General Sociology

Scholar Year: 2023/2024 - 1S

Courses

Head Teacher Responsability Cristina Maria Gomes da Silva Head

Weekly workload Hours/week T TP P PL L TC E OT OT/PL TPL O S Type of classes Lectures Type Teacher Classes Hours Contact hours Totals 1 4,00 Rahul Kumar   4,00

Teaching language

Portuguese

Intended learning outcomes (Knowledges, skills and competencies to be developed by the students)

- To know basic sociological concepts and other key instruments for approaching social phenomena.
- Understand the complexity of the processes which govern the life of societies, communities and groups, and the characteristics of current societies as backgrounds for change and permanence
- Identify and understand the main social processes which create cultural specificities and globalise the current world affairs.
- Proficient use of a methodology for approaching the social and analyse the main aspects of collective life in contemporary societies.
- Display observational and critical skills regarding social reality.
- Take a stand regarding the great topics / problems of the contemporary world.
- Promote understanding and tolerance in face of cultural and social differences.

Syllabus

1. What is Sociology and what is it for?
Sociology within the context of Social Sciences.
Obstacles to knowledge in SC.
2. Why are we equal and different?
Socialisation processes and agents
Cultural standards, production of identities and cultural ethnocentrism
3. Why are there rich and poor people?
Technical and social division at work.
Inherited and acquired traits.
Dimensions of social stratification.
Social mobility: individual trajectories and destinations.
4. How do societies change?
"Normality" and deviation: the evolution of habits.
Urbanisation and industrialisation Resources, human Population and Migrations.
Families or family?
Growth, development and natural environment.
Democracy and citizenship.
5. Other:
Other topics will also be developed in association with group work assignments. Daily Life, the Body, Fashion, Youth Cultures, Sexuality, Voluntary Associations, etc. are, among many, topic to be eventually considered.

Demonstration of the syllabus coherence with the UC intended learning outcomes

This CU constitutes an introduction to sociology and, since most students did not take this unit in secondary school, it requires an approach to the main basic issues: socialisation, inequality, stratification and mobility, identities and social change, etc. However, students nowadays are mobilised by empirical objects associated with the topics listed on point 5, which are usually the subject of group work assignments.
Basic knowledge of the main issues (and concepts) of sociology and their approach to topics/"founding problems" constitutes a requirement for exploring "current affairs", which mobilise students. The articulation between them, carried out in group work assignments - which always include an empirical side - ensures the achievement of this CU's learning outcomes.

Teaching methodologies

Comprises: (a) Presentation of programme topics; (b) Analysis of small texts and films; (c) Conducting small group work assignments; (d) Field trips; (e) Presentation and discussion of final group work assignments on topics chosen by students and validated by the tutor.
Debate is fostered from the information presented, in small groups and/or in plenary sessions.
Tutorial follow-up is carried out in person and uses the CU's webpage in moodle, in which all students must be registered.
Each student's final mark will be based on their performance in the planned group or individual work and in accordance with the following:
- Individual written work will contribute 60% to the final classification;
- Individual oral presentation with 20%
- Group work, which will consist of preparing a press dossier, with another 20%.

Demonstration of the teaching methodologies coherence with the curricular unit's intended learning outcomes

Teaching methodologies are aimed at ensuring that the CU's contents are suitable for the learning outcomes and that the latter can be achieved. Strategies and teaching-learning activities are developed in class for that purpose, with a large group, (theoretical, theoretical-practical and seminar) and in tutorial sessions, which are usually carried out in groups of 3 / 4 students, require previous booking and mandatory attendance. They are preceded by the preparation of a pre-project file (for the final work) which is handed to the tutor thus ensuring that the student has already carried out some general and specific readings.
Large group lectures often resort to two types of materials, among others: (i) small texts related to the topics being analysed and the presentation of key concepts, to be read and debated, which are subsequently placed in moodle for all students and especially those with reduced class attendance and/or who are not subject to continuous assessment; (ii) texts on current affairs, usually gathered from the social media and which are strictly related with the topics being analysed in those sessions. This enables to "bridge" between syllabus contents, the main topics of sociology and the reflection and analysis of "current world events". Along this line, the "main news of the week" is presented and commented in every session by a group of students, per class session of this CU (2nd semester).
Annual activities also include films, videos and a field trip.
Assessment methodologies and the associated work processes also seek to ensure the achievement of the learning outcomes.

Assessment methodologies and evidences

See above "Teaching methodologies"

Attendance system

See above "Teaching methodologies"

Bibliography

BECKER (Howard S.), Falando da sociedade. Ensaios sobre as diferentes formas de representar o social, Rio de Janeiro, Zahar Editores, pp. 1-26 (Capítulo 1: Falando da sociedade).

Caracterização sociodemográfica da Quinta do Cabrinha. 2012. Gebalis, Lisboa.

CABRAL (João de Pina) e LIMA (Antónia Pedroso), "Como fazer uma história de família: um exercício de contextualização social", Etnográfica, Vol. 9, N.º 2, 2005, pp. 355-388.

CHAVES (Miguel), Casal Ventoso: da gandaia ao narcotráfico, Lisboa, Imprensa de Ciências Sociais, 2013.

HILL (Manuela Magalhães) e Hill (Andrew), A construção de um questionário, Working Paper Dinâmia, N.º 11, 1998.

MILLS (C. Wright), “A promessa”, in A Imaginação Sociológica, Rio de Janeiro, Zahar Editores, pp. 9-32.

SILVA (Augusto Santos), “A ruptura com o senso comum nas ciências sociais”, in Augusto Santos Silva e José Madureira Pinto (orgs.), Metodologia das Ciências Sociais, Porto, Afrontamento, pp. 29-52.