Pierluca Birindelli Adjunct Instructor of Sociology and Communication
B.A., University of Florence
M.A., Communication and Cultural Studies, University of Florence
Ph.D.,Sociology of Culture and Communication, University of Florence
Biographical Information
Pierluca Birindelli earned his M.A. in
Communication and Cultural Studies and his Ph.D. in Sociology of Culture at the
University of Florence. During his Ph.D. he has been Visiting Fellow in the University of Texas
at Austin and the Université de Paris. He taught Sociology and Psychology of Culture
and Communication in the University
of Florence and is
currently teaching at Gonzaga University;
he is a visiting Professor in the University
of Helsinky, where he
offers seminars about "European
and American Youngsters". He is a member of the research network "Biographical Perspective on
European Societies" (European Sociological Association). He has published
a book on the passage from youth to adulthood in Italy (Clicca su te stesso 2006) and a monograph about self-identity in
late modernity (Sé: concetti e pratiche
2008). Professor Birindelli's research interests focus on the following themes:
individual and collective identities; attitudes, values and lifestyles;
late-modernity and mediatization of experience; Italian, European and American
culture: a comparative perspective; youth, adulthood and intergenerational
relationships; cross cultural communication; education, social stratification
and social mobility.
Dr. Pierluca Birindelli is currently working on
the research project "Young Europeans
&Young Americans", where he is setting out to understand: the
meanings which young people attribute to the transition to adulthood; the
differences and the analogies which can be delineated among young Europeans and
young Americans; the general and specific means (social, cultural and symbolic
resources) used to build up a feeling of personal, generational and collective
identity.
Course Descriptions
Sociology of Italian Culture (SOCI
395) The aim of the course is to
introduce the concept of culture in the sociological sense. After clarifying
the meaning of the word ‘culture', other related concepts will be analyzed:
values, rules, lifestyles, attitudes, beliefs, stereotypes. The two main
sociological points of view on genuine cultural practices and artifacts will be
outlined: the symbolization and experience of shared representations (the Durkheimian
tradition) or shared meanings (the Weberian or interpretative tradition).
Attention will also be drawn to the notion of social and cultural change: the
processes of secularization, globalization (and localisation), mediatization,
individualization, value change and cultural pluralization. Afterwards, some
qualitative (non-standard) research methods (participant and non-participant
observation, ethnography, ethnology, narrative and biographical approach) will
be outlined. Concepts and methods learnt in the first part of the course will
be applied to Italian culture to identify its specific features. The following
cultural dimensions will be looked at in-depth: responsibility / dependence;
particularism / universalism; passivity / activity. Italian-ness will be
compared on the one hand with traits of the American, Northern European and Mediterranean cultural heritage; while on the other the
distinguishing features of Florentine-ness will be identified. In the framework
of cultural processes thus constructed we will then focus on: the creation of a
sense of belonging and the experience of being "different"; self-recognition
and recognition of others (as individuals and as members of a group); the
dynamics of interaction with another person/other people as well as the origins
of representations and stereotypes. Another objective of the course is to take
an in-depth look at the concept of individual and collective identity; within
the lifecycle stages particular attention will be given to the passage from youth
to adulthood, depicting a peculiar Italian phenomenon: the prolongation of
youth. As well as learning theoretic propositions and paradigms students will
be invited to undertake a journey of self-awareness, so as to internalize the
themes tackled during the term and apply them in a critical manner. Part of the
course will be set aside for the theme of journey. Students will thus be able
to supplement their studies by learning concepts which will help them to
elaborate what they are experiencing.
Cross Cultural Communication. Narrative Identities (COMM 480) The aim of the course is to
introduce the concepts of communication and culture, and to develop an
understanding of communicative processes across cultural boundaries. Having
clarified that culture is both a producer and product of communication, we will
then focus on: some media representations of typical (or stereotypical)
Italian, European and American cultural features (especially through films) -
paying special attention to communicative-cultural incidents/dilemmas, and
their effects on personal and collective identity construction; the
mediatization of experience (television, internet and mobile phones), and the
sense of otherness. Moreover we will discuss the social impact of old and new
media on the shaping of communities and public spheres, trying to grasp how
modern communication affects the "sense of place" and the "sense of time". Part of the course will be dedicated to the
communicative and cultural experience of youngsters. They are immersed in the
new media, and this state of mind
influences their experience of a culture - they are connected with
"home"; they have a Facebook profile through which they can display their
"on-line Self"; they instantly communicate (Skype, email etc.) their (undigested?)
cultural encounters. Finally, students will be able to answer in a critical and
thoughtful way - that is by identifying the disturbed (the double bind) or the
disturbing (propaganda) communication - to the questions: "How does one's
socio-cultural background affect values and communication styles?; "Which kind
of stories (culturally grounded) do I use to interpret my experience abroad?
Social & Economic Development of Italy (SOCI 478) This course introduces students
to the key approaches for the study of relationships between society and
economy. In the light of social relations in the contemporary economy, we shall
focus on the links between social, cultural and economic capital. This course
shall especially emphasize social exchange theory, network analysis, and social
stratification. The modernization process and its effects on individual and
collective identities will be studied within the conceptual and interpretative
framework of the course. The concepts and theories of the first part of the
course will be applied to the study of Italian national and local development,
with a special focus on the role of extended family and intergenerational
relationships. To achieve a holistic representation of the sociological
phenomena investigated, we will analyze the role of social capital not only
within the field of economic development, but also in the field of political
and civic development. Finally, the assumption that all social capital is
positive will be critically examined within the comparative perspective of Italy and United States.
Method
and objectives All courses have a seminar
format. Lectures will introduce the main topic, with the support of slides
synthesizing concepts, paradigms, theories and examples extracted from the
readings. Students will be sometimes divided in groups of three, carrying out
in-class exercises and report on them. Experiential work will be used to
elaborate concepts raised throughout the course. Students are expected to
engage in active participation by contributing their thoughts, ideas and
questions. Courses requirements include a midterm exam and a final research
paper, where students are expected to make reference to the interpretative
methods of analysis acquired during the course. The historic background will
give preference to the period from the end of the Second World War to the
present day. The basic concepts (theories, paradigms etc.) adopted - and shared
with the students - allow for an interdisciplinary approach, including
Sociology, Psychology, Cultural Studies and Cultural Anthropology. The
narrative approach will be the "discipline glue".
