12667 - Sociology of Communication (2) (O-Z)

Learning outcomes

Students learn tools to observe the contemporary complexity of the public space of communication, since it includes many forms, channels and sources of information, but also unequal opportunities to access and to practice them.

Course contents

The 12 credits course is an integrated course, with the same contents. [only incoming Erasmus and Overseas students can choice a single module 6 CFU; in this case they may refer to the first part of the course: see below]

- Social theories and models of communication

- Communication and interaction in the everyday life

- Interpersonal, mediated and online mediated communication

- Social forms of communication and technological developments: from oral societies to digital societies

- Media, digital media and interaction: how to study the social effects of media and hybrid media

- Case and empirical analysis of the different forms of contemporary communication

Readings/Bibliography

12 CFU

1. E. Goffman, "Interaction Order", in American Sociological Review, vol. 48, 1983, pp. 1-17: JSTOR address)
2. S. Moscovici, Notes towards a description of Social Representations, "European Journal of Social Psychology", 18 (3), 1988, pp. 211-250)
3. A. Schütz, "The well informed citizen. An Essay on the Social Distribution of Knowledge", in Social Research 13, 4 (1946), pp. 463-78
4. J. B. Thompson, Mediated Interaction in the Digital Age, in Theory, Culture & Society, Vol. 37(1) (2020), pp. 3–28, DOI:10.1177/0263276418808592 [ access at home by EZproxy  
   (for French speakers: J. B. Thompson, "La nouvelle visibilité" , in Réseaux, 2005/1 (n° 129-130), pp. 59-87)
5. C Gius, P. Lalli, “I loved her so much, but I killed her” Romantic love as a representational frame for intimate partner femicide in three Italian newspapers, "ESSACHESS - Journal for Communication Studies", vol 7, No 2(14), 2014 (open access in the journal website)
6. P. Lalli, When Communication Goes with Inclusion: A Case Analysis on Participatory Experiences in the Municipality of Bologna, in Communication with the Public, edited by A. Jenei, Budapest, AdLibrum, 2012, pp. 142-160
7. S. Livingstone and E.J. Helsper, "Gradations in digital inclusion: Children, young people and the digital divide ", in "New Media & Society", 9, pp. 671-696
   or for French speakers:
   N. Smyrnaios, L'effet GAFAM: stratégies et logique de l'oligopole de l'internet "Communication & Langages", vol. 2016, n. 188, pp. 61-83 (preprint)
   
8. At least 1 chapter from: d. boyd, It's Complicated, Foundation Philip Hamilton McMillan of the class of 1894, Yale College, Creative Commons
   

6 ECTS [only incoming Erasmus-Overseas students] (i.-e. only Sociology of communication (1) or Sociology of communication (2)

• Above listed readings from 1 to 5.

Teaching methods

Lessons, and interactive discussions in class. Optional participation to team-working activities in the second part.

Assessment methods

Incoming Erasmus+ and Overseas students can attend lesson and interactive workshops where the teacher introduces the methodological tools for a case analysis.

In fact, the attending Erasmus and  students can agree with the teacher one specific option for the exam: i.e. a written Italian or English or French or Spanish paper based on case empirical analysis coming from the lectures and the readings.

As an alternative, any student can participate to the written exam with closed and open-ended questions on the suggested readings that will be published in the Italian version of this page at the beginning of the course (foreign students can answer in one of the following languages: English, French, Spanish).

Teaching tools

Slides and video; optional workshops. Teams platform.

Office hours

See the website of Pina Lalli