The course deals with the theme of the origins and transformations of modern market economies. Attention is paid to the influence of cultural, social and political factors in economic development in a comparative key. It starts, taking up the thought of the classics, from the origins of market economies and their transformations to move on to consider, with reference to the contemporary debate, the transformations of contemporary capitalism and the challenges posed by globalization.
C. Trigilia, Sociologia economica, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2002, Vol. I e Vol.2
For attending students (who have attended at least 75% of the lessons) it will be possible to replace some parts of the book with other texts agreed with the teacher.
Learning Objectives
The course aims to provide a theoretical preparation and knowledge regarding the understanding of the dynamics of the economy;
provide tools and skills for the reading and interpretation of socio-economic phenomena; train in the study of the transformations of the systems of capitalism and welfare;
Furthermore, to apply the knowledge and skills learned during the lessons and to stimulate: learning and independent judgment skills; transversal skills (proactivity, teamwork, problem-solving); communication skills.
The course provides, in fact, moments of collective discussion in the classroom and the possibility, for students, to carry out a small research work, with presentation of the results in the classroom.
In general, at the end of the course the student must have a good knowledge of the topics covered in the teaching and know how to apply them to the reading of data and case studies, also with a view to
comparison between different institutional contexts. They must also be able to make connections between concepts and contents, even implicit ones, present in the exam texts and teaching materials.
Prerequisites
None even if it is strongly recommended to have already attended courses in Sociology and Political Economy
Teaching Methods
Teaching will be delivered in person, except for problems related to the health emergency. In case of reduced capacity due to emergency, streaming will be guaranteed. There will be exercises and group work during the course, watching videos, short movies and seminars.
Type of Assessment
For NON-attending students:
The exam consists of a written test with very focused, open questions which require detailed knowledge of the topics included in the program.
For attending students:
Attending students will be able to choose to do an oral exam and written report by a vote made during the course of thirty, so as to reduce the final examination. In this case, the evaluation of the final examination will be the average between the vote on the report and the final test.
Course program
The course first provides an introduction to the basic concepts and main analytical tools of economic sociology. Next the origins of modern capitalism and the different paths of development between West and East are discussed through the contribution of classical sociologists, with particular attention to Max Weber's model. In the second part, the transformations of contemporary capitalism will be analyzed in comparative terms. The main topics are: the welfare state, pluralism and neo-corporatism, varieties of capitalism, Fordism and flexible specialization, the Asian capitalism, globalization and the future of capitalism.