Social Problems in Contemporary Societies

N/A

It is intended to adopt a teaching methodology of a theoretical-practical nature in which students’ intervention and critical reflection on social issues and problems are privileged. Thus, work is promoted, preferably in groups, that allow students to develop knowledge about some current social problems and promote their discussion.

Periodic Assessment — Assessment that takes place throughout the academic semester and which consists of an individual theoretical component of a written test with a weighting of 50% of the final grade and a component of work(s) preferably in a group with a weighting of 50% of the final grade.

Assessment by Exam — Assessment method at the end of a training period through an individual written test with 100% weighting in the final grade.

Students whose final grade is equal to or greater than 9.5 will be approved

Students who obtain a classification between 7.5 and 9.4 in the exam modality will be entitled to a complementary oral test, and in this situation, the final grade will correspond to the average of the obtained classifications.

It is intended with this CU that students are able to:

To understand the social construction of problems, know the main perspectives of scientific study of social problems;

To acknowledge the multidimensional character of social phenomena, recognize the need for respect for cultural diversity, realizing the relativity of social issues and their spatio-temporal specificities;

To comprehend the role of the State and Civil Society towards the main social problems, contextualizing them at the global and national level;

To relate the historical evolution of western society with the dynamics of social issues and the responses to those social issues;

To research the available information for the analysis of social themes and problems, from different sources of information and to collect primary data from different social actors on the theme/social problem under study;

To present the result of the investigation on the theme/social problem analyzed, debating the points of view of different interlocutors and the possibilities of solving it.

1 – SOCIAL PROBLEMS

1.1 Concepts: social problem and sociological problem

1.2 Social construction of problems

1.3 Theoretical perspectives: positivism, functionalism, relativism and constructivism

2- APPROACHING SOCIAL PROBLEMS

2.1 Historical context: from modern society to the present

2.2 Role of the State: emergence of the Welfare State

2.3 Role of Civil Society: emergence of new actors

3 – CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL THEMES

3.1 Analysis of social reality

3.2 Globalization, social risk and uncertainty

3.3 Themes of contemporary Portuguese society

• - Exam - 100.0%

• - Frequency - 50.0%
• - Individual and/or Group Work - 50.0%

NAO

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Carmo, H. (2001). Problemas Sociais Contemporâneos. Lisboa: Universidade Aberta

Carvalho, N. (2007) O Ambiente como Problema Social em Portugal. Lisboa: Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente.

Figueiredo, E. et al. (2004) Conviver com o Risco. A importância da incorporação da percepção social nos mecanismos de gestão do risco de cheia no concelho de Águeda. Aveiro: Universidade de Aveiro

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