Learning outcomes

The aims of the course are:
- to present the main concepts of sociology, paying special attention to strategies and main subjects of sociological research and referring particularly to Italian society features;
- to present a systematic introduction to techniques of structural analysis, known also well as techniques of social network analysis, first presenting their theoretical roots and secondly dealing with the relational concept of social phenomena;
- to examine two subjects particularly relevant in education: amoral familism, and school social capital. These concepts will be presented through the analysis of some empirical researches, that show operational strategies for the practical use of the social network analysis.
At the end of the taught course, students must be able to:
(i) define the most important concepts and issues for sociology with special reference to those regarding the fields of action of the educational services;
(ii) use the acquired theoretical approaches to read social phenomena and be able to effectively define the most important characteristics of relational contexts, namely social networks;
(iii) use their acquired abilities to make autonomous use of data regarding social contexts and analyse the characteristics of social networks, in particular in the educational field;
(iv) describe their own objects of theoretical attention with proficiency, methodological precision and command of terminology;
(v) use the acquired abilities, in terms of strategies for analysis and obtaining information, to confidently study the social aspect of educational phenomena.

Program

To achieve the learning outcomes, the course will take shape over the following three-part syllabus:


First part:

1. Introduction to sociology;
2. Culture;
3. Social structure;
4. Socialization;
5. Social interaction;
6. Organizations;
7. Deviance and social control;
8. Community and urban life;
9. Inequality, stratification and social classes;
10. Ethnic inequality;
11. Gender and inequality;
12. Age and inequality;
13. Family;
14. Education;
15. Religion;
16. Economy and society;
17. Political system;
18. Population dynamics;
19. Collective behaviour and social movements;
20. Social and cultural change.


Second part:

1. Definition and utility of social network analysis;
2. Theoretical roots of social network analysis;
3. Social relation and its operationalization;
4. Methods for the data collection and organization;
5. Graphic representation of data;
6. Graph Theory;
7. Matrix representation of data;
8. Centrality and centralization of graphs;
9. Methods and techniques for partition of graphs;
10. Methods for reduction of graphs;
11. Positions, roles and structural equivalence;
12. Limits and prospects of development for social network analysis.


Third part:

1. The relational paradigms of social research: relational sociology, and social network analysis;
2. The joint use of the research methodologies;
3. The relational analysis of amoral familism;
4. The relational analysis of school social capital.


The syllabus will be presented analytically in frontal lectures. All topics in the syllabus can be found in the following reference books:
1) For the first part of the syllabus: N.J. Smelser, Manuale di sociologia, Bologna, il Mulino, 2011 (all).
2) For the second part of the syllabus: A.M. Chiesi, L’analisi dei reticoli, Milano, FrancoAngeli, 1999 (except the Appendix).
3) For the third part of the syllabus: L. Tronca, Sociologia relazionale e social network analysis. Analisi delle strutture sociali, Milano, FrancoAngeli, 2013 (all).

Examination Methods

The examination aims to check the skills acquired by students. The content of the syllabus will be assessed. The examination consists of a written test with thirty-one multiple-choice questions potentially concerning any of the syllabus content. A mark will be given out of thirty. The examination is conducted in the same way for attending and non-attending students.