Sociology

ANDREA BELLINI

A first objective of the course is to help students understand the main professional fields in which sociologists work. Through examples, case studies, and testimonies, the course aims to show how sociology is applied in a wide range of settings—from social research to welfare, from public policy to organizations, from the third sector to consultancy—and how the role of the sociologist varies depending on the institutional and organizational contexts in which they operate.

A second objective is to develop students’ ability to recognize the specific contribution of sociological knowledge in different work settings. In this respect, the course seeks to show that sociology does not simply provide technical tools, but above all a way of observing and interpreting social phenomena that makes it possible to analyze problems, processes, and relationships systematically, even in complex operational situations.

The course also aims to foster familiarity with the work practices of sociologists, understood as sets of recurring activities that characterize different professional fields. These include the ability to analyze institutional and organizational contexts, read and interpret documents and projects, take part in teamwork and multidisciplinary groups, and contribute to the production of materials intended for different audiences, such as reports, papers, and presentations.

A further educational objective concerns the development of transferable skills that are central to the work of sociologists and to highly qualified professions more generally. The course seeks to strengthen students’ ability to work collaboratively, argue for their positions, communicate appropriately according to context, and adopt a reflective attitude toward their own role within an organization or a project.

Finally, the course is intended to encourage thoughtful reflection on each student’s individual educational path and on the professional opportunities opened up by the study of sociology.

Taken together, these objectives are intended to make the laboratory a learning space in which students can develop an understanding of sociology both as an applied discipline and as a profession, while also providing a meaningful framework within which to situate the teachings offered throughout the degree program.

No requisite is required.

The course is conceived as a pathway accompanying students toward the “craft of the sociologist,” aimed at those who are just entering university and beginning the study of sociology. They do so with an implicit question: what does a sociologist actually do? The ambition of the course is to address this question starting from work practices, showing how sociology is a discipline that produces knowledge, but also a profession that operates within organizations, institutions, services, and local communities.

The aim is not simply to provide a map of sociological professions, but to help students become familiar with the sociologist’s way of thinking and working, and to understand how sociological concepts take shape in concrete activities. In this way, they may navigate more confidently the troubled waters that lead from university studies to the world of work.

Consistent with these aims, the course is organized in a laboratory format and adopts experiential learning methods through collaborative activities and moments of discussion. From this perspective, lectures will be limited and designed to provide the basic tools needed to engage with the proposed activities. Considerable space will instead be devoted to classroom exercises and collective discussion.

A central element of the course is the contribution of sociologists and professionals working in different fields. These encounters do not serve a merely informative or guidance-oriented function; rather, they are integrated into the teaching process. Drawing on the experiences presented, students will be invited to reflect on the skills required, the organizational constraints involved, the margins of professional autonomy, and the ethical responsibilities of the sociologist.

Overall, the course seeks to foster a process of socialization into the profession, understood as a specific way of looking at social reality. In this sense, it does not ask students to decide prematurely “what they want to be when they grow up,” but invites them instead to recognize sociology as an intellectual and professional practice that is built over time through study, experience, and engagement with others.

Facchini C. (Ed.) (2015), Fare i sociologi. Una professione plurale tra ricerca e operatività, Bologna, Il Mulino (available on Darwinbooks, accessible with Idem).*

* Study of the textbook is compulsory for non-attending students, as it is preparatory to carrying out the activities required for obtaining the pass mark; however, reading is also recommended for attending students, although it is not formally assessed, since the topics covered are addressed during the course and are largely explored through experiential learning.

What follows is a list of additional readings, all available online, which are recommended for further study. Further reading suggestions may also be provided by the instructor during the course.
• Agnoli M.S. (2013), Formazione metodologica e professionalizzazione della Sociologia, in “Sociologia Italiana”, 1: 155-166 (available online).
• Argentin G., Decataldo A., Fullin G. (2015), Gli esiti occupazionali dei laureati in Sociologia, in “Sociologia Italiana”, 6: 115-128 (available online).
• Barone C. (2013), “Che lavoro fa un sociologo?”. Gli esiti occupazionali dei laureati in Sociologia (e qualche proposta per contenere i danni), in “Sociologia Italiana”, 1: 141-154 (available online).
• Di Santo R., Giarelli G., Mascagni G. (2024), Come l’araba fenice? I sociologi nel Servizio Sanita-rio Nazionale, Milano, FrancoAngeli (available online).
• Facchini C., Pennisi C. (2021), Su alcuni caratteri dell’offerta formativa della sociologia in Italia, in “Quaderni di Sociologia”, 85: 145-154 (available online).
• Luciano A. (2013), Professione sociologo: c’è un futuro per i laureati in Sociologia?, in “Sociologia Italiana”, 1: 133-134 (available online).
• Santoro M. (2007), Per una Sociologia professionale e riflessiva (solo così anche pubblica), in “Sociologica”, 1: 1-19 (available online).
• Sciarrone R. (2011), La Sociologia studia ancora la società?, in “Rassegna Italiana di Sociologia”, 4: 639-679 (available on Rivisteweb, accessible with Idem).
• Siza R. (2013), La professione del sociologo tra sviluppo e diffusione della Sociologia, in “Sociologia Italiana”, 1, pp. 167-181 (available online).

The course is designed to foster active and reflective learning, especially given that it is offered in the first year of the degree programme.
Lectures will be limited and will serve mainly an introductory and framing function. Their purpose will therefore be to provide concepts, interpretive categories, and useful points of reference for understanding the proposed activities and for guiding classroom work.

A central role will be played by testimonies from sociologists and professionals working in different fields. These meetings are an integral part of the teaching pathway and will be accompanied by classroom activities inviting students to reflect on the experiences presented, and to consider professional roles, the skills required, and the organizational contexts within which sociologists work.

Classroom exercises are designed as simple, guided analytical activities aimed at familiarizing students with some recurring dimensions of the sociologist’s work. In particular, the activities will focus on the exploratory analysis of basic statistical data from official sources, as well as on the examination of professional profiles and requirements in different work settings, including through the reading of job advertisements aimed at sociology graduates. These activities are intended to identify recurring patterns and differences in the language used and in the ways sociological skills are valued across different employment contexts.

Part of the activities will be carried out with the support of digital tools, including ChatGPT, used as a means of exploration, comparison, and critical re-elaboration under the guidance of the instructor. The use of these tools will always be accompanied by reflection on their potential and their limits, particularly in relation to the intellectual and professional work of the sociologist.

Group work will be used to compare interpretations, discuss results, and produce short collective presentations. The instructor will support these activities by providing practical guidance, encouraging questions, and helping students connect what emerges to the different professional fields.

Regular attendance and active participation, while not formally compulsory, are essential components of the learning experience and are therefore strongly recommended. The course is structured in a laboratory format and bases its teaching approach on classroom activities.

Attending students

For students who wish to be considered attending students, the award of the pass mark is conditional upon compliance with the following requirements:
• attendance of at least 75% of class hours (36 out of 48 hours), verified through systematic attendance recording;
• participation in classroom activities, which will be monitored and assessed by the instructor;
• submission of a short individual report on the work carried out and the skills acquired.

In the absence of the minimum attendance requirement and/or adequate participation in teaching activities, it will not be possible to obtain the pass mark as an attending student.

Non-attending students

Students who do not intend to qualify as attending students may obtain the pass mark by taking a written test during one of the scheduled exam sessions. Access to the test is conditional upon completion of a structured individual pathway defined by the instructor (see Examination methods).

The activities required of non-attending students are designed to demand autonomous and responsible engagement and are not intended as a replication of the activities carried out in class. Completion of the alternative pathway is a necessary condition for obtaining the pass mark.

The use of digital tools, including generative artificial intelligence systems (e.g. ChatGPT or Gemini), is permitted as support for the work, but it must be declared and may not replace the completion of the required activities. The instructor reserves the right not to award the pass mark in the case of work that cannot be attributed to an adequate level of personal effort.

Assessment is aimed at evaluating the extent to which the course learning objectives have been achieved. In line with the laboratory-based nature of the course, assessment does not take place through traditional written or oral examinations, but through evaluation of the work carried out by students throughout the course.

For attending students, assessment is based on attendance and active participation in classroom activities.

For non-attending students, assessment takes place through a written test, access to which is conditional upon completion of the structured individual pathway, available on Moodle.

For further information on the activities to be completed, please consult the document “Examination Methods,” available on the course Moodle page.

Final assessment is expressed on a pass/fail basis.

For non-attending students, the written test on Facchini’s text will consist exclusively of closed-ended questions.