90489 - Consumption, Sustainability and Social Innovation

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student:

• knows in depth the social aspects of consumption;
• possesses the tools to analyze and understand consumption practices in contemporary society together with its relation to the processes of globalization, individualization and accountability;
• possesses the theoretical and methodological tools to analyze the consumption in relation to sustainability (economic, environmental and social) and to the processes of social innovation.

Course contents

The course offers a framework on sociological theories of consumption from a cultural perspective updated to the most advanced theoretical perspectives and lines of research, with a focus on the study of practices, critical reflection on processes of consumer appropriation and creativity, and the challenges posed to consumption by the ecological and environmental crisis.

The course is structured in a first part focused on the presentation of the most advanced theoretical frameworks for the study of consumption in today's societies and a second part focused on the presentation of sociological research on consumption on issues of current relevance. In particular, the experiences of households and consumers in the field of food consumption in the face of the recent pandemic crisis will be explored, and insights into the relationship between consumption and social and environmental sustainability will be offered.

The course is completed with a third part focused on practical exercises in the field of social research, particularly through the use of qualitative research techniques (interviews, focus groups, participant observation, visual sociology) to study forms of social innovation in the field of consumption, such as collaborative consumption or different forms of sufficiency. Non-attending students who do not conduct the practical research exercise will bring supplementary study materials in place of those provided for attending students.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Sassatelli R., Consumo, cultura e società, il Mulino, Bologna, 2004.
2. Bartoletti R., Paltrinieri R., Parmiggiani P. (a cura di),Pratiche di consumo alla prova del Covid-19, FrancoAngeli, Milano 2022, Open access document available on: https://www.francoangeli.it/Libro/Pratiche-di-consumo-alla-prova-del-Covid-19?Id=28276 (for students attending only the first 3 chapters)
3. 6 articles of your choice from the following (for students attending only 3 articles).

• Bartoletti R., Consumi, sostenibilità ed etica ambientale, in Bordoli R. (a cura di), Etica ambientale, Prospettive di ricerca, Castelvecchi, Roma, pp. 147-160, 2022.
• Khamis, S. (2019). The aestheticization of restraint: The popular appeal of de-cluttering after the global financial crisis. Journal of Consumer Culture, 19(4), 513-531. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540519872071
• Persson, O., & Klintman, M. (2022). Framing sufficiency: Strategies of environmental non-governmental organisations towards reduced material consumption. Journal of Consumer Culture, 22(2), 515–533. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540521990857
• Sahakian, M., & Wilhite, H. (2014). Making practice theory practicable: Towards more sustainable forms of consumption. Journal of Consumer Culture, 14(1), 25–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540513505607
• Wilk R., Bottled water. The pure commodity in the age of branding, in The Journal of Consumer Culture, 6(3), 2006, pp. 303-325.
• Bartoletti R. e Cecchelin G., “What pets want”. Le relazioni tra umani e animali nella comunicazione del pet food, in Sociologia della comunicazione, n. 52, 2016, pp. 28-49.
• Bartoletti R., Cecchelin G., Narrazioni e pratiche della natura in città: gli orti urbani tra cortili e foreste domestiche, in "Studi culturali" n. 1, aprile, 2016, pp. 39-60.
• Bartoletti R., Giannini L., Perché devo dire qual è il mio orientamento sessuale se voglio farmi semplicemente una vacanza. L’esperienza dei giovani turisti non eterosessuali italiani, in Fuori Luogo, Vol. 5 N.1/2019, 2019, pp. 9-25.
• Additional articles/materials mentioned in class on consumption and sustainability.

Teaching methods

Additional articles/materials mentioned in class on consumption and sustainability.

Assessment methods

The verification of learning will take place using an individual oral interview based on the reference texts for the examination and the practical social research exercise, aimed at assessing both the student's learning of the content and his or her ability to elaborate and argue.

The student's possession of excellent critical and in-depth skills, the ability to link together the main themes addressed in the course, and the use of appropriate language concerning the specificity of the discipline, will result in excellent grades.

The student's possession of a mnemonic knowledge of the contents, a discrete critical capacity and ability to connect the topics covered, and the use of appropriate language will result in fair marks.

Sufficient assessments will result from: the presence of some educational gaps, but attainment of a minimal knowledge of the topics covered; the use of inappropriate language.

The following will result in negative assessments: the absence of critical capacity, difficulties in orientation about the topics addressed in the examination texts, educational gaps, and the use of inappropriate language.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint presentations

Office hours

See the website of Roberta Bartoletti