Elements for the analysis of the social conjuncture
Cod: 22221
Department: DCET
ECTS: 6
Scientific area: Sociology
Total working hours: 156
Total contact time: 26

1. Critically relate the concepts of theory and practice;
2. Distinguish the main issues that separate the positivist paradigm of other scientific paradigms;
3. Know the concept and main controversies surrounding the theme of citizenship;
4. Formulate sociologically and critically discuss the concept of environmental citizenship;
5. Analyze and critically discuss the concept of social "share" in terms of policy and environment;
6. Formulate a particular theoretical problem in the environmental area, in Portugal;
7. Construct a problematic around this problem, develop a body of hypotheses and a model of coherent analysis.

1. Epistemological issues;
2. Importance of theoretical frameworks of reference;
3. Paradigms;
4. The construction of the theoretical issues in the social sciences: practical application on the environmental area;
5. Concepts of citizenship and participation in and discussion on the issue action / structure of democratic representation, central and local authorities;
6. Environmental Issues in Portugal. Dominant perspectives and synthesis of the state of the art;
7. Citizenship and social capital in Portugal, the construction of a theoretical problem and a question of departure for research.

  • Barreto,A. Org.(2000) A Situação Social em Portugal 1960-1999. Lisboa, Imprensa de Ciências Sociais.
  • Vala,J, Torres,A.(2006) Contextos e Atitudes Sociais na Europa. Lisboa: ICS.
  • Goode, WJ. e Hatt, PK. (1969)Métodos em Pesquisa Social. São Paulo: Cia Editora Nacional.
  • Schnnapper, D.(2000) Qu'est-ce que la citoyenneté?, Paris:Gallimard, Folio.
  • Dunlap,RE. (2002)Paradigms, Theory and Environmental Sociology, in Dunlap, Riley E., Buttel.
  • Dunlap,RE. (2002) Environmental Sociology: an Introduction in Handbook of Environmental Sociology, USA, Greenwood Press.
  • Frederick,H, Dickens,P e Gijswijt, A. (Eds.) Sociological Theory and the Environment. Classical Foundations, Contemporary Insights, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
  • Murphy,R. (1995) Sociology as if nature did not matter: an ecological critique, in The British Journal of Sociology, vol.46(4).
  • Schmidt,L. (1999) Sociologia do Ambiente: genealogia de uma dupla emergência, Análise Social nº 150.

Evaluation is made on individual basis and it involves the coexistence of two modes: continuous assessment (60%) and final evaluation (40%). Further information is detailed in the Learning Agreement of the course unit.

Capability of Reading in English.