This course aims to  provide you with an understanding of

1. the interface between politics and society and of the forms it takes;

2. the key concepts involved;

3. how sociologists have organized the study of politics into conceptual frameworks, and how each of these frameworks foster a sociological perspective on power and politics in society;

4. how these frameworks can be applied to understanding current issues and other "real life" aspects of politics.

Learning Outcomes: What Will You Learn?

Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of the course, you will understand:

1. the main themes explored by political sociologists and their relevance for an understanding of emergent issues in the politics of the twenty-first century;

2. core concepts and reserch in political sociology;

3. the conceptual frameworks and theoretical perspectives sociologists and political scientists have brought to bear on their understanding of power and politics in society;

4. how these frameworks and perspectives can help us to understand a range of political and social issues salient in the politics of the twenty-first century.

5. The conncections between power, politics and society and how esential these are for an understanding of the world we live in.

Skills

Through presentations you will learn to manage time pressure, and make concise explanation of your arguments. In addition, you will be able to:

1. Cultivate inter-personal skills

2. Perform your oral and written communication skills

3. Demonstrate the development of research skills.

4. Demonstrate subject specific research techniques

5. Apply a range of methodologies to complex political problems

By writing your essay you will develop your critical capacities to assess both political and documentary evidence, and to make written arguments in a coherent, structured and persuasive way.

In addition, the course will encourage you to:

1. Engage with both analytical concepts and factual content of the topics covered

2. Discuss such concepts and to contribute to seminar discussion on the topic

3. Present concepts and analysis in written and verbal form

4. Collate and use a number of sources as an intellectual basis for your analysis

5. Research and produce written work    

No bridging courses

Knowledge and understanding: knowledge of the different forms of and perspectives on power; ability to understand the nature of the state and its interaction with society, culture, political forces, and institutional arrangements; knowledge of how private concerns connect to public issues; knowledge of the various types of political participation including voting, movements and terrorism.

Applied knowledge and understanding: ability to offer an initial interpretation of the ways in which individuals, political groups, the state, and other elements of the public sphere all come together in the contest for power.

Autonomy of judgment: ability to offer personal interpretations and considerations that show autonomy of judgment in relation to the material considered during the course, particularly with regard to the power individuals have to shape the political and social events of the day.

Communication skills: ability to express the knowledge acquired with adequate sociological and political-science language, following argumentative pathsways proper to the logic of the social sciences.

Learning ability: ability independently to extend and deepen the knowledge acquired during the course, subsequently addressing paths of theoretical reflection and research.

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

Upon request, the lecturer will provide individualized support activities.

Teaching

Lectures, with the use of slides that the teacher will make available on the Moodle platform 'blended.uniurb.it'; workshops; classroom debates on specific topics.

Attendance

75% of the lectures must be attended in order to take the exam as an 'attendee'.

Course books

Materials that the lecturer will make available to attending students during the course.

The following textbook is recommended for support: Dobratz, Betty A., Lisa K. Waldner and Timothy Buzzell (2019), Power, Politics and Society: An Introduction to Political Sociology, London and New York: Routledge.

Assessment

The attainment of the formative objectives by attending students will be established through the writing by each of them of a short essay (2,500 to 3,500 words) written in English or Italian, pertaining to a topic of the course; for the preparation of the essay the lecturer will provide specific materials.

In particular, the following aspects will be checked and evaluated:
- relevance of the answers in relation to the programme content;
- level of articulation of the answer and depth of knowledge of the topic concerned;
- appropriateness of the language used.

Evaluation criteria and scores are determined according to the following scale:

less than 18/30: insufficient level of proficiency. The student does not achieve any of the learning outcomes under "knowledge and understanding";
18-20/30: sufficient level of proficiency. The student/student specifically achieves the learning outcomes stipulated under "knowledge and understanding";
21-23/30: fully sufficient level of competence. The student/student achieves, in particular, the learning outcomes stipulated under "knowledge and understanding" and "applied knowledge and understanding";
24-26/30: proficiency level: good. The student achieves, in particular, the learning outcomes stipulated under the points "knowledge and understanding"; "applied knowledge and understanding", and "autonomy of judgment";
27-29/30: very good level of competence. The student specifically achieves the learning outcomes stipulated under the items "knowledge and understanding"; "applied knowledge and understanding"; "autonomy of judgment", and "communication skills";
30-30 cum laude: excellent level of proficiency. The student fully achieves the learning outcomes stipulated in the items "knowledge and understanding"; "applied knowledge and understanding"; "autonomy of judgment"; "communication skills" and "learning ability".

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

Dedicated tutoring for online supplementary education will be offered to all nonattending students.

Attendance

Not applicable. Students will be expected to study the materials that will be indicated as useful for passing the examination.

Course books

Materials that the lecturer will make available to students, via the Moodle platform, during the course.

The following textbook is recommended for support: Dobratz, Betty A., Lisa K. Waldner and Timothy Buzzell (2019), Power, Politics and Society: An Introduction to Political Sociology, London and New York: Routledge.

Assessment

The attainment of the formative objectives by attending students will be established through the writing by each of them of a short essay (2,500 to 3,500 words) written in English or Italian, pertaining to a topic of the course; for the preparation of the essay the lecturer will provide specific materials.

In particular, the following aspects will be checked and evaluated:
- relevance of the answers in relation to the programme content;
- level of articulation of the answer and depth of knowledge of the topic concerned;
- appropriateness of the language used.

Evaluation criteria and scores are determined according to the following scale:

less than 18/30: insufficient level of proficiency. The student does not achieve any of the learning outcomes under "knowledge and understanding";
18-20/30: sufficient level of proficiency. The student/student specifically achieves the learning outcomes stipulated under "knowledge and understanding";
21-23/30: fully sufficient level of competence. The student/student achieves, in particular, the learning outcomes stipulated under "knowledge and understanding" and "applied knowledge and understanding";
24-26/30: proficiency level: good. The student achieves, in particular, the learning outcomes stipulated under the points "knowledge and understanding"; "applied knowledge and understanding", and "autonomy of judgment";
27-29/30: very good level of competence. The student specifically achieves the learning outcomes stipulated under the items "knowledge and understanding"; "applied knowledge and understanding"; "autonomy of judgment", and "communication skills";
30-30 cum laude: excellent level of proficiency. The student fully achieves the learning outcomes stipulated in the items "knowledge and understanding"; "applied knowledge and understanding"; "autonomy of judgment"; "communication skills" and "learning ability".

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.

The lecturer will respond to student emails that come from their university address, with the extension: @campus.uniurb.it