29220 - Sociology of Social Services

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to: - know and analyze, from a micro-sociological point of view, the everyday interactions between social operators and users within the local social services; - analyze territorial needs and identify resources (personal, family, network, local community) to support intervention strategies.

Course contents

The first part of this course is aimed to:

• present some basic conceptual tools to study social services within the context of welfare policies;
• propose some interpretation points to explain the development of social services and welfare systems in the xx and xxi century.

The second part will focus on the changes of users who daily interact with social services. The generalization of insecurity and the processes of impoverishment and social vulnerability, indeed, put social workers in front of users whose needs cannot be reduced to target groups defined by administrative rules. These users pose a new challenge to social work.

The third part will propose some reflections about discretionary spaces and their use by social workers. A particular attention will be paid to personal experiences of those who suffer difficult situations as well as their relation with social services.

Readings/Bibliography

Compulsory bibliography for the final exam:

1) Y. Kazepov - D. Carbone, Che cos'è il welfare state, Carocci, Roma, 2007.

2) Attending students: R. Castel, Incertezze crescenti. Lavoro, cittadinanza, individuo, Editrice Socialmente, Bologna, 2015;

Non-attending students: R. Castel, L'insicurezza sociale, Einaudi, Torino, 2003.

3) M. Bergamaschi, Ripensare la città. Senza dimora e servizio sociale, FrancoAngeli, Milano, 2017 (Available in the bookstores from the last week of October)

Teaching methods

Lecturesand seminars.

Assessment methods

The final exam will consist on checking the achievement of the following learning objectives:

1. Knowing how to recognize the basic elements of this discipline;

2. Knowing the history of sociological debate about work;

3. Knowing how to identify and analyze main characteristics of social intervention in a sociological perspective;

4. Knowing how to use the most important interpretation concepts introduced during the course.

For students who attend lectures, a midterm test will be done approximately in the first week of November. In this case, the final grade will be an arithmetic average between the midterm test and the oral part. A good note will be given to students who are able to orient themselves within the course bibliography, who have an organic view of the course issues, a proficient oral expression and language skills.

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Teaching tools

Slides, films and documentaries

Office hours

See the website of Maurizio Bergamaschi