Social Change, Diversity and Inclusion

Semester 1 · 51091 · Bachelor in Social Work · 6CP · EN

The course analyses the long-term processes of social change from the point of view of the ways in which various forms of diversities (religious, cultural, ethnic, lifestylesbased) have been, and are perceived, discussed and managed

Lecturers: Giuseppe Sciortino

Teaching Hours: 45
Lab Hours: 0
Mandatory Attendance: In accordance with the regulation

Course Topics
1. Introduction 2. What is the sociology of change? 3. What is long-term change? 4. Types of social change 5. Social and Cultural Change 6. Societal transitions: from segmentary to hierarchical organization. 7. Societal transitions: from hierarchical to functional organization. 8. The perception of social change: traditional vs. modern. 9. Sociological Models of Change: linear 10. Sociological Models of Change: cyclical 11. Sociological Models of Change: Evolutionary 12. Change and Globalization 13. The notion of diversity 14. Endogenous diversity 15. Migration and Mobility 16. The Challenge of diversity 17. Social change and diversity 18. Forms of social organization and diversity19. Inclusion and Exclusion 20. Inclusion and Exclusion: interaction 21. Inclusion and Exclusion: organization 22. Inclusion and Exclusion: systems

Teaching format
After an initial section where frontal teaching will predominate, there will be increasing space for group discussions. There will be opportunities to complete in class some practical exercises.

Educational objectives
The course will provide the student with an adequate knowledge of the sociology of change, a main component of classical and contemporary sociological theory of research. The introduction will provide a general overview of the sociology of change from the point of view of the management of inclusion processes. The students will: - know and understand competently the main sociological concepts and theories used to study social change - be able to apply sociological approaches to issues of inclusion and diversity - navigate critically the existing debates on issues of inclusion and diversity

Assessment
The exam is a written test lasting 90 minutes. Students will be required to answer five questions relating to the compulsory texts (see the relevant section of the syllabus). For non-attending students, the exam will consist of six questions relating to the compulsory texts (see the relevant section of the syllabus). The quality of participation in class and group work will be assessed in addition to the results of the written exam.

Evaluation criteria
Participation in class - willingness to engage in debate, quality of the questions asked, active citizenship in group discussion and practical exercises. Final exam: Knowledge of the literature (required readings), quality of the analyses, clarity and brevity of the writing, terminological precision. Very generic, fuzzy, platitude-type statements will be negatively graded

Required readings

There are two programs, respectively for attending and not attending students.

For ATTENDING STUDENTS:

Brubaker, William R., Difference and Inequality, pp. 10-47 in William Brubaker, Grounds for Difference, Princeton UP, 2015.
Chirot, Daniel. How societies change. Sage Publications, 2011.
Jonathan Marks, 2024, Understanding Human Diversity, Cambridge University Press.
Centola, Damian, 2021 Change: How to Make Big Things Happen, capitolo da 1, 4, 5,6.

FOR NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS (absent 70% of the classes or more)

Brubaker, William R., Difference and Inequality, pp. 10-47 in William Brubaker, Grounds for Difference, Princeton UP, 2015.
Chirot, Daniel. How societies change. Sage Publications, 2011.
Jonathan Marks, 2024, Understanding Human Diversity, Cambridge University Press.
Centola, Damian, 2021, Change: How to Make Big Things Happen, Little, Brown, chapters 1 to 10.
Wimmer, Andreas, and Thomas Soehl. “Blocked Acculturation: Cultural Heterodoxy among Europe’s Immigrants.” American Journal of Sociology 120, no. 1 (2014): 146–86. https://doi.org/10.1086/677207.

Supplementary readings

The following texts may be useful for further study of the course topics and for clarifying the more practical aspects. However, they are not part of the exam.

Lessard-Phillips, Laurence, et al. Migration, displacement and diversity: The IRiS anthology. Oxford Publishing Services, 2023.
Merten, R. Inklusion/Exklusion und Soziale Arbeit. ZfE 4, 173–190 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11618-001-0022-2
Getting to Diversity: What Works and What Doesn’t. By Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2022. Pp. ix+258. $29.95.
McPherson, Miller, Lynn Smith-Lovin, and James M. Cook. "Birds of a feather: Homophily in social networks." Annual review of sociology 27.1 (2001): 415-444.
Goodin, R. (1996). Inclusion and exclusion. European Journal of Sociology, 37(2), 343-371. doi:10.1017/S0003975600007219

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Sustainable Development Goals
This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the following Sustainable Development Goals.

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