The teaching examines, from a sociological perspective, the urban dimension with particular reference to: communities, towns, big cities, the wider area; social stratification and urban and wider area communities; the urban key players (public and private); social order and the main trends within contemporary post-industrial societies.

Students:

- gain knowledge and understanding of social sciences, with particular reference to the development of communities, cities, metropolitan areas and territories;

- gain knowledge and understanding of stratification, social change and the principal trends in contemporary post-industrial societies; 

- are capable of interpreting the physical space with particular reference to the recent socio-economic and socio-institutional transformations of cities and territories.

The course aims to discuss the main transformation occuring in contemporary cities adopting a sociological perspective. The course provides theoretical concepts and empirical instruments to understand the social, economic and spatial changes in urban contexts.

The course program includes in-class lectures, students' presentations and group works. An initial part will be dedicated to the roots of urban sociology, analyzing the main features of urban life. Then  several contemporary urban issue will be presented and discussed in class, with a focus on those phenomena linked to segregation and polarization in spatial and social terms.

Attending students then will be asked to deliver a paper on the basis of an exercise guided by the professor.

For attending students:

- oral exam on readings (see the syllabus)

- oral exam on the paper written in group

For non attending students:

- oral exam on readings (see the syllabus)

- oral exam on one book among those suggested