SL/SO 395 - Social Action Seminar

This seminar aims at increasing knowledge and awareness of students who engage in a volunteer work experience, helping them understand both the real and theoretical context to which their efforts contribute. A key aspect is to underline the need for closer contact between economics and ethics. In the traditional conflict between supporters of free market and advocates of the State’s role in the economy, an intermediate space is openly filled by new actors. The world of volunteer work (in Italy called the “third sector”) represents one of these emerging actors, with a growing need for specialized skills and expertise. Students will play an active role, by working with volunteer organizations, sharing hands-on experiences in class, and interviewing local representatives of the “third sector”; they will, in the end, be able to analyze and synthesize their experiences based on the theories and issues studied in class.