ID:
500025
Duration (hours):
40
CFU:
6
SSD:
SOCIOLOGIA DEI PROCESSI ECONOMICI E DEL LAVORO
Year:
2025
Overview
Date/time interval
Primo Semestre (29/09/2025 - 12/12/2025)
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The course aims to introduce students to economic sociology as a branch of sociology that deals with economic phenomena, particularly through the description, analysis and understanding of the influence that social, political and cultural factors (not economic but economically relevant) have on economic life.
In particular, the course aims at providing key concepts for the analysis of capitalism as economic form and for economic, political, social and cultural conditions and effects characterizing it.
At the end of the course, students are expected to have acquired a series of concepts and knowledge about the functioning of capitalism, its social, political and cultural effects and the intertwining among economy, polity,politics and policy, and society
In particular, the course aims at providing key concepts for the analysis of capitalism as economic form and for economic, political, social and cultural conditions and effects characterizing it.
At the end of the course, students are expected to have acquired a series of concepts and knowledge about the functioning of capitalism, its social, political and cultural effects and the intertwining among economy, polity,politics and policy, and society
Course Prerequisites
No specific prerequisite is requested, although basic notions drawn from Sociology and Economy will be helpful for a better understanding of course's contents
Teaching Methods
Lectures are delivered in the traditional in presence mode. Yet, teacher promotes and appreciate students' active participation (questions, remarks, comments, discussion, etc.) which are deemed useful and important integration to contents presented in each lecture.
Assessment Methods
The exam will be written, made of two open questions, one related to the text “Il contributo della Sociologia Economica allo studio del capitalismo” and the other related to Crouch’s book Il potere dei giganti”.
For all students, the duration of the examination is one hour
For all students, the duration of the examination is one hour
Texts
The didactic material for the exam is constituted by the following textes:
1. Il contributo della Sociologia Economica allo studio del capitalismo, edited by M. Vaira. The text will be uploaded on course’s Kiro page and will be available for all students.
2. Colin Crouch Il potere dei giganti, Roma-Bari, Laterza 2012.
In the event working groups will be organized (see section “Metodi didattici”), the evaluation obtained through group work will supplement that obtained in the examination
1. Il contributo della Sociologia Economica allo studio del capitalismo, edited by M. Vaira. The text will be uploaded on course’s Kiro page and will be available for all students.
2. Colin Crouch Il potere dei giganti, Roma-Bari, Laterza 2012.
In the event working groups will be organized (see section “Metodi didattici”), the evaluation obtained through group work will supplement that obtained in the examination
Contents
The course will be organized in two parts.
First part will deal with the main form of modern economic organization, i.e. capitalism. Themes here developed will concern the definition of capitalism, its intertwinings with polity, politics and policies, its apologetic and critical perspectives, the development of capitalism (from the second half of XIX century to nowadays).
The second part will be dedicated to the specific issue of the contemporary capitalism: The role of large corporate firms and firms’ groups (especially those operating in the financial sector) influencing and shaping poltics and society and the democratic life itself. Further this role impact also on the capitalism’s main mechanism of functioning: The market. It doesn’t work as the place of free competition, as the classical and neoclassical theories argue, but as a place where oligopolistic (and sometimes, even monopolistic) concentration produces a system where few accumulate profits and thus economic, political and social power.
First part will deal with the main form of modern economic organization, i.e. capitalism. Themes here developed will concern the definition of capitalism, its intertwinings with polity, politics and policies, its apologetic and critical perspectives, the development of capitalism (from the second half of XIX century to nowadays).
The second part will be dedicated to the specific issue of the contemporary capitalism: The role of large corporate firms and firms’ groups (especially those operating in the financial sector) influencing and shaping poltics and society and the democratic life itself. Further this role impact also on the capitalism’s main mechanism of functioning: The market. It doesn’t work as the place of free competition, as the classical and neoclassical theories argue, but as a place where oligopolistic (and sometimes, even monopolistic) concentration produces a system where few accumulate profits and thus economic, political and social power.
Course Language
Italian
More information
Course materials and further information will be shown to students on the course page on the Kiro platform
Degrees
Degrees
POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Bachelor’s Degree
3 years
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