School of Sociology

Founded in 2019, it builds on the long tradition of quality education and excellence in international research that had been developed up to that point by the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Economics and Business. Currently, it has over 130 students and 100 professionals and researchers who participate in various programs focused on research and professional outcomes. The aim is to become an attractive center for research and academic activities in sociology, fostering an international academic environment that stimulates intellectual and scientific debate.

• The University’s Graduate Programme in Sociology is aimed at students intending to pursue an international research career. The program consists of a one-and-a-half-year master’s degree (Master in Sociology) and a three-year doctoral program in Sociology. The main aim of the programme is to prepare students to analyze social transformations from an academic perspective and to identify solutions in the field of public policies.
• The Master’s Degree in Sociology: Social Transformations and Innovation provides advanced training in sociology and allows graduates from different disciplines to further specialize in sociology. This programme also offers extensive professional opportunities and serves as a solid foundation for pursuing a PhD in Sociology.
• The doctoral programme in Sociology is an organized set of training and research activities leading to the doctoral degree. Its main aims are to prepare academic researchers and elite professionals with the capacity to lead institutional transformations and propose social innovations.

Research at the UB School of Sociology is organized into five major areas: inequality, well-being, quality of life and social policies, social organizations, society, community and environment, and culture, knowledge and innovation. 

Inequality

This research area explores several dimensions of inequality. It specifically focuses on social, cultural, and economic inequalities, as well as the policies that contribute to reducing them. It also addresses issues such as poverty, school failure, and key objectives of the EU2020 agenda. Relevant contributions to gender studies are made, examining topics such as women and technology, deprivation of liberty, gender-based violence, and sexualities. Inequality is also studied from the perspective of security studies and crime and violence prevention and response.

Welfare, Quality of Life, and Social Policies

This area groups research lines oriented towards analyzing social welfare, quality of life, and happiness throughout the life course in domestic, family, and social settings. The research focuses on demographic transformations and population structure: the changing interrelation between individuals in households and families, the market (labor and goods/services), the community, and the State. It integrates perspectives such as the course of life, gender, and generation.

The impact of social policies on life trajectories and different age groups is also studied. In particular, research addresses the challenges of education and educational policies, health, poverty, and policies aimed at reversing inequality and social exclusion. It also studies the impact and challenges posed by demographic and family changes on social policies across different life stages (childhood and youth, parenting, work-life balance in adulthood, aging, autonomy and dependency care).

Social Organizations

This research area is focused on the study of institutions and social, economic, and political systems, as well as the identification and evaluation of proposals for social change. It covers a wide range of issues, from classic topics like labor, democracy, and modernity to the analysis of social networks, social capital, and transformative social policies. A specific objective of this research area is to approach these issues from a historical perspective, integrating critical reflections from ethics and political philosophy.

Society, Community, and Environment

Researchers in this area analyze global processes in their concrete and localized forms in cities, where the flows of people, capital, ideas, and social, economic, and political innovations transform existing communities. Comparative analyses of urban and metropolitan governance for welfare and environmental policies are also carried out, alongside studies of socio-political challenges in the market (e.g., the logic generating social inequality or global environmental challenges like climate change). Recent research has emphasized the important role of cities in the emergence of solidarity and leadership to create a more sustainable society with the engagement of citizens.

Culture, Knowledge, and Innovation

This research area focuses on analyzing different forms of social reflexivity, such as religion, art, culture, knowledge, and science. Using various theoretical and methodological perspectives, the area studies the different logics, configurations, and dynamics characterizing these social spaces of reflexivity in contemporary society and the transformations they induce, guiding society towards creativity, innovation, and a concern for the future.