Coordinator
Prof. Andrea Salvini
email: andrea.salvini@unipi.it
Administrative seat
Department of Political Sciences
Project description
The PhD Programme in Political Sciences centres on the theme of “contemporary political and social complexity”, with particular attention to the form and quality of social, political and economic relations; the processes of participation or exclusion in access to resources (including those affected by new media); and the transformations of citizenship and international relations in the context of the major challenges faced by today’s societies, including those related to sustainable development.
Never in the past thirty years have political scientists been called upon so strongly to provide complex responses to a constantly changing world.
Whereas in modern and pre-modern times national and international social, political and economic processes shaped societies at a relatively gradual pace, the century of the World Wars and then the Cold War marked a first and significant acceleration in history. Yet even during the 20th century, the world still appeared to be “governed” by recognisable social, political, economic and international actors. Parties, trade unions, social movements, businesses, institutions, states and citizens continued to operate without their identities being fundamentally questioned.
With the advent of the new millennium, however, the world has largely lost this clear structure. A key role in this transition has been played by the development of a complex process of expanding and deepening international interactions on all levels, commonly referred to as globalisation. This phenomenon has historically brought about systemic transformations: the emergence of dozens of new independent states through decolonisation and the consequent broadening of international, regional and national attention to new geopolitically significant areas; the expansion and intensification of international trade, accompanied by the progressive relocation of national production and the resulting strengthening of economic interdependence; increasingly unmanageable mass migrations; and the extraordinary development of the internet and, thanks to it, of social networks, which has given an unprecedented direct voice to all, or nearly all, citizens of the world, even on highly technical and specific issues. All of this has deeply transformed the identity of traditional actors: states have lost their centrality; mass ideological parties and trade unions have weakened in favour of vague populist formulas; and many businesses have shed their national character to compete in the global capitalist market. Alongside the narrative of a prosperous world and unstoppable economic, social and cultural growth eventually reaching all humanity, a counter-narrative has emerged, highlighting the contradictions of neoliberalism, rising inequalities, the spread of violence, terrorism and war, and, most recently, the devastating effects of climate change. While until recently international institutions and national elites have often proved unable to manage change, the current pandemic crisis urges us to quickly develop the tools needed to face the challenges of tomorrow.
The world today therefore needs, more than ever, scholars with expertise in society and politics, equipped with an interdisciplinary education that enables them to interpret current events within the broader context of historical trends. The training of these expert analysts of contemporary society takes place within the PhD Programme in Political Sciences—a privileged space not only for research but also for the exchange of ideas, in-depth study and interdisciplinary debate. It offers an experience of education, knowledge and intellectual engagement among lecturers and all the young researchers who have taken part and will do so in the future.
Course objectives
The PhD Programme draws on the broad scientific and disciplinary expertise of the Department of Political Sciences, whose distinctive feature is its interdisciplinary approach and the ongoing exchange among scholars concerning the topics under investigation and the research methodologies employed.
In particular, the Department has a strong research tradition in the history of modern and contemporary political thought, in the evolution of political-institutional systems, and in the development and crisis of representative democracy. It has also carried out extensive studies on welfare systems, migration processes, transformations and conflicts in urban life, sustainable development, cognitive and participatory processes, the political dynamics of the knowledge and communication society and the impact of new media, the changing forms of citizenship and international relations, all in the context of the challenges faced by contemporary societies. Significant research is also carried out in the field of geopolitics, with particular attention to the links between national dynamics and broader regional, interregional, international and transnational processes.
The PhD Programme therefore guarantees an interdisciplinary approach of study and research through its training structure, which includes an initial phase of shared methodological instruction followed by a second phase dedicated to specialised study.
Thanks to the expertise of the lecturers involved, an interdisciplinary PhD programme has been developed, integrating social, political, historical, geopolitical and international studies. The programme is structured into two distinct research areas:
- Sociology, History and Political Studies. This curriculum addresses a wide range of key research areas. In sociology, the main lines of research include transformations in the knowledge society, social complexity, climate change, environmental policies and sustainability, migration processes, prison dynamics, socialisation processes and the construction of gender identity, as well as innovative methodological approaches such as social network analysis and the evaluation of social policies. Historical research focuses on modern and contemporary political theories, doctrines and cultures; economic and financial processes and institutions; and the historical and political-philosophical development of citizenship and the modern state. Special attention is also given to a broad set of current political phenomena, including the crisis of representation and the rise of populism, the emergence of new social movements, and the impact of new media on political communication.
- Geopolitics and the History of International Relations. This curriculum prioritises the analysis of international and supranational processes within the framework of growing interdependence resulting from globalisation. From this perspective, it examines both actors and phenomena associated with European integration and global geopolitical dynamics, with a particular focus on Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
Scientific-disciplinary areas
Political Philosophy
Social Psychology
Political Science
Sociology of Political Phenomena
Sociology of Cultural and Communication Processes
Sociology of Economic and Labour Processes
Environmental and Territorial Sociology
General Sociology
Contemporary History
History of Economic Thought
History of Political Doctrines
History of Political Institutions
History of International Relations
Economic History
Internal Regulations of the PhD Programme in Political Sciences
Website
https://www.sp.unipi.it/it/ricerca/dottorato/
