Learning outcomes

The course aims at deepening some of the main theoretical developments of Durkhemian sociology.

Program

After having presented the main features of durkheimian sociology, the course will focus on two of the most original innovators of this theoretical tradition, i. e. Erving Goffman and Pierre Bourdieu. On one hand, drawing on Goffman, we will discuss the social processes of construction of individuality and those regarding the ritual order of social interaction. On the other hand, drawing on Bourdieu, we will take into consideration concepts such as those of habitus, fields, symbolic capital and symbolic violence.


Prerequisites:

To fully understand the contents of the course it is not requested any particular knowledge, except some general notions of history of modern and contemporary philosophy.


Contents:
What is social order? The Durkheim's answer
Social sanctions and moral sanctions
The coercive nature of social facts and the role of emotions regarding social solidarity
Civil society, the State, and social solidarity
Religion, rituality and social solidarity

Goffman
Being individual as a social fact;
the ritual construction of individuality: the face-work;
deference and demeanor as forms of self construction;
the ritual order and the social construction of reality;
the interaction order as a sui generis form of social order.

Bourdieu
The objectivism/subjectivism dilemma;
the interiorization of the social: the concept of habitus;
the exteriorization of the social: the concept of field;
the forms of capital: culture, economics, society symbols;
social order, social injustice and symbolic violence.

Examination Methods

The final exam will consist of a written test. The candidate will have to answer to 4 open questions in 2 hours of time. Three questions will deal with the topics presented and discussed during the course. The fourth question will try to elicit the critical analysis skills of the candidates. More clearly, the students will be asked to provide a personal reflection on some topics treated during the course (a comparison, a critical comment, an empirical exemplificaton, etc.)


EVALUATION CRITERIA:

- the degree of comprehension of the discipline;
- the degree of comprehension of the single concepts;
- the capacity of presenting theoretical problems;
- the mastery of the disciplinary lexicon;
- the capacity to connect different topics;
- The capacity to provide powerful empirical exemplification of the theoretical concepts discussed.