THEORY AND METHODS OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

The class has the explicit goal of providing students with the main theoretical and empirical foundations of sociology. Therefore, it will be provided an overview of the classics of sociology as well as fundamental contemporary theories. Going in depth through the theoretical frame it will be asked about the reading and comment of a classic of sociology (as explained below). In order to complete the construction of the above theoretical frame the most important American and European theories on collective action will be studied, as to provide students with a critical and in-depth framework on collective phenomena. Moreover, the class aims at training students in the methods and techniques of sociological research, making use of the research approach of who continually throwing doubt on the validity and reliability of the object to explain social phenomena; good knowledge of methods and tools for social research will therefore be essential to learn the construction of the research design, in both standard and non-standard approach.

The monographic section focuses on theoretical and empirical approaches on social movements: starting from the conceptualization of the object up to exemplifying the various possible research routes.

The course will be divided into lectures and a series of seminar meetings on the main topics of the program. It will be also scheduled ongoing evaluations.

INSTITUTIONAL SECTION: 1) What is society?; Individual and collective social actors, and identity; Social structures: institution and organization. 2) The relationship between theory and research; Emile Durkheim; Georg Simmel; Karl Marx; Max Weber; The symbolic interactionism; The theories of social action. 3) Reading of a classic of sociology (see texts below). 4) Aspects and functions of sociological research; Developing research questions; Comparing quantitative and qualitative methods; The sampling; The interview; Questionnaire and survey. MONOGRAPHIC SECTION: 4) Defining social movements; Conceptualization dilemmas; The Italian empirical research.

Titles are translated from the Italian editions, not edited in the English language.

1) Crespi F., The sociological thought, il Mulino, 2002, Bologna, pp. 9-76; 89-110; 159-167; 195-229; 265-277.

2) To choose among the list upload on Studium: file Classics Sociology - reference texts 2022-23).

4) Daher L.M., Notes on sociological research methods (pamphlet upload on Studium), pp. 3-24, and Marradi A., Metodology of social sciences, il Mulino, 2007, Bologna, pp. 79-204.

4) Daher L.M., Doing research on social movements in Italy. Past, present, and future, FrancoAngeli, 2012, Milano.

The assessment of the examination will take into account the candidate's mastery of the content and skills acquired, linguistic accuracy and lexical propriety, as well as his/her argumentation ability and critical thinking 

Sample questions

The notion of interpretative interaction, according to Blumer, tends to:

a. make people the same

b. make people different

c. give the image of the group

Simon distinguishes the concept of rationality in:

a. simple and complex

b. substantive and procedural

c. economic and social

What does Durkheim mean by "social morphology"?

a) A series of elements connected to the space in which the company was structured;

b) A series of elements connected to the single individuals that make up society;

c) A series of elements related to time.

The interview aims to:

a) investigate emotions;

b) evaluate skills;

c) collect situations, behaviors, attitudes, and opinions.

What did the school represent for Marx in bourgeois society?

a) The expression of the ideologies of the ruling classes and had no other function than to reproduce the established order;

b) The place par excellence where it was possible to possess a critical reworking of traditional culture;

c) The place where meanings are reproduced