SOCIOLOGY OF COMMUNICATION AND TOURISM

Degree course: 
Corso di First cycle degree in TOURISM SCIENCE
Academic year when starting the degree: 
2019/2020
Year: 
1
Academic year in which the course will be held: 
2019/2020
Course type: 
Compulsory subjects, characteristic of the class
Language: 
Italian
Credits: 
8
Period: 
Second semester
Standard lectures hours: 
50
Detail of lecture’s hours: 
Lesson (50 hours)
Requirements: 

The teaching of Sociology of Communication and Tourism does not require preliminary knowledge; however, a basic knowledge of history and sociological terminology is desirable. To this end, students are advised to consult a sociology dictionary.

Final Examination: 
Orale

The method of verifying knowledge and skills consists of a written exam, including open questions based on the contents and approaches presented. The assessment takes into account the relevance of the answers given to the questions asked, the clarity of presentation and the possession of the specific language of the discipline. A mark is given out of a maximum of thirty.

Assessment: 
Voto Finale

Given the educational objectives of the course of study, the teaching focuses on providing an introduction to and the practice of the sociological perspective, both in general terms and applied to the fields of communication and tourism. In the context of the professional training of those who will operate in the hospitality industry, the acquisition of sociological skills – focusing on interpreting local contexts, their situated dynamics and relationship with global forces – is deemed to be fundamental.
The teaching aims to provide the main sociological references – both theoretical and methodological – needed to understand communication and tourism phenomena in relation to the advent of modernity and its most recent transformations.
The general learning goal pursued by the teaching consists of the development of a self-reflexive perspective, capable of contextualising and grasping the socially constructed character of collective phenomena and, in particular, of those relating to communication and tourism. The specific objectives are to acquire familiarity with sociological thinking and to master its main vocabulary.

The course is divided into two parts, distinct but developed in an integrated way during the lessons. The first part is dedicated to introducing the sociological perspective, starting from the thinking developed by the so-called "founding fathers" of the discipline to grasp and account for the development of modernity and the complex phenomenologies related to it. The second part of the course is thematic, with reference to communication and tourism issues. In particular, the following topics will be addressed: post-industrial society and tourism; daily life and social interaction; socio-economic transformations; communication and the cultural industry; the knowledge economy; the origins, transformations and phenomenology of contemporary tourism; cultural strategies for local promotion; events; public space and urban transformations; and civil society.

To prepare for the exam, all students are required to study the following two texts:

1. Jedlowski P. (1998), The world in question. Introduction to the history of sociological thought, Carocci, Rome.

2. d’Eramo M. (2019) The selfie of the world. Survey on the age of tourism, Feltrinelli, Milan.

The slides of the lessons and didactic material used during the lessons are also available on the e-learning platform.

Convenzionale

The course includes 50 hours of lectures.
The first lesson unit has an introductory function. It serves to present the objectives of the course, the working methodology, the texts and the methods of evaluation – in other words, to define a training contract with the students. The following units are dedicated to detailed study of the course programme.
The course alternates theoretical lessons with others that look in depth at the most pressing issues posed by the study of the sociology of communication and tourism. Illustrative, iconographic and audiovisual material is used in the discussion of the topics. Examples and case studies are designed to bring students closer to the sociological discipline and its application to the areas of communication and tourism. The teaching is given by the teacher in charge of the course, which encourages students’ active participation in the course.

The teacher is available to see students in the Sant’Abbondio office, Office 1.6., according to the calendar displayed on the bulletin board and on the Department website. The teacher can be contacted by email at: sebastiano.citroni@uninsubria.it

Professors