Sociology of Education a.a. 2025-2026 – Scienze dell'Educazione e della Formazione (EDU)

Teacher: Prof. Andrea Caroselli (CV)
E-mail: andrea-caroselli@uniroma2.it

CFU: 6
Course code: 804002502
Bachelor Degrees: Scienze dell’educazione e della formazione
Language: Italian

Course delivery modalities: online learning
Attendance: Optional
Assessment method: Oral examination/Write test

Pre-requisites:
No prerequisites.

Program:
Course Title: Sociology of Education This course aims to introduce students to the fundamental theoretical and methodological tools for the sociological analysis of the educational institution, understood as a central site in the reproduction and transformation of social order. From this perspective, education will be examined not only as a domain of cultural transmission but also as a State apparatus implicated in processes of legitimizing and internalizing social inequalities.Through a theoretical and historical framework, the course will analyze key conceptual elaborations regarding the function of schooling in modern societies: from Émile Durkheim’s functionalist perspective to Louis Althusser’’s critical reflections on Ideological State Apparatuses, extending to Cultural Studies as well as Foucauldian and Bourdieusian approaches. Particular attention will be devoted to the Italian context, focusing on the political and pedagogical experience of Don Lorenzo Milani. Significant space will also be given to contemporary developments within the discipline, with special emphasis on theories of intersectionality, contributions from postcolonial thought, and critical reinterpretations of educational mechanisms from a decolonial perspective. Building on this theoretical foundation, the course will further explore specific mechanisms that perpetuate inequality, with particular focus on the educational tracking and guidance system.

Program:

Course Title: Sociology of Education
This course aims to introduce students to the fundamental theoretical and methodological tools for the sociological analysis of the educational institution, understood as a central site in the reproduction and transformation of social order. From this perspective, education will be examined not only as a domain of cultural transmission but also as a State apparatus implicated in processes of legitimizing and internalizing social inequalities.Through a theoretical and historical framework, the course will analyze key conceptual elaborations regarding the function of schooling in modern societies: from Émile Durkheim’s functionalist perspective to Louis Althusser’’s critical reflections on Ideological State Apparatuses, extending to Cultural Studies as well as Foucauldian and Bourdieusian approaches. Particular attention will be devoted to the Italian context, focusing on the political and pedagogical experience of Don Lorenzo Milani. Significant space will also be given to contemporary developments within the discipline, with special emphasis on theories of intersectionality, contributions from postcolonial thought, and critical reinterpretations of educational mechanisms from a decolonial perspective. Building on this theoretical foundation, the course will further explore specific mechanisms that perpetuate inequality, with particular focus on the educational tracking and guidance system.

Text books:
Bourdieu, P., The Inheritors: French Students and Their Relations to Culture, Univ Chicago Press, 1979. Pitzalis, M., Nota, L., L’orientamento a scuola. Per costruire società inclusive, eque, sostenibili, Mondadori, Milano, 2025. Scuola di Barbiana, Lettera a una professoressa, Mondadori, Milano, 2023. During the course, some articles and excerpts from other volumes will be shared and discussed collectively. Students who are non-native Italian speakers and do not speak Italian are kindly requested to contact the teacher in order to arrange for alternative course materials. Students with a specific interest in a particular area of study (e.g., feminism or anti-racism) may arrange an alternative set of readings with the teacher.

Text books:

Bourdieu, P., The Inheritors: French Students and Their Relations to Culture, Univ Chicago Press, 1979.
Pitzalis, M., Nota, L., L’orientamento a scuola. Per costruire società inclusive, eque, sostenibili, Mondadori, Milano, 2025.
Scuola di Barbiana, Lettera a una professoressa, Mondadori, Milano, 2023.
During the course, some articles and excerpts from other volumes will be shared and discussed collectively.
Students who are non-native Italian speakers and do not speak Italian are kindly requested to contact the teacher in order to arrange for alternative course materials.
Students with a specific interest in a particular area of study (e.g., feminism or anti-racism) may arrange an alternative set of readings with the teacher.

Educational goals and expected learning outcomes:
LEARNING OUTCOMES: To develop a comprehensive understanding and command of the principal analytical frameworks and critical tools employed in the sociology of education. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Through a combination of lectures and critical engagement with relevant literature, students will gain familiarity with the foundational concepts of the sociology of education, including their historical development and theoretical lineage. The course will equip students with essential tools to formulate sociologically informed analyses of educational phenomena. APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Students will be expected to demonstrate their ability to apply the acquired knowledge both during the course and in examination contexts. This includes the development of a sociological perspective on educational institutions and the capacity to critically interrogate the processes of social reproduction – particularly those related to class, gender, and race. MAKING JUDGEMENTS: Students will be encouraged to cultivate critical thinking skills and independent judgment, with particular reference to the interpretation of course materials and discussions. Emphasis will be placed on the evaluation of theoretical arguments and empirical evidence autonomously and rigorously. COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Throughout the course, students will be supported in acquiring and using the disciplinary lexicon of the sociology of education, with particular attention to contemporary theoretical approaches such as intersectionality and postcolonial thought. Active participation will be promoted to enhance students’’ ability to articulate well-structured, sociologically grounded arguments. LEARNING SKILLS: The module is designed to provide students with the methodological and conceptual tools necessary for the critical study of course texts and topics, fostering their ability to engage in independent learning and advanced academic inquiry.

Educational goals and expected learning outcomes:

LEARNING OUTCOMES: To develop a comprehensive understanding and command of the principal analytical frameworks and critical tools employed in the sociology of education.
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Through a combination of lectures and critical engagement with relevant literature, students will gain familiarity with the foundational concepts of the sociology of education, including their historical development and theoretical lineage. The course will equip students with essential tools to formulate sociologically informed analyses of educational phenomena.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Students will be expected to demonstrate their ability to apply the acquired knowledge both during the course and in examination contexts. This includes the development of a sociological perspective on educational institutions and the capacity to critically interrogate the processes of social reproduction – particularly those related to class, gender, and race.
MAKING JUDGEMENTS: Students will be encouraged to cultivate critical thinking skills and independent judgment, with particular reference to the interpretation of course materials and discussions. Emphasis will be placed on the evaluation of theoretical arguments and empirical evidence autonomously and rigorously.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Throughout the course, students will be supported in acquiring and using the disciplinary lexicon of the sociology of education, with particular attention to contemporary theoretical approaches such as intersectionality and postcolonial thought. Active participation will be promoted to enhance students’’ ability to articulate well-structured, sociologically grounded arguments.
LEARNING SKILLS: The module is designed to provide students with the methodological and conceptual tools necessary for the critical study of course texts and topics, fostering their ability to engage in independent learning and advanced academic inquiry.

Methods and criteria for verifying the learning:
L’esame valuterà quanto studenti e studentesse abbiano acquisito la capacità di ragionare criticamente sul ruolo dell’istituzione scolastica, attraverso una conoscenza sociologicamente fondata. Sarà valutata la padronanza dei concetti e degli strumenti fondamentali della sociologia dell’educazione, in particolare per quel che riguarda il campo delle disuguaglianze (di classe, di genere e “razziali”). La valutazione sarà stabilita attraverso alcune esercitazioni da concordare con il docente e da compiere in autonomia (50%) e una prova orale finale (50%). L’esame valuta la preparazione complessiva dello studente, la capacità di mettere in relazione le conoscenze riguardanti le varie parti del programma, la coerenza dell’argomentazione, la capacità analitica e l’autonomia di giudizio. Vengono inoltre valutate la padronanza del linguaggio e la chiarezza espositiva dello studente, in conformità con i descrittori di Dublino (1. conoscenza e comprensione; 2. applicazione della conoscenza e dell’esperienza; 3. formulazione di giudizi; 4. capacità di apprendimento; 5. capacità di comunicazione). L’esame sarà valutato secondo i seguenti criteri: – Non superato: significative carenze e imprecisioni nella conoscenza e nella comprensione della materia; scarse capacità di analisi e sintesi, ricorrenti generalizzazioni, limitate capacità critiche e di giudizio; gli argomenti sono esposti in modo incoerente e con un linguaggio inappropriato. – 18-20: Conoscenza e comprensione degli argomenti appena sufficiente, con occasionali generalizzazioni e imperfezioni; sufficiente capacità di analisi sintesi e autonomia di giudizio, gli argomenti sono frequentemente esposti in modo incoerente e con un lessico inadeguato. – 21-23: Discreta conoscenza e comprensione dell’argomento; adeguate capacità di analisi e sintesi con argomentazioni coerenti e logiche, ma con un lessico spesso inadeguato. – 24-26: Buona conoscenza e comprensione degli argomenti; buone capacità di analisi e sintesi con argomentazioni espresse in modo rigoroso, ma con un lessico non sempre adeguato. – 27-29: Ottima conoscenza e comprensione degli argomenti; notevoli capacità di analisi e sintesi. Buona autonomia di giudizio. Argomenti esposti in modo rigoroso e con un lessico. – 30-30 e lode: Eccellente livello di conoscenza e comprensione degli argomenti. Ottime capacità di analisi, sintesi e autonomia di giudizio. Le argomentazioni sono espresse in modo originale e con un lessico adeguato.

Methods and criteria for verifying the learning:

L’esame valuterà quanto studenti e studentesse abbiano acquisito la capacità di ragionare criticamente sul ruolo dell’istituzione scolastica, attraverso una conoscenza sociologicamente fondata. Sarà valutata la padronanza dei concetti e degli strumenti fondamentali della sociologia dell’educazione, in particolare per quel che riguarda il campo delle disuguaglianze (di classe, di genere e “razziali”). La valutazione sarà stabilita attraverso alcune esercitazioni da concordare con il docente e da compiere in autonomia (50%) e una prova orale finale (50%).
L’esame valuta la preparazione complessiva dello studente, la capacità di mettere in relazione le conoscenze riguardanti le varie parti del programma, la coerenza dell’argomentazione, la capacità analitica e l’autonomia di giudizio. Vengono inoltre valutate la padronanza del linguaggio e la chiarezza espositiva dello studente, in conformità con i descrittori di Dublino (1. conoscenza e comprensione; 2. applicazione della conoscenza e dell’esperienza; 3. formulazione di giudizi; 4. capacità di apprendimento; 5. capacità di comunicazione).
L’esame sarà valutato secondo i seguenti criteri:
– Non superato: significative carenze e imprecisioni nella conoscenza e nella comprensione della materia; scarse capacità di analisi e sintesi, ricorrenti generalizzazioni, limitate capacità critiche e di giudizio; gli argomenti sono esposti in modo incoerente e con un linguaggio inappropriato.
– 18-20: Conoscenza e comprensione degli argomenti appena sufficiente, con occasionali generalizzazioni e imperfezioni; sufficiente capacità di analisi sintesi e autonomia di giudizio, gli argomenti sono frequentemente esposti in modo incoerente e con un lessico inadeguato.
– 21-23: Discreta conoscenza e comprensione dell’argomento; adeguate capacità di analisi e sintesi con argomentazioni coerenti e logiche, ma con un lessico spesso inadeguato.
– 24-26: Buona conoscenza e comprensione degli argomenti; buone capacità di analisi e sintesi con argomentazioni espresse in modo rigoroso, ma con un lessico non sempre adeguato.
– 27-29: Ottima conoscenza e comprensione degli argomenti; notevoli capacità di analisi e sintesi. Buona autonomia di giudizio. Argomenti esposti in modo rigoroso e con un lessico.
– 30-30 e lode: Eccellente livello di conoscenza e comprensione degli argomenti. Ottime capacità di analisi, sintesi e autonomia di giudizio. Le argomentazioni sono espresse in modo originale e con un lessico adeguato.

Attendance modalities:
The teaching activities include lectures supported by PowerPoint presentations; collective analysis and commentary of foundational disciplinary texts; viewing and analysis of audiovisual materials; and discussions of current issues contextualized and examined in light of the sociological knowledge progressively acquired. Attendance is not mandatory but strongly recommended.