59239 - Sociology of Territory

Learning outcomes

The aims of this course is showing the connections between social system and territory (natural and cultural resources, production system, communication and transport infrastructures, settlement processes). Students will be able to individuate the factors which change the equilibrium between human society, settlement forms and territorial relations. At the end of the course, students will also be able to individuate territorial problems as well as to define methodological tools and research steps to focus on them.

Course contents

In the first part of the course (30 hours), some important topics for the sociology of territory will be considered (city, environment and tourism), as well as some related topics (land consumption, territorial regeneration, tourism and local development). Attention will also be paid to the role of sociologists in territorial planning, with attention to the research steps and the research tools they can use.

In the second part (30 hours), the aim is showing some examples of territorial studies in the national and international debate. For this reason, a study on an Italian interior area (the Appennino Bolognese) and a study on a neighborhood in a big American city (Villa Victoria in Boston) will be presented.

Readings/Bibliography

Compulsory texts for the exam

For the part one:

A. Mela, M.C. Belloni, L. Davico, Sociologia e progettazione del territorio, Carocci, Roma, 2006.

For the part two:

G. Manella (a cura di), Per una rinascita delle aree interne. Una ricerca nell'Appennino Bolognese, FrancoAngeli, Milano, 2017.

M.L. Small, Villa Victoria. Povertà e capitale sociale in un quartiere di Boston, FrancoAngeli, Milano, 2011.

NB: the third textbook can be changed with teaworks presented by groups of 3-5 students and selected by the teacher on research topics of contemporary sociology of territory.

Teaching methods

The course is based on lectures and seminars with guests. It also   includes the use of Powerpoint slides as well as videos that will be discussed at class.

Assessment methods

The assessment will focus on the critical and methodological skills acquired by students and their ability to confront the texts and topics dealt with during the course.

For students who are doing the written test, assessment will be done through two parts:

- the written part will consist on two midterm exams with 3 open questions (60 minutes): the first one will focus on the book Sociologia e progettazione del territorio plus eventual material uploaded on IOL, the second one on the book Per una rinascita delle aree interne plus eventual material uploaded on IOL. Students who do not pass one or both midterms will have to repeat it/them through an oral talk in the exams after the end of the course (by September 2020).

- the oral part will consist on the book Villa Victoria in one of the exams after the end of the course (by September 2020). This part can be changed with the presentation at class of  teaworks (3-5 students). The research topics will be decided with the teacher in the first part of the course. This part will receive a note from 0 to 30. The final note will be the average between this one and the notes obtained in the two midterm exams.

The lesson of February 28 will be focused on group works. The groups must be formed directly by the students and communicated to the teacher by March 25 by e-mail, together with an abstract (2000-2500 characters including spaces) on the topic, the aim, the research tools and three bibliographical references. The work will be presented in one of the lessons between April 28 and May 8 (15-20 minutes per group plus 10-15 minutes of debate); all students in the group must be present and are requested to make a part of the presentation. The slides used for the presentation will be given to the teacher who will upload them on IOL to make them available to all the other students.

NB: If the average note results with decimals, it is rounded upwards (Example: 27.5 becomes 28).

For students who are not doing the midterm exams, assessment of learning will take place through an oral exams about the material mentioned in the section "Readings/Bibliography". Talks will take place during the exams after the end of the course.

 

Office hours

See the website of Gabriele Manella