Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Sociology
Introduction
The Sociology course aims to give students scientific tools to analyse and understand society as a whole. It also helps them develop critical thinking and apply it to communication and different professional areas. The main goal of sociology is to understand society. This is essential for planning, analysing and creating high-quality communication products. Sociology offers scientific theories and methods that help students study society and understand the key factors that influence the world we live in. The course provides theoretical and practical tools to develop a critical and responsible point of view. Its goal is to train professionals who can understand and explain social reality and create high-quality communication content that has an impact on society.
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Pre-course requirements
No pre-course requirements are needed to enrol in this subject.
Objectives
Knowledge
- Understand sociology as a science, its main theories and its methods of analysis.
- Understand the role of communication in the creation of culture, public opinion and society.
- Know the main sociological theories and apply them to the analysis of communication products, messages and practices.
- Understand contemporary society in order to interpret and create communication content that is suitable for today’s social context.
- Understand social reality as something influenced by power relations, inequalities and processes of representation.
Skills and attitudes
- Apply scientific methods to observe, analyse and interpret social and communication phenomena.
- Connect theoretical knowledge with the practical analysis of communication content and products.
- Use argumentation, critical thinking and creativity to analyse and create communication messages.
- Critically analyse social, cultural and identity representations in the media.
- Develop respect for different opinions, identities and social realities.
- Reflect on the responsibility of communication professionals when creating and sharing content and contributing to a fairer, more inclusive and supportive society.
- Reflect on the possibilities of social change and on the role of communication in transforming society.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN01 - Recognise contemporary social and media realities, contextualise historical events, and identify newsworthy issues at local, national and international levels.
- CN02 - Identify the various stakeholders in contemporary journalism, their roles and the operational dynamics of a digital and globalised environment.
- CN04 - Explain contemporary legal and political institutions and macroeconomic indicators in their current context.
- CN06 - Recognise the principal artificial intelligence tools with applications in journalism.
- HB01 - Interpret relevant data obtained from a variety of sources.
- HB05 - Distinguish between information, opinion and manipulation, applying verification and source-checking techniques to debunk misinformation and identify content generated by artificial intelligence.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Students will be able to:
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To acquire the essential knowledge of economics, geopolitics, law and politics needed to understand the major issues facing the contemporary world.
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To develop a complex understanding of contemporary societies by becoming familiar with the main national and international institutions, the influence of nations on one another, and the global centres of power and counter-power.
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To stay up to date with innovation and new technologies in order to identify emerging trends.
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To develop a critical and independent mindset for analysing contemporary society.
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To understand human beings through philosophical thought, including different ways of organising society based on moral principles and a particular worldview.
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To acquire a basic understanding of journalistic organisations, their structure, the economic context and the legal and ethical framework within which news organisations are created and developed.
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To develop a complex understanding of contemporary societies, recognising the variability of human behaviour across different contexts and the influence and interaction among different human groups.
Syllabus
General content
Sociological theory, basic sociological concepts, the origins of sociology, modernity, main theoretical perspectives and postmodernity. Scientific methods applied to the study of society and communication. Habitus, tastes, lifestyles, social distinction and forms of individual and collective identity.
Block 1. Introduction to sociology and scientific methods
Sociology as a science. Its subject of study, basic elements and main sociological concepts. The sociological perspective and its application to communication. Introduction to the main methods and techniques used to analyse social reality.
Block 2. The origins of sociology and the main theoretical approaches
The birth of sociology in the context of modernity. The main authors, approaches and concepts of foundational sociological theory.
Block 3. Main sociological perspectives
The main contemporary sociological perspectives. Social structure, inequalities, identities and representations. Habitus, tastes, lifestyles, cultural consumption, social distinction and the construction of social reality.
Block 4. Understanding society in the 21st century
Culture, economy, politics and communication in contemporary society. Globalisation, digitalisation, postmodernity, social change and new forms of individual and collective identity.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | ECTS CREDITS |
| Coaching. Monitoring how students learn the content of the subject, either individually or in groups. In the coaching sessions, mistakes will be corrected, queries answered, and exercises and activities to achieve the established objectives will be suggested. | 0.4 |
| Seminar. This activity will consist of taking an in-depth look at specific up-to-date topics in a monographic manner-in some cases these topics will have been debated socially-, via active work in small groups. | 1.2 |
| Practical workshop. A highly practical working activity, where students can acquire skills that are practical or also theoretical (intellectual skills, logical skills, critical skills, intellectual learning skills, study skills, quoting skills, etc). | 1.0 |
| Lectures. In lectures, lecturers/professors not only transmit content or knowledge, but also, and above all else, attitudes, motivation, skills and values, etc. They also ensure that participants can express their opinions and arguments to the other students. | 3.4 |
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
FIRST CALL
The evaluation will be continuous. Attendance and participation are required. It will consist of two exams with a value of 70% of the note, plus the completion of practices that will be 30%. Some of these practices will be done in class and others at home as exercises. It is necessary to pass the practices and the exam average to pass the subject.
* According to faculty regulations will be deducted for each misspelling in exams and papers.
SECOND CALL
1. Final exam: 100%
*According to faculty regulations will be deducted for each misspelling in exams and papers.
THIRD CALL AND ONWARDS
1. Final exam: 100%
*According to faculty regulations will be deducted for each misspelling in exams and papers.
Bibliography and resources
Althusser, L. (2015). Sobre la reproducción. Madrid: Akal.
Bauman, Z. (2007). Tiempos líquidos. Vivir en una época de incertidumbre. Barcelona: Tusquets.
Baudrillard, J. (2008). Cultura y Simulacro. Barcelona: Kairós.
Beck, U. (2009). La sociedad del riesgo global. Madrid: Siglo XXI.
Becker, H. (2009). Outsiders: Hacia una sociología de la desviación. Madrid: Siglo XXI.
Berger, P. L., y Luckmann, T. (2003). La construcción social de la realidad. Buenos Aires. Amorrortu.
Blumer, H. (1982). El Interaccionismo simbólico, perspectiva y método. Barcelona: Hora D.L.
Durkheim, E, (1982). La División del trabajo social. Madrid: Akal.
Foucault, M. (2009). Vigilar y castigar. Madrid: Siglo XXI.
Guattari, F. y Rolnik, S. (2006). Micropolítica. Cartografías del deseo. Madrid: Traficantes de sueños.
Hardt, M. y Negri, T. (2005). Imperio. Barcelona: Paidós.
Illouz, E. (2007). Intimidades congeladas. Las emociones en el capitalismo. Madrid: Katz.
Lipovetsky, G. (2010). La era del vacío. Barcelona: Anagrama.
Noelle-Neumann, E. (1995). La espiral del silencio. Opinión pública: nuestra piel social. Barcelona: Paidós
Ritzer, G. (1993). Teoría sociológica contemporánea. México: McGrawn Hill.
Stavrakakis, Y. (2007). Lacan y lo político. Buenos Aires: Prometeo Libros.
Weber, M. (2016). La ética protestante y el espíritu del capitalismo. Madrid: Alianza Editorial