Sociology of Organisations and Professions

The course aims to provide students with the theoretical and methodological knowledge, which is necessary to analyze - in a sociological perspective - organisations and professions, all meant as social phenomenon as well as principles of work regulation in contemporary societies. On the one hand, main theories of organisation will be reconstructed and illustrated, by adopting a historical perspective, up to economic theories of organisation and their sociological integrations. On the other hand, the logics of action of professional groups will be analysed, focusing on the dynamics of the labour market, the political and social arenas and, in particular, of the organizations, by using the conceptual apparatus of the sociology of professions. The course will mainly focus on organisations and professions operating in the public sector and in the public services.
In the light of the sociological approaches described in the course, the process of public administration reform of the last decades in Italy and other European countries will be discussed, , by quoting examples from the healthcare and local government sector and with particular attention to the impact on professions and professional regulation. There will be the opportunity to learn how to use of the main methodological and conceptual tools for the analysis of organisational and professional changes, in the context of current transformation in the public sector and in the public services.

At the end of the lessons, students will know and recognize the main theories of sociology of organisation and of professions, in particular those adopted to study the public sector and the public services. Moreover, students will be able to identify and critically analyse the logics of organisational and professional action, by developing the skills that allow him/her both to collect information and data necessary to the analysis and to use the conceptual and methodological tools provided by the theories studied in the course. They will be able to develop his/her own interpretation of the organisational and professional phenomena and behaviours, which they have observed. In particular, they will know in details and will be able to critically analyse the process of organizational reform in public administration carried out in the last decades, and its impact on professions, with particular attention to the healthcare sector and the local government.
Students will also develop adequate communication skills, with particular regard to the specific language relating to the theoretical and methodological aspects of the sociology of organisation and of professions. He/she will be able to properly discuss and argue his/her personal opinion and theses on situations and topics that are proposed by the literature or that are empirically observable.