The course aims to reflect on contemporary consumption, providing students with the tools they need to observe them from the point of view of practices. Shedding light on social practices means questioning how they emerge, transform or disappear, understanding their evolution and persistence. The focus on practices provides an effective key to understanding social change, addressing issues of consumption choices and public policy, particularly at a time when collective choices related to environmental sustainability are becoming even more pressing.

• Understanding the sociological context of critical and sustainable consumption
• Analyzing the concept of practice
• Consumption as practice
• Acquiring the tools of practice theory
• Designing research on practices
• Analyzing a case study: repair events and the fixer movement

1. Knowledge and understanding: students should understand the basics of practice theory, understand what practices are and what conceptual tools to use to observe them.

1.1.  Students reach these basic knowledge attending lessons, studying mentioned textbooks and case histories shown in class.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding: students should be able to apply the acquired knowledge to the analysis of contemporary consumption practices

2.2. Students reach these skills by laboratory activities during class hours.

3. Making informed judgments: students should be able to present and discuss the issues and concepts presented in the course.

3.1. Students reach and demonstrate these skills during debates with the Professor and with the class, during laboratory activities and during the preparation of the final exam.

4. Communication skills: students should have the necessary communication skills and basic competence in the specialist language of the discipline.

4.1. Students reach these skills organizing discussions, excercises and presentations.

5. Learning skills: students have to adopt a critical approach while studying in order to connect theoretical knowledge with empirical analysis.

5.1. Students strengthen these skills debating with the Professor and the rest of the class. 

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

Teaching

Lectures, presentations of case histories, team works and laboratory activities.  

Attendance

Students must take part to at least the 3/4 of the classes

Study of assigned readings

Course books

• Forno Francesca; Graziano Paolo R. (2016) Il consumo critico, il Mulino, Bologna
• Giannini Lorenzo (2017) Repair events and the fixer movement. Fixing the world one repair at a time, in Day Amber (ed.) DIY Utopia. Cultural imagination and the remaking of the possible, Lanham, MD, pp. 63-84
• Warde Alan (2017) “Chapter 4.2. Towards a formal definition of consumption” in Alan Warde “Consumption. A Sociological Analysis”, Palgrave MacMIllan, pp. 66-78

An essay of your choice from the following:

• Domaneschi, Lorenzo (2016) Boards don’t hit back. Etnografia della pratica del wushu kung fu, in "Etnografia e ricerca qualitativa", 3, settembre-dicembre, 473-496
• Gram-Hanssen, Kirsten (2009) Standby Consumption in households analysed with a practice theory approach, in "Journal of industrial ecology", 14,1, pp. 150-165
• Magaudda, Paolo (2008) Cosa intendiamo quando parliamo di «pratiche tecnologiche»? Appropriazione delle tecnologie, processi di consumo e «teoria della pratica», Paper presentato al II Convegno nazionale STS, Catturare Proteo. Tecnoscienza e società della conoscenza in Europa, Genova, 19-21 Giugno 2008, pp. 1-21
• Shove, Elizabeth; Pantzar, Mika (2005) Consumers, Producers and Practices. Understanding the invention and reinvention of Nordic walking, in "Journal of consumer culture", 5, 1, pp. 43-64
• Warde, Alan (2004) La normalità del mangiar fuori, in "Rassegna italiana di sociologia", 4, ottobre-dicembre, pp. 493-518

All essays and articles (apart from Forno; Graziano "Il consumo critico") will be available on the blended platform

Assessment

The exam will be held through an individual interview based on textbooks suggested. The aim is to evaluate both student's comprehension of the content and his ability in reworking concepts and in argumenting. 

Excellent grades will be given in presence of: a good critical perspective and in depth study; knowing how to link among them the main subjects addressed during the course; the use of an appropriate language.

Good grades will be given in presence of:  good mnemonic knowledge of the contents; a relatively good critical perspective and connection skills related to the treated topics; the use of appropriate language.

Sufficient grades will be given in presence of: the achievement of a minimal knowledge on the treated themes, even in presence of some gaps; the use of a not appropriate language.

Negative grades will be given in presence of: a difficult orientation related to the the treated topics; knowledge gaps; the use of a not appropriate language.

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.

Course books

• Forno Francesca; Graziano Paolo R. (2016) Il consumo critico, il Mulino, Bologna
• Giannini Lorenzo (2017) Repair events and the fixer movement. Fixing the world one repair at a time, in Day Amber (ed.) DIY Utopia. Cultural imagination and the remaking of the possible, Lanham, MD, pp. 63-84
• Warde Alan (2017) “Chapter 4.2. Towards a formal definition of consumption” in Alan Warde “Consumption. A Sociological Analysis”, Palgrave MacMIllan, pp. 66-78.

Non-attending student must add 3 articles of their choice from the following:

• Domaneschi, Lorenzo (2016) Boards don’t hit back. Etnografia della pratica del wushu kung fu, in "Etnografia e ricerca qualitativa", 3, settembre-dicembre, 473-496
• Gram-Hanssen, Kirsten (2009) Standby Consumption in households analysed with a practice theory approach, in "Journal of industrial ecology", 14,1, pp. 150-165
• Magaudda, Paolo (2008) Cosa intendiamo quando parliamo di «pratiche tecnologiche»? Appropriazione delle tecnologie, processi di consumo e «teoria della pratica», Paper presentato al II Convegno nazionale STS, Catturare Proteo. Tecnoscienza e società della conoscenza in Europa, Genova, 19-21 Giugno 2008, pp. 1-21
• Shove, Elizabeth; Pantzar, Mika (2005) Consumers, Producers and Practices. Understanding the invention and reinvention of Nordic walking, in "Journal of consumer culture", 5, 1, pp. 43-64
• Warde, Alan (2004) La normalità del mangiar fuori, in "Rassegna italiana di sociologia", 4, ottobre-dicembre, pp. 493-518

All essays and articles (apart from Forno; Graziano "Il consumo critico") will be available on the blended platform

Assessment

The exam will be held through an individual interview based on textbooks suggested. The aim is to evaluate both student's comprehension of the content and his ability in reworking concepts and in argumenting. 

Excellent grades will be given in presence of: a good critical perspective and in depth study; knowing how to link among them the main subjects addressed during the course; the use of an appropriate language.

Good grades will be given in presence of:  good mnemonic knowledge of the contents; a relatively good critical perspective and connection skills related to the treated topics; the use of appropriate language.

Sufficient grades will be given in presence of: the achievement of a minimal knowledge on the treated themes, even in presence of some gaps; the use of a not appropriate language.

Negative grades will be given in presence of: a difficult orientation related to the the treated topics; knowledge gaps; the use of a not appropriate language.

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.