The Doctoral Program (PhD) in Human and Social Sciences proposed by the Department of Human and Social Sciences intends to adopt inter-, multi- and trans-disciplinary approaches to embrace different thematic areas arising from the in-depth study of epistemological, psychological, pedagogical, philosophical, anthropological, geographical, political sociological and historical that are configured as a meaningful framework of analysis to reflect on the transformation of identities, the circulation of ideas, imaginaries, experiences and practices, to understand the complexity of historical and contemporary scenarios, and to identify good practices, propose strategies for educational/training intervention and generate cultural and social impact.

The course aims to train professionals equipped with the most advanced and up-to-date knowledge, stimulating a critical awareness that can relate to emerging phenomena and continuous changes in society and that is competitive with the demands of the territory in a local, national and international perspective.

Three curricula complement the common pathway:

- “Mind and body for the generativity of psychosocial well-being”: the curriculum complements the cross-curricular training offered by the common pathway with specialized training in the scientific fields of psychology, activating courses to support the research areas in which doctoral students will be active. Areas of analysis and research are:

(a) functional organization and brain bases of cognitive, affective and personality processes, under typical and atypical conditions, study of individual differences and skills related to measurement and assessment theories and procedures in psychology and application of qualitative-quantitative disciplines;

(b) psychological development, typical and atypical, in terms of perceptual, cognitive, communicative-linguistic, motor, social, affective and relational skills and individual and socio-environmental factors of the processes that determine it;

(c) psychological care, development of methods and techniques, including psychodynamic, for the design and implementation of clinical studies and evaluation of processes/outcomes of related psychological interventions, including those related to the therapeutic relationship (integrated and multidisciplinary);

(d) social, community, work, organizational, cultural, economic-political phenomena, with attention to the interaction between psychological and relational processes at different levels (individual, interpersonal, intra- and inter-group, community, social) and the system of cognitions, emotions, motivations and actions of individuals and social groups;

(e) promotion of the well-being and health of individuals, groups, communities, and organizations, in connection with the theme of environmental and social sustainability.

Areas are considered in the different systems and contexts (interpersonal, family, environmental, communicative, cultural, intercultural, school, health, legal, labor-organizational, institutional, community, technological, economic, market, leisure, and sports), with cross-cutting attention to differences in gender, ethnic background, and life span.

- “Educational, didactic and training theory and research in the human and social sciences”: the curriculum complements the cross-curricular training offered by the common pathway with training of a specialized nature by activating, from year to year, specialized courses supporting the following research areas:

(a) theoretical, historical and epistemological paradigms of pedagogical research;

(b) contemporary social and cultural transformations and the educational and training dimensions of the person in relation to the environmental context in which he or she lives; the challenges of the world of school, university, work and educational services, including teaching and learning processes (teacher training, school-work transitions, education, training, education); effective teaching methodologies for education and training;

(c) the challenges introduced into educational and training contexts by technologies; the educational professions; the material and immaterial dimensions of education; the integrated 0-6 system; the design and organization and evaluation of educational action;

(d) the innovation and design of inclusion in all social contexts, with reference to persons with disabilities and frailty, the accessibility of contexts and environments, and the use of assistive and inclusive technologies; emerging forms of disease, exclusion, inequalities, educational poverty, and school dropout;

(e) motor and sports education in social, educational and historical perspectives, including with reference to play-motor contexts and urban environments; education for citizenship and participation; children's and youth literature and new narrative languages.

- “Bases and transformations of the human and social sciences”: the curriculum integrates the cross-curricular training offered by the common pathway with training of a specialized nature by activating, offering advanced courses each year to support the different areas of research. The curriculum aims to investigate the influence of social, anthropological, historical-political and territorial conditions on the production and circulation of knowledge by embracing four main thematic areas of research:

(a) the relationship with institutions: it explores how knowledge has acquired an institutional dimension, transforming from informal knowledge to organized structures, such as universities, academies, other educational and training institutions, as well as government and health care institutions;

(b) the relationship with society: it focuses on the social needs to which the humanities and social sciences have responded over time, including whether such knowledge has helped to generate new needs or redefine collective priorities;

(c) the human being and the territory: it explores how disciplines such as anthropology and related fields have contributed to decisive conceptions of the human being, his or her social relations and inhabited space, highlighting the dialogue between the humanities and social sciences and the physical and political-cultural context;

(d) interaction with the “hard” sciences: mutual influences are analyzed, considering how the natural sciences have often contributed to the emergence of the humanities and social sciences, shaped their paradigms, and continue to influence them in the development of new areas of research.

The research projects will consider two time axes: the contemporary (21st century) and the past (17th to 20th century): in the first case, the impact of today’s dynamics on the nature and diffusion of knowledge in the humanities and social sciences will be explored, while in the second one, the historical development of these disciplines, from the birth of modern science to the 20th century, will be analyzed.

The doctoral degree is a prerequisite for pursuing an academic career at national and international universities. The course aims to equip doctoral students with personal skills that can ensure employability and an exercise in self-entrepreneurship to be spent in the labor market. A further opportunity is for placement within national and international public and private research centers.

Duration: 3 years

Language: Italian