This class is aimed to provide students with an overview of the relevance of a spatial understanding of social phenomena, with a focus on rescaling processes and socio-spatial relations. In particular, a special attention will be devoted to social change and space in globalization processes, in the creation of spatial unevenness and social risks (including those labelled as "environmental").
The aim is to provide tools for an ecological analysis of social phenomena, raising awareness on the spatial formation of social facts, both at the macro- and micro-level.

General section
Territory, space, place
Social form of/in space
The ecological analysis
Boundary-making and local identities
Spatial unevenness and local development
Mobility
Governing places

Special section: vulnerability, risks and space
Globalization, marginal areas and global value chains
The many forms of territorial vulnerability: environmental risks, migrations, development

None.

Knowledge and understanding: knowledge of main theoretical approaches to spatial analysis and of main social processes related to spatial phenomena. Such knowledge and understanding has to be achieved by studying suggested literature.

Applying knowledge and understanding: critical analysis of spatial social processes and policies. Skills to be achieved with discussion on the relation between literature, recent events and exercises

Skills: using knowledge and understanding above to define research and practice on the spatial dimension of social processes. Skills to be achieved via simulations and exercises

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

A set of seminars on specific topics may be agreed with students at the beginning of the lessons

Teaching

Frontal lessons, with the support of ICT and audiovisuals.

During the lessons, supplementary materials will be given, that may partly substitute reference literature.

On a voluntary basis and according to available projects, students can be involved in fieldwork researches on:

- use and reuse of urban spaces;
- urban policies focussing on cultural diversity;
- analysis of secondary data for planning;
- analysis of spatial segregation processes

Attendance

Attend 3/4 of lesson hours. Studying reference literature: it is possible to arrange an individualized programme or to write a short essay substituting reference literature. The essay must be written in autonomy and studying a minimum of three books; a plagiarism checker will be used.

Course books

Students attending lessions have to study a total of 3 books: the handbook (1) and two books chosen in different lists under section (2) below (e.g.: a book from list a. and one from list b., or a book from list a. and one from list c., etc.)

1) Handbook
- G. Osti, Sociologia del territorio, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2010

2) Specific topics

a. Environment, risks, space
- U. Beck, Conditio humana. Il rischio nell'età globale, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2008
- A. Mela, S. Mugnano, D. Olori (a cura di), Territori vulnerabili. Verso una nuova sociologia dei disastri italiana, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2017
- J.W. Moore, Antropocene o capitalocene? Scenari di ecologia-mondo nella crisi planetaria, Ombre corte, Verona, 2017
- P. Saitta (a cura di), Fukushima, Concordia e altre macerie. Vita quotidiana, resistenza e gestione del disastro, editpress, Firenze, 2015

b. Globalization, economy and space
- N. Brenner, Stato, spazio, urbanizzazione, Guerini, Milano, 2016
- C. Colloca, A. Corrado (a cura di), La globalizzazione delle campagne. Migranti e società rurali nel Sud Italia, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2013
- L. Greco, Capitalismo e sviluppo nelle catene globali del valore, Carocci, Roma, 2016
- Urban@it, Quarto Rapporto sulle città. Il governo debole delle economie urbane, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2019

c. Spatial unevenness
- A. De Rossi (a cura di), Riabitare l'Italia. Le aree interne tra abbondono e riconquiste, Donzelli, Roma, 2019 (Parte prima; parte seconda; una a scelta fra parte terza e parte quarta)
- G. Carrosio, I margini al centro. L'Italia delle aree interne tra fragilità e innovazione, Donzelli, Roma, 2019
- M. Oberti, E. Préteceille, La segregazione urbana, Aracne, Roma, 2017

Assessment

Oral exam, with a discussion on reference literature and their relation with practices, experiences, recent events and debates

Students are particularly appreciated when:
- they study books in foreign languages
- they show to be able to connect different concepts, theories, researches
- they take part into research activities, and are able to connect knowledge and experience
- the proficiency in professional lingo

For those writing an essay, the exam will focus on its discussion. The essay must be around 15 pages long, and must imply the study and analysis of a minimum of three books (to be agreed with the lecturer). The essay must be delivered at least 10 days before the exam.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Studying suggested literature

Attendance

Studying reference literature: it is possible to arrange an individualized programme substituting reference literature.

Course books

Besides the same literature foreseen for students regularly atting lessons, those not attending or attending irregularly must study one of the following:

- F. Barca, Disuguaglianze territoriali e bisogno sociale. La sfida delle "aree interne", Fondazione Ermanno Guerrieri, Modena, 2015 (available: http://www.fondazionegorrieri.it/index.php/pubblicazioni/opuscoli-e-lettura-gorrieri/item/lettura-2015)
- G. Viesti, Verso la secessione dei ricchi? Autonomie regionali e unità nazionale, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2019 (available: https://www.laterza.it/index.php?option=com_laterza&Itemid=97&task=schedalibro&isbn=9788858136430)

Assessment

Oral exam, with a discussion on reference literature and their relation with practices, experiences, recent events and debates

Students are particularly appreciated when:
- they study books in foreign languages
- they show to be able to connect different concepts, theories, researches
- they take part into research activities, and are able to connect knowledge and experience 
- the proficiency in professional lingo

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Students can request to sit the final exam in English, Spanish or French with an alternative programme.

The lecturer is available to supervise students in their traineeship activities, if consistent with programme topics