The course deals with the theoretical and empirical aspects of political leadership, with particular regard to the Italian case from a comparative perspective.
* Donatella Campus, Lo stile del leader, il Mulino, 2016 [available at http://www.darwinbooks.it/doi/10.978.8815/326522]
* Sofia Ventura, I leader e le loro storie, il Mulino, 2019 [available at https://www.darwinbooks.it/doi/10.978.8815/350947]
* Luciano Cavalli, Carisma, in: Enciclopedia delle scienze sociali, vol. I, 1991, pp. 674-83. [available at http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/carisma_(Enciclopedia-delle-scienze-sociali)/]
* Luciano Cavalli, Leadership, in: Enciclopedia delle scienze sociali, vol. V, 1996, pp. 200-16. [available at http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/leadership_(Enciclopedia-delle-scienze-sociali)/]
Learning Objectives
Understanding of the phenomenon of leadership and political leadership in all its aspects; ability to establish linkages between the concept of political leadership and other concepts of sociology, and political sociology in particular; better understanding of contemporary social and political dynamics; acquire a conceptual framework within which to interpret the most recent and important developments in political leadership, political power, political careers, political parties and election campaigns; refine methodological abilities in the study of political phenomena.
Prerequisites
It is advisable to have passed the examinations in Political Sociology, and/or Political Science. For non-native speakers, a good knowledge of Italian is required.
Teaching Methods
Lectures; seminars; work in small groups; reading newspapers in class
Further information
Nothing
Type of Assessment
The final examination consists of an oral examination intended to assess effective understanding of the topics addressed by the course, not the ability to recite them from memory. Evaluated positively will therefore be the ability to argue, to link different topics, to actualize themes critically.
Course program
The course focuses on the theme of political leadership. The first part reviews the key concepts of the discipline, presenting theoretical and definitional aspects. Starting from Weber’s theory, it describes the traditions of study on the subject and discusses some concepts typically connected with the analysis of political leadership, principally the personalization of politics and political charisma. Besides the party-political and institutional contexts in which leadership is usually ‘located’ and studied, it will also be analysed in the specific context of social and political movements.
The second part of the course will consist mainly of seminars and will be devoted to the biographies of political leaders. After certain methodological aspects of the study of political leadership and the biographies of political leaders have been clarified, the students will be invited to choose some political leaders on whom to conduct detailed analysis by means of groupwork inside and outside the class.