This course introduces students to the sociology of global politics, understood as the study of how global political orders are shaped, contested, and transformed through social processes, actors, and institutions. Moving beyond state-centered approaches, the course examines global politics as a field of interactions between states, international organizations, social movements, and transnational networks. The course familiarizes students with key concepts and approaches in political sociology and applies them to the analysis of global phenomena such as globalization, migration, human rights, and religion. Particular attention is given to the role of norms and values in global politics and to the ways in which these are produced, diffused, and contested across different contexts. The course will enable students to: (a) understand global politics as a socially embedded and historically contingent process; (b) analyze the interaction between political institutions and social actors at the global and transnational level; (c) critically assess competing interpretations of global order, including liberal, postcolonial, and other perspectives; (d) examine contemporary conflicts over norms and values, including debates on human rights, religion, gender, and nationalism; (e) develop analytical and argumentative skills through engagement with theoretical texts and empirical case studies.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING Students acquire knowledge of key concepts and theories in the sociology of global politics, including transnationalism, norm diffusion and norm contestation. They gain an understanding of how global political orders emerge and change through interactions between institutions, actors, and social processes. They become familiar with major empirical domains such as globalization, migration, human rights and religion. MAKING JUDGMENTS Students develop the ability to critically evaluate competing interpretations of global politics and to assess the role of norms, values, and power in shaping global order. They learn to analyze conflicts over legitimacy, authority, and rights, and to formulate informed judgments on contemporary global political issues. COMMUNICATION SKILLS Students learn to articulate complex sociological arguments about global politics clearly and effectively. Through class discussions, presentations, and written work, they develop the ability to engage with diverse perspectives and to communicate their analyses using appropriate conceptual tools. LEARNING SKILLS Students acquire skills in working with interdisciplinary literature at the intersection of sociology and international relations. They learn to identify relevant sources, critically engage with theoretical and empirical materials, and apply sociological approaches to the analysis of global political phenomena.

This course examines global politics from a sociological perspective, focusing on the structures, processes, and conflicts that shape contemporary global order. It analyzes how political dynamics unfold through interactions between states, international organizations, social movements, religious actors, and transnational networks. The course is organized in four parts. The first part introduces key concepts in political sociology and applies them to the global level, including the state, power, globalization, and the role of ideas in international relations. The second part explores the structures and processes of global politics, with attention to global governance, international organizations, human rights as global norms, migration, and the crisis of liberalism. The third part focuses on fields of global contestation, examining conflicts over gender, religion, war, and competing moral orders. The fourth part addresses the crisis and future of global order, including debates on liberal international order, multipolarity, fragmentation, and competing sociological and international relations perspectives. Throughout, students engage with theoretical approaches and empirical case studies to develop a critical and theoretically informed understanding of global politics.

Janoski T, Alford RR, Hicks AM, Schwartz MA, eds. The Handbook of Political Sociology: States, Civil Societies, and Globalization. Cambridge University Press; 2012. This book is available electronically through the Luiss Library. Additional Readings will be specified for each session.

The course combines lectures, guided reading, and interactive class activities. Lectures introduce key concepts and theoretical approaches in the sociology of global politics and provide the analytical framework for the course. These are complemented by the discussion of assigned readings, which are used to deepen understanding and encourage critical engagement with the material. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions and, in selected sessions, contribute through short presentations based on the assigned readings or empirical case studies. These activities are designed to foster analytical skills, the ability to engage with academic literature, and the capacity to articulate and defend arguments in a structured manner.

Assessment is based on a combination of class participation, student-led discussions, a written mid-term exam and a final multiple exam. Active participation in class discussions and engagement with the readings form an integral part of the evaluation. Students will be asked to form discussion groupson selected readings or case studies during the course. The written mid-term exam consists in an open question and students will be assessed on argumentation, academic writing and use of course literature. The final multiple choice assesses students’ understanding of key concepts and theories.

Students interested in writing their thesis in this field should contact the instructors. Proposals will be accepted based on thematic fit and supervisory capacity.