General Sociology

Code: SOC02403L

6 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours

Scientific Area: Sociology

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese

Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Sustainable Development Goals

3. Saúde de qualidade - Assegurar uma vida saudável e promover o bem-estar para todos, em todas as idades.

4. Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

8. Trabalho digno e crescimento económico - Promover o crescimento económico sustentado, inclusivo e sustentável, emprego pleno e produtivo, e trabalho decente para todos.

9. Indústria, inovação e infraestruturas - Construir infraestrutura resiliente, promover a industrialização inclusiva e sustentável, e fomentar a inovação.

10. Reduzir as desigualdades - Reduzir as desigualdades dentro dos países e entre eles.

11. Cidades e comunidades sustentáveis - Tornar as cidades e os assentamentos humanos inclusivos, seguros, resilientes e sustentáveis.

Learning Goals

General Sociology aims to provide students with the foundations of sociological perspective and the fundamental concepts of sociology, to develop attitudes of questioning, analytical reasoning, critical and reflective on society. Specifically, the students must know: a) recognize and explain the specificity of the sociological approach; b) use the fundamental concepts of sociology and understand, promote and use the proper language of this science; c) recognize the usefulness of sociological knowledge even in the professional context, d) understand the multiple ways of life society organization, raising the sense of relative by the acceptance, without prejudice, the plurality of values and cultures; e) develop the taste for the methodical observation and critique of the social reality; f) develop a method of observation, classification and explanation of the relationship, community and human behavior in society; g) to encourage the reading of sociological texts of key authors .

1.Introduction: The study of Sociology, Sociology and other social sciences; Historical development of sociology
2. The methodical observation of social reality
3. Society, culture and individual
4. Status and social role
5. Socialization and personality
6. Groups, aggregates and social categories
7. Social institutions
8. Social organization, social control and deviant behavior
9. Stratification, structure and social mobility
10. Family, education and religion
11. Formal organizations, labor and economic life
12. Urban development and changing patterns of social interaction
13. Government, political and social power
14. Revolutions and social movements
15. Global change and ecological crisis

Teaching Methods

1. Oral exposition of theoretical issues, supported by audio-visual media and illustrated with examples of concrete social reality.
2. Summaries of the issues discussed in with indication of specific support texts.
3. Individual and group reading of texts.
4. Reading texts and structured oral presentation of the author's main ideas.
5. Participation in conferences and scientific events of sociological interest.

Assessment

Students are offered two assessment modalities - continuous and final - and are required to select one.
The continuous assessment option entails completing two written mid-term evaluations (covering segmented material):
- 1st Midterm Exam (50% weighting in the final average);
- 2nd Midterm Exam (50% weighting in the final average).
The final assessment is administered via a written examination (covering the entirety of the course material).
Following the grading of the written evaluations and prior to the official posting of the marks, the lecturer reserves the right to call the student for an oral clarification regarding their work, should any doubt arise.

Attendance: In order to be eligible for the continuous assessment, students are required to attend 75% of the classes. Statutory exceptions apply.

Teaching Staff

Mara Clemente [responsible]

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