Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes

Anna Maria Venera, pedagogue and systemic counsellor.

Lecturer and Expert of Experimental Pedagogy at the Department of Philosophy and Educational Sciences at the University of Turin, she collaborates in research and teaching projects.

She has been coordinator of Numerous projects and initiatives organised for the City of Turin.

She has been involved in educational design and training interventions in the educational, training and social fields since the early 1990s.

The research areas on which she focuses her studies are: theories and methodologies of play in different contexts, both in school and outside the school; gender pedagogy and the relationship between play and gender; the design of learning environments and the testing of innovative teaching models.

She is the author of numerous publications, including: Giochi da maschi, da femmine e … da tutti e due. Studi e ricerche sul gioco e le differenze di genere (Junior, 2005); Il gioco in corsia. Studi, ricerche e proposte operative sul gioco in ospedale (Junior, 2009); Preadolescenza. Il diritto ad abitare la terra di mezzo (Franco Angeli, 2009); Garantire il diritto al gioco: Studi e ricerche sul diritto al gioco (Junior, 2011); Gioco e potenziamento cognitivo nell’infanzia (Erickson 2011); Giochi e attività per l’arricchimento linguistico (vol.I-vol.II-Erickson, 2013- 2015); Genere, educazione e processi formativi (Junior, 2015); Let’s play with english (Erickson, 2016); “C” come… educare al pensiero creativo, critico, civico (Aracne, 2018).

TABLE AND DEFINITION OF CONTENTS

The Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes course, structured in 2 modules, will cover the following contents:

Module 1 – Culture – Individuals – Society

• Culture as a complex whole
• Components and Dimensions of Culture
• Culture and Society: Mutual Influences
• Consumption and Social Culture

Focus on Play

• Play and Culture: play as a symbol of values and behavioural patterns
• Game and Gender
• The toy ‘market’ and gender stereotypes
• Gender education and enhancement of differences

Module 2 – Cultural and Communicative Processes

• Processes of Production, Communication and Cultural Change
• Communicative Processes and Conscious Communication
• Communication and socialisation
• Gender and Generations
• Education for Critical and Civic Thinking
• Groups in Society

Focus on Play

• Play: relationship and communication with groups of adults
• Some examples: from ‘icebreaker’ games to ‘role-playing games’.

The course aims to introduce the critical understanding and analysis of the socio-cultural processes that affect contemporary society.

It will provide the elements for understanding the mechanisms of interpersonal communication with reference to contents, languages, forms of communication and processes of influence.

Through a multidisciplinary approach, there will be a focus on the theme of play as an example of a symbol containing values and behavioral models.

The Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes course aims to introduce students to a critical understanding and analysis of the socio-cultural processes affecting contemporary societies.

The course focuses in the first part on the relationship between Culture and Society and their mutual influence and in the second part on communication processes, relational dynamics and conscious and effective communication.

The themes will be dealt with through a multidisciplinary approach and using, for some parts, the key of interpretation of the “game”.

The theme of play in relation to culture, gender, socialisation, consumption and the phenomenon of early adulthood will be explored.

A final part is dedicated to the potential of play as a learning and relationship resource with adults in training or in work contexts.

A. Knowledge and understanding

▪ To know and understand the dynamics of transformation related to the cultural and communicative processes of contemporary society.
▪ To know and understand the reciprocal relationship between culture and society.
▪ To know and understand structural changes in society in terms of changes in values and life patterns on the one hand and in communication practices on the other.
▪ To know the potential of play as a privileged resource in learning and relationships.

B. Applied knowledge and understanding

▪ Knowing how to read and interpret data from sociological research.
▪ To know and understand the potential of conscious communication in a professional context.

C. Autonomy of judgement

▪ Critical reflection on the main issues addressed with the ability to develop arguments independently.
▪ Critical reflection on the evolutionary dynamics of the mutual relationship between culture and society, on play as a symbol of values in different cultures and on the ongoing transformations of the forms of interpersonal and group communication.

D. Communication skills

▪ To be able to describe and illustrate micro and macro phenomena, processes and dynamics studied by the sociology of cultural and communication processes.
▪ To be able to critically expound and argue the main topics covered.

E. Learning capacity

▪ Students will be required to adopt a critical learning method capable of connecting theoretical skills and empirical analysis, moving towards autonomous thinking.

A. Ability to collect and interpret useful data to demonstrate the ability to use the concept of culture as defined by contemporary social sciences.

B. Awareness of the use of bibliographic sources on the subject, with particular reference to the main sociological theories. Use of textbooks for in-depth study of certain emerging themes within the subject studied.

C. To be aware of the main cultural processes taking place in contemporary complex Western societies.

D. To have a conceptual repertoire and specific vocabulary on contemporary cultural phenomena.

E. To have developed skills in the reconstruction and critical framing of contemporary cultural and communication processes.

F. Ability to communicate and critically elaborate ideas, problems and reflections to specialist and non-specialist interlocutors on aspects and processes of transformation of contemporary society.

G. To acquire a professional approach to work having acquired some skills on conscious communication.

H. Ability to undertake further studies with a high degree of autonomy.

DIDACTICS PROVISION

• 6 hours of recorded video lessons available on the platform.
• 2 synchronous meetings on the platform.
• Podcasts of all the above-metioned video lessons.

INTERACTIVE DIDACTICS

• 1 course orientation forum;
• 2 thematic follow-up forums (1 per module);
• Possibility to carry out work in groups.
• 2 structured e-activities (as described in the section “in itinere assessment methods”).

SELF-LEARNING

Teaching materials are provided for each module: in-depth thematic studies, articles and slides by the lecturer, open access readings, online resources, bibliography, filmography and sitography.

• Sciolla L., Torrioni P., Sociologia dei processi culturali, Il Mulino, 2020 (chapters: 2-4-6-7);
• Venera A. M., Nosari S., “C” come… Educare al pensiero creativo, critico, civico, Aracne, 2018.
• Bibliographical and website references will be provided for optional further study.

Access to the final examination is subject to the completion of the following
two e-activities:

•  E-tivity 1
  The first activity will consist of a short questionnaire to consolidate the knowledge acquired in the study of the first module on the theme of the game.
  The student will be led to reflect on the symbolic meaning of the game as a bearer of cultural and behavioural values and models and as a litmus test of shared contents within a community.
  Through a series of open questions, the student will be invited to describe a game of his/her choice, contextualising it within the cultural sphere of his/her tradition.
  The contents of the etivity will be preparatory to the organisation
  of the first webinar of the course.
• E-tivity 2
  The second activity will be linked to the theme of professional communication dealt with in the second module.
  Students will be asked to watch a short film which, by staging a simulation of a job interview, opens up a number of reflections on the perception of reality and the communication processes that govern it.
  The activity will consist of a film-card in which, through a series of open questions, the student will be led to reflect on what has been observed from various perspectives, from relational to communicative dynamics. The contents of the activity will be preparatory to the organisation of the second webinar of the course.

The assessment of learning will take the form of an oral interview on the course contents and on the final report submitted, if any. The grade (min 18, max 30 with possible honours) is determined by the level of performance for each of the following dimensions of the oral interview: mastery of contents, appropriateness of definitions and theoretical references, clarity of argument, command of specialist language.

Italian