Statistics, Economics, and Social Sciences

Learning goals The Course aims to introduce students to the analysis of the main social phenomena characterizing the contemporary society, highlighting the change processes as well as the aspects of innovation they are concerned with. A special focus will be devoted to the issues of globalization and inequality; migration and integration processes; education an employment; technological innovation and communication, according to a gender and generational perspective. Finally, both the analysis and the interpretation of these phenomena will be accompanied by some key methodological issues rooted in different theoretical approaches and paradigms. Knowledge and understanding At the end of the Course, students will know the main theories and methodological approach to analyse social phenomena. They will learn the main schools of the classical (the positivism of A. Comte and E. Durkheim, the historical materialism of K. Marx, the comprehensive sociology of M. Weber) as well as the contemporary (the culturalism, the School of Chicago, the functionalism of T. Parsons, the structuralism, the sociology of A. Touraine, the School of Francoforte, the methodological individualism, the habitus of P. Bourdieu) sociological thought. Hence, they will learn the different interpretive perspectives of society, of the socialization processes, of the social change, of employment and education, of family structures, and group dynamics (social, political). This knowledge will enable students to both understand some complex social phenomena and formulate appropriate research questions. Applying knowledge and understanding The knowledge acquired enables students to apply theoretical schemes to complex social phenomena, traducing them in concrete research questions, defining objectives and working hypothesis. Moreover, the sociological fundamentals will provide students with the knowledge needed for an in depth interpretation of statistical data related to complex social phenomena. Making judgements Students are constantly involved in active class-work sessions. Indeed, the teaching method aims at encouraging all students, individually or in group, to analyse and critically comment/interpret socio-demographic data of official statistics, in order to develop capacity of synthesis and evaluation with respect to the issues proposed by the lecturer. Communication skills The working group and the presentation/discussion of the results of the class activities (comment and interpretation of statistical data and reports) contribute to both the development of communication skills and the acquisition of the specific scientific technical language of the discipline. Learning skills The sociological fundamentals acquired during the course will enable students to easily identify further references for an in depth study of those topics of personal interest.