Comparative Social Systems

The course aims to provide students with the basic knowledge and tools used in the sociological analysis of societies and social phenomena in a comparative perspective, i.e. looking at various models of social organization, through critical reflection around the concepts, themes and fundamental research of sociology and the most representative authors of the discipline.In addition to offering a historical picture of the developments of sociological thought and its methods of investigation, the course focuses on the analysis of the main social, political, economic and cultural phenomena affecting contemporary societies, stimulating the comparison between different contexts.The acquired knowledge and tools will allow to understand the underlying dynamics of social phenomena, familiarize with the lexicon used in the sociological field and acquire the essential tools of the social science toolbox.

At the end of the course the student will have to know and correctly explain, using the language of social sciences, the main theories, concepts and research regarding the processes and changes that characterize contemporary societies.
The knowledge acquired - thanks also to the analysis of case studies and the in-depth analysis of particularly relevant issues in the social field - will allow students to critically understand, also from an empirical point of view, the underlying dynamics of contemporary societies in a as comparative as possible.