Sociology of Social Classes and Mobility II

Code:

SOCI029

Acronym:

SCMOB2

Instance: 2011/2012 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Sociology
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Sociology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
SOCI	70	SOCI - Study Plan	2	-	6	-

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

OBJECTIVES:
Successful students should be able to:
1. Understand and analyse the main theoretical structures of the discipline.
2. Understand the contributions of the new theory of social classes
3. Clarify the notion of (new) middle classes as well as the working tools related to these issues, based on concepts and theories related to this subject.
4. Make / build concepts based on acquired knowledge, implementing when possible, the capacity for critical analysis, in order to create a dynamic learning, starting in the classroom, extending later to social reality through possible field research.

Skills


1. Reading related to the thematic units of the programme presented and developed by the teacher in lectures.

2. Ability for oral communication and scientific writing
3. Ability for critical understanding and analysis
4. Clarity in presenting material5. Ability to link different contents and concepts
6. Capacity for synthesis
7. Capacity for capitalization of bibliography.
8. Development of skills to implement the new contributions of the theory of social classes to the analysis of contemporary societies

9. Acquisition of skills to elaborate in detail the classification of classes and fractions as well as the construction of division into individual class, origin and family according to the types studied.
10. Acquire skills to make a more detailed analysis of the mobility-reproduction of class divisions.

11. In conclusion, the objective is to enable the student to be able to i) describe and carry out proposals of empirical research related to the socio-professional characterization of a specific sample ii) explain the choices made theoretically, based on the knowledge of theories and authors considered as fundamental.

Program

1. New contributions of the theory of social class and stratification for the analysis of contemporary societies.
1.1. Nicos Poulantzas and the enlargement of the criteria for the definition of social class.

1.2. The theoretical model of Erik Olin Wright: from contradictory class division to class localisation.
1.3. The proposal of the team of João Ferreira de Almeida: typology for the classification of classes and fractions; construction of the places of class.
1.4. The adequacy of this proposal to CNP/94 - by D. Magalhães
1.5. The construction matrix of social-professional indicators of individual and family social class (ISPI and ISPF) by António Firmino da Costa


2. Portuguese social structure: 1960-2001 - structural changes and social mobility: social-professional (re) configuration and (re) composition and of social class structure
2.1. Socio-demographic modernisation and diversity of the “territory pattern”.
2.2. The decline of the “rural world”. Urbanisation and coastal occupation.
2.3. Education and expansion of the school system.
2.4. The processes of feminisation and outsourcing of work. Changes in family structures and gender roles.
2.5. Rise of new urban middle classes.
2.6. Mobility and social reproduction: structural mobility or effective social fluidity?

Teaching methods and learning activities

Classes are split into theory-practical classes (TP) and tutorials (OT):
Theory-practical classes (TP)
• Theoretical presentation by the lecturer of the programme units.
• Practical explanation and illustration, based on “real reality”, of the thematic units: interaction lecturer/student with the following aims: reflection, discussion, argument, forming their own opinion based on the theory.
The interventive and participatory classes set out to instil in students the habit of reflection and to strengthen instrument and scientific skills, as well as the bases for building an important critical mass.

Tutorial Sessions (OT)

The work, which will be developed in small groups (4 students) preceded by theoretical presentations by the teacher.

keywords

Social sciences > Sociology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Description	Type	Time (hours)	Weight (%)	End date
Attendance (estimated)	Participação presencial	56,00
	Exame	2,50		2011-07-29
	Trabalho escrito	29,00		2011-07-29
	Trabalho laboratorial	2,00		2011-05-31
	Total:	-	0,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Description	Type	Time (hours)	End date
	Estudo autónomo	73	2011-07-29
	Total:	73,00

Eligibility for exams

According to the Assessment Regulations applicable to 1st cycle courses of FLUP, attendance is a pre-requirement of assessment. Students will meet this requirement if they do not miss more than 25% of estimated theory-practical classes and tutorials, except for the cases established in the law (Article 9 of the Assessment Regulations applicable to the 1st Cycle courses – “Attendance and Eligibility for exams”).
Final written exam, with an oral if necessary.
Work developed and presented in tutorials.
Assignments/reports to be done within /as a result of tutorials.
Final Report.


- Eligibility for exams
To pass the subject, students must i) attend 75% of theory-practical classes and tutorials (cf. Article 9 of the Assessment Regulations applicable to the 1st Cycle courses– “Attendance and Eligibility for exams”), ii) presentation of all assessment elements and iii) passing each element – written exam and assignment presented in tutorials

Calculation formula of final grade

Final exam: 70%
Activities developed in tutorials: 30%

Examinations or Special Assignments

Not applicable

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Students who are exempted, by law, from attending classes will have to contact the lecturer at the beginning of course classes, in order to define their assessment.

Classification improvement

Students may ask to improve their grades. They can do so once only in each course unit, in one of the two final exam periods immediately after the one in which they passed. Students who improve their grade in the year following that in which they passed the respective course units will have to comply with the programmes and assessment methods in force for that academic year. The improvement of grades applies to both assessment components.

Observations

The teaching language is Portuguese.
Students under special status are subject to the same assessment as students enrolled in the normal regime. They are, however, exempted from mandatory attendance and to present the tutorial assignments in class. Students in this situation must contact the lecturer at the beginning of the semester in order to Schedule deadlines for submitting assignments required and to clarify any doubt.