Structure and Social Inequalities

Code: SOC02412L

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

Erradicar a pobreza - Acabar com a pobreza em todas as suas formas, em todos os lugares

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

Igualdade de género - Alcançar a igualdade de gênero e empoderar todas as mulheres e meninas.

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

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

Paz, justiça e instituições eficazes - Paz, justiça e instituições eficazes promover sociedades pacíficas e inclusivas par ao desenvolvimento sustentável, proporcionar o acesso à justiça para todos e construir instituições eficazes, responsáveis
e inclusivas em todos os níveis.

Learning Goals

This curricular unit aims at social inequalities, including inequalities of class, gender and ethnicity, and is guided by the following goals:
a) present and discuss social inequalities and occupational rearrangement in Portuguese society
b) develop reflective and analytical skills based on a set of conceptual proposals about structure and social inequality in contemporary societies;
c) develop operational skills regarding the use of the concepts for analyse social classes

Introduction: Social inequalities and the problem social classes/strata
A. Main theoretical frames
1 historical materialism and the theory of social classes
2 The functionalist paradigm and the theory of social stratification
3 Contemporary achievements
3.1 Bourdieu praxiology: habitus, field and action
3.2 The emergence of citizenship and the new social movements
3.3 Contemporary structuring of social inequalities: gender, ethnicity, poverty
B. Measuring issues and operational procedures
C. Social occupational dynamics in Portuguese and western societies

Teaching Methods

The classes are theoretical-practical and are organized in three formats: 1) theoretical exposition of the program contents, using national and international bibliography; 2) classes illustrating theoretical content based on the discussion of statistical data, surveys, empirical studies, practical cases, and other sources of information; 3) presentation and discussion of texts and work done by students. In addition to classes, students can clarify doubts or request tutorial guidance in the teacher's office or/and remotely (via zoom and e-mail), during office hours, or at another time as long as agreed by e-mail. The mandatory reading bibliography is available on Moodle, as well as other materials shown in classes. Other additional bibliographical references may be suggested depending on the students' specific requests and interests.

Assessment

Students can opt for the continuous assessment system or the final assessment system.

In the continuous assessment regime, students carry out the following assessment elements: (1) Written test, individual and without consultation, with a weighting of 50%; (2) Oral discussion of texts and work in classes, with a weighting of 15%; (3) Written work, individually or in groups, with a weighting of 35%.

In the final assessment regime, students carry out the following assessment element: - Written exam, individual and without consultation, with a weighting of 100% in the final grade.