Inequalities and Social Movements

Recommended Prerequisites

It is recommended that students have successfully completed the course units from the first year and the first semester of the second year of the indicative study plan. It is particularly important that they possess a solid grounding in Sociology-both in its epistemological and theoretical dimensions-acquired through mandatory course units, as this curricular unit builds upon and deepens topics previously introduced.

Teaching Methods

The course unit is delivered through theoretical-practical classes, combining exposition, problematisation, and conceptual deepening. Sessions alternate between lectures led by the lecturer and interactive moments that encourage the active participation of students in the discussion of concrete topics. Content is developed through the reading of scientific texts and the presence of guest speakers who are specialists in the subjects taught. The approach also includes engagement with empirical realities, through fieldwork and the analysis of diverse materials, fostering situated learning.

Learning Outcomes

This course unit aims to equip students with essential theoretical and analytical tools to understand social inequalities and social movements, particularly in contemporary societies. It seeks to consolidate knowledge about the various forms of social inequality and the types of social movements that have driven social change from the nineteenth century to the present, addressing their evolution, characteristics, modes of protest, and achieved outcomes. Upon completion, students should be familiar with the theoretical foundations and historical development of inequalities, able to identify and explain inequalities in modern societies, discuss general aspects of the phenomenon, and recognize factors and barriers to their overcoming. They should also master key concepts related to multidimensional inequalities and distinguish between the main theoretical frameworks explaining social movements.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

i) The concept of social inequalities, the distinction between inequality and difference, and the notion of inequalities as undesirable differences
ii) The multidimensional approach to social inequalities: theoretical contributions and an integrated reading of inequality
iii) Social movements: definitions, key concepts, and theoretical frameworks
iv) Repertoires of collective action and social transformation: from the 19th century to the present
v) Democracy, citizenship, activism, and public participation
vi) Contemporary social movements: new socio-labour dynamics, global collective action, and digital activism

 

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Portfolio: 10.0%
Class presentations: 20.0%
Exam: 70.0%

Bibliography

Babo, I. (org.) (2024), Activismos, Redes e Práticas Comunicacionais. Documenta.
Carmo, R. (2021), “Social Inequalities: Theories, concepts and problematics”, SN Social Sciences, 10.1007/s43545-021-00134-5
Castells, Manuel (2013), Redes de Indignação e de esperança. Movimentos Sociais na era da internet. Zahar Editora.
Della Porta, D.; Diani, M. (2020), Social Movements: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Wiley.
Nemer, D. (2022). Technology of the Oppressed: Inequity and the Digital Mundane in Favelas of Brazil. MIT Press.
Nunes, C. (2014), “O conceito de movimento social em debate. De 1960 até à atualidade”, Sociologia, Problemas e Práticas, 75, 131-147.
Piketty, T. (2021), A Brief History of Equality. Harvard University Press.
Tarrow, S. (2022), Power in Movement: Social Movements and Contentious Politics (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Therborn, G. (2020), Inequality and the Labyrinths of Democracy. Verso.