The course aims to provide students with an overview of the social organization of space and methods to study and anaylse it. Starting from urban, rural, and environmental sociology, various articulations of territory and their relevance to the analysis of diverse social phenomena will be addressed. In particular, the focus will be on the spatial dimension of inequalities and social change, showing the relationships between local and global processes, between micro dimensions (e.g., use of spaces, sociology of architecture) and macro dimensions (e.g., global value chains and spatial consequences).

The objective is to provide tools for the ecological analysis of social phenomena, building awareness of the spatial formation of social facts, both in the macro dimension of the world-system and in the microlocal dimension. The monographic section will primarily aim for an interdisciplinary comparison with design professions, highlighting the specific contribution of sociological analysis in the various phases of planning.

General Section

• Environment, territory, space, place, scale, network
• Urban, rural
• Social formations of/in space
• Ecological analysis
• The construction of boundaries and territorial identities
• The urban form
• Territorial inequalities, development, spatial justice
• Sustainability
• Mobility
• Governing territories

Monographic Section:

• Vulnerability, risks, disasters
• Globalization, development, marginal areas
• Cities, urbanization, social groups
• Policies and territorial planning

Knowledge and understanding: Understanding of the main sociological theoretical approaches to the spatial and environmental dimensions of social phenomena. This knowledge is to be acquired through reading reference texts, particularly handbooks, as well as through selected readings of some classic works on the subject.

Applied knowledge and understanding: Ability to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the course to conduct social research on the spatial dimension of social processes. These skills are acquired through simulations, exercises, and discussions of study texts in relation to specific research topics and current events.

Autonomy of judgment: Ability to critically analyze spatial social processes and the policies addressing them. These competencies are to be acquired through the discussion of study texts in relation to specific social problems (e.g., environmental risks, global value chains...) and current events and simulations.

Communication skills: mastering the discipline's jargon and using it correctly in context. These skills will be acquired through reading texts and during lessons, and they will be assessed during the examination interview.

Learning skills: Ability to navigate specialist literature, identifying thematic areas and sources for further study. These skills will be acquired through reading texts and during lessons, and they will be assessed during the examination interview.

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

The course includes 6 hours of remote teaching lessons, specifically to support those who cannot attend in person.

Teaching

Lectures will be conducted in-person (30 hours) and online (6 hours), with the support of ICT and audiovisual tools. On a voluntary basis and depending on the progress of ongoing projects, field research and action-research activities may be planned on the following topics:

• Use and redevelopment of urban spaces;
• Analysis of secondary data for planning and programming purposes;
• Analysis of socio-spatial transformation processes;
• Analysis of territorial resources and needs.

Innovative teaching methods

Labs, field visits

Attendance

At least three-quarters of the lecture hours. Individual study of the indicated texts. Participation in any additional seminars, beyond the classroom hours, is positively evaluated.

Course books

Attending students must study a total of 3 texts: one Handbook chosen from area (1) and two texts from area (2).

1. Handbooks

• G. Osti, Sociologia del territorio, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2010
  or
• G. Carrosio, A. Landi, Spazio, ambiente, territorio, Carocci, Roma, 2023

2. Monographic Section

• A. Agustoni, Città e sistemi mondo, Carocci, Roma, 2023
• M. Barbagli, M. Pisati, Dentro e fuori le mura. Città e gruppi sociali dal 1400 a oggi, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2012
• F. Barbera, D. Cersosimo, A. De Rossi (eds.), Contro i borghi, Donzelli, Roma, 2022
• A. Berritto, La città inventata. Un'esperienza di partecipazione urbana, PM edizioni, Varazze, 2021
• G. Carrosio, I margini al centro. L'Italia delle aree interne tra fragilità e innovazione, Donzelli, Roma, 2019
• L. Chiesi, Il doppio spazio dell’architettura. Ricerca sociologica e progettazione, Liguori, Napoli, 2016
• D. Ciaffi, S. Crivello, A. Mela, Le città contemporanee, Carocci, Roma, 2020
• P. Costa, Valutare l'architettura, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2014
• A. De Rossi (ed.), Riabitare l'Italia. Le aree interne tra abbandono e riconquiste, Donzelli, Roma, 2020 (Part one; Part two; one choice between Part three and Part four)
• A. De Rossi, G. Lupatelli, Rigenerazione urbana e territoriale, Donzelli, Roma, 2025
• M. Filandri, M. Olagnero, G. Semi, Casa dolce casa?, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2020
• A. Mela, S. Mugnano, D. Olori (eds.), Territori vulnerabili. Verso una nuova sociologia dei disastri italiana, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2017
• A. Mela, S. Mugnano (eds.), Il rischio ambientale, Carocci, Roma, 2025
• L. Kern, La città femminista, Treccani, Roma, 2021
• A. Lanzani, Rigenerazione urbana e territoriale al plurale, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2024
• E. Ostanel, Spazi fuori dal comune, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2018
• G. Semi, Gentrification. Tutte le città come Disneyland?, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2015
• P. Sendra, R. Sennett, Progettare il disordine, Treccani, Roma, 2022

Assessment

Oral examination. The discussion will focus on the study texts chosen by the students, with connections to current practices, experiences, and public debates.

The final grade will be determined by the knowledge of the various texts and the ability to anchor them to real or potential experiences. In particular, the following are highly appreciated in the exam and contribute to the evaluation:

• The ability to connect concepts, theories, approaches, and research in an organic and reasoned manner, spanning across different texts without pedantically repeating their contents.
• Mastery of the specialized disciplinary language.
• Participation in research activities and the ability to connect experiences and expert knowledge.

Attending students can also prepare a presentation based on a laboratory activity included in the course, which involves reading and critically reinterpretating at least 2 texts, also agreed upon with the instructor—even outside of those recommended for the exam. The presentation is illustrated in class during the last lesson of the course.

The final grade will be determined by the ability to use and coherently connect texts and experiences, as well as by communication effectiveness.

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

Individual study of the indicated texts. Supplementary seminars in blended mode; resources available on the blended learning platform.

Attendance

Individual study of the indicated texts. Participation in supplementary seminars in blended mode and the use of resources on the blended learning platform are particularly appreciated.

Course books

In addition to the texts assigned for attending students, non-attending students must study one of the following options

(a) five entries of their choice from the "Enciclopedia sociologica dei luoghi," edited by G. Nuvolati, Ledizioni, Milano (Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 - also available as ebooks that can be downloaded for free from the publisher's website after registration). Information about the project, entries, and volumes can be found here: Enciclopedia Sociologica dei Luoghi.

(b) G. De Carlo, L'architettura della partecipazione, Quodlibet, Macerata, 2015

Assessment

Oral examination. The discussion will focus on the study texts chosen by the students, with connections to current practices, experiences, and public debates.

The final grade will be determined by the knowledge of the various texts and the ability to anchor them to real or potential experiences. In particular, the following are highly appreciated in the exam and contribute to the evaluation:

• The ability to connect concepts, theories, approaches, and research in an organic and reasoned manner, spanning across different texts without pedantically repeating their contents.
• Mastery of the specialized disciplinary language.
• Participation in research activities and the ability to connect experiences and expert knowledge.

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.