research will subsequently be discussed and analysed collectively in class, allowing students to experience the relationship between theoretical reflection and empirical inquiry while developing a critical understanding of the social processes under investigation.

Readings/Bibliography

The texts and bibliographies relating to each topic addressed will be indicated and made available to the participants during the course of the meetings. They will be indicated by the guest speakers in preparation for the seminar appointment.

Teaching methods

The course adopts a seminar- and laboratory-based teaching methodology structured around three closely integrated stages.

The first stage, which precedes the beginning of the teaching activities, is devoted to the collaborative design of the laboratory. During this preliminary phase, open to students, PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, faculty members, and anyone interested in participating, several key aspects of the course will be discussed and defined under the instructor's supervision. These include the main research themes, the reading materials, the invited speakers, and the working methods that will shape the subsequent activities. This preparatory stage constitutes an integral part of the course and is intended to foster a collaborative approach to the construction of the learning process.

The second stage consists of the seminar activities. Following three introductory sessions devoted to the theoretical framework of the course, students will take part in at least three seminars led by invited scholars and researchers. These seminars will be complemented by additional sessions of collective discussion and critical engagement with the topics and materials presented.

The third stage is devoted to field research. Following a methodological workshop designed to prepare the research activities, students will participate in two urban ethnographic research experiences focusing on the relationship between social control and processes of rationalisation in contemporary urban spaces. The course will conclude with a final collective session dedicated to the presentation, discussion, and critical analysis of the empirical materials collected. This concluding phase is intended to critically interrogate, through the experience of field research, the theoretical categories explored throughout the course.

To obtain the final pass (idoneità), students are required to participate actively in the activities planned during the second and third stages of the course, with particular reference to the seminar discussions, the field research activities, and the final collective analysis of the empirical materials.

Assessment methods

The course awards a pass/fail assessment (idoneità).

The pass will be awarded on the basis of active and continuous participation in the seminar and laboratory activities scheduled throughout the course. In particular, students are required to attend at least two-thirds of the scheduled sessions, actively contribute to collective discussions, participate in the field research activities, and take part in the collective analysis, discussion, and presentation of the empirical materials collected.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

The use of Generative Artificial Intelligence tools during assessment activities is not permitted, except where explicitly authorised by the instructor as an integral part of the assessment itself. In such cases, students will be provided with specific instructions regarding the permitted use of AI tools and the assessment criteria that will be applied.

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or temporary/permanent disabilities

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities are encouraged to contact the relevant University Office in advance (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ). The Office will propose any appropriate accommodations, which must be submitted to the instructor for approval at least 15 days before the assessment. The instructor will assess their suitability in relation to the intended learning outcomes of the course.

Teaching tools

The materials to be prepared during the meetings will be provided by the teacher and his collaborators during the meetings. When possible, they will be deposited on the virtual.it portal.

Office hours

See the website of Federico Chicchi