Critical theory

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Milano

Professional training

Italian

8 months

blended

Vision

Corso Interuniversitario con Universidad de Buenos Aires.

Il corso intende fornire un'ampia rassegna della strumentazione critica offerta dalle scienze umane contemporanee, dall'antropologia alla sociologia, dalla teoria della storia all'economia politica, dalla psiconalisi alla filosofia, dai gender studies ai postcolonial studies. L'obiettivo fondamentale è quello di formare uno sguardo capace di cogliere i nessi profondi della crisi contemporanea attraverso un'apertura ad un sapere interdisciplinare ed ad un'attitudine che sappia valorizzare la grande tradizione della critica della società.

Mission

Le competenze fornite nel corso possono risultare fondamentali come formazione e completamento per l'attività in ruoli politici e sindacali di vario livello, nelle realtà associazionali e nel settore no‐profit, nonché come integrazione della preparazione all'attività giornalistica nelle specializzazioni più legate all'analisi politico‐sociale. Il corso costituisce anche un valido aggiornamento per l'attività di insegnamento nelle scuole superiori e più in generale per tutte le professioni pedagogiche.

Structure

The lessons will be available both in-person and remotely, in asynchronous mode.

Students wishing to also obtain the degree from the equivalent course held at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) must replace 9 ECTS credits from our course with an equal number of courses from the UBA program. UBA lessons can be accessed via e-learning (live or asynchronous) on our platform or attended in person at UBA. Travel, food, and accommodation expenses are the responsibility of the student. A prerequisite is knowledge of the Spanish language.

Teaching Organization

232 hours of Lessons

Exams and Attendance

1 FINAL TEST

For a total of 29 CFU

REQUIRED 75 % OF HOURS OF ATTENDANCE

Courses

The issue of historical facts, the dimensions of historical knowledge, source criticism, and the necessary connection of historical knowledge with other disciplines such as human geography, economics, demography, and ethnology.
Examination of key concepts that constitute the conditions for conceiving any philosophy of history: the concepts of historical time, epoch, social totality, individual and collective action.
Proposal of a theory of history that stands outside the secularization of the major theological frameworks of eschatology and teleology.

24 HOURS

3 CFU

The history of European law and its spread beyond Europe.
Non-European legal systems before and after their encounter with Western civilization.

16 HOURS

2 CFU

The transformations of capitalism through economic theories
The mercantilists, the State, and the birth of “biopolitics"
The Industrial Revolution and the classical school
Germany’s industrialization: the historical school, Marx, and liberalism
Imperialism
Between the two world wars: the 1929 crisis and Keynesian theory
Fordism and post-Fordism
The current crisis and the role of international organizations

24 HOURS

3 CFU

Historical and theoretical overview of the relationship between Marxist theory and feminist theory.
Marxist interpretations of feminism from the 1970s to contemporary debates.
Critical discussion of major thematic issues — social reproduction; production and reproduction; patriarchy and capitalism — aimed at providing analytical tools for understanding the present.

8 HOURS

1 CFU

Freudo-Marxist theories of sexual liberation (Mieli)
Constructivist theories of sexuality (Foucault) and performative theories of gender (Butler)
Antisocial queer theories (Bersani, Edelman)

8 HOURS

1 CFU

Disability Studies
The identity of people with disabilities
Processes of emancipation and inclusion, and the ever-renewed forms of stigmatization that persist in the era of human rights proclamations, neoliberal policies, and cultures.
The feminist strand of Disability Studies and the (de)sexualization of disability
The relationship between gender, sexuality, and somatic otherness.

8 HOURS

1 CFU

Cinema as the discipline that studies how the antagonism of reality "appears"
The tools of psychoanalysis (Lacan, Copjec, Zupančič), critical Marxism (Jameson), and image theory
Contemporary audiovisual productions as symptoms and reifications of social antagonisms
Social conflicts in cinema

8 HOURS

1 CFU

Introduction to Postcolonial Studies and the centrality of colonialism in understanding modernity and contemporary society.
An overview of the emergence of these studies as literary criticism with Edward Said, Homi K. Bhabha, and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, and their expansion into all historical and social disciplines.

16 HOURS

2 CFU

Introduction to selected aspects of the philosophy developed through the practical and theoretical work of the Kurdish confederal movement, the women of the Jineolojî Committees, and the philosopher Abdullah Öcalan.
Exploration of the relationship between this political doctrine and the Syrian context, as well as its complex and contradictory relationship with Western European leftist movements.
Focus on the concepts of authority, modernity, rationality, and spectrality, on key critical implications of confederal philosophy, and on its dialogue with certain theoretical positions of classic European philosophical thinkers (Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx, Max Weber, John L. Austin, Hannah Arendt, Jacques Derrida).

8 HOURS

1 CFU

Critical introduction to the notion of ideology based on the original theoretical perspective opened by Althusserian reflection.
The notion of ideology rethought by Althusser, drawing on Spinoza and the contributions of psychoanalysis (Freud and Lacan), in a strictly materialist sense, in opposition to certain Marxist traditions and some formulations by Marx and Engels themselves.
A careful critical analysis of the key concept of Althusserian theory, namely the concept of “interpellation.”
Introduction and discussion of the concept of “over-interpellation.”
The Althusserian theory of “interpellation” in contemporary critical thought, particularly in the work of Slavoj Žižek, Ernesto Laclau, and Jodi Dean.

16 HOURS

2 CFU

Historical-conceptual overview of the methods and strategies of analysis through which anthropology has developed a specific critical reflection.
Presentation and discussion of studies that intersect economic-political analysis and ethnographic analysis.
The global effects of capitalism on the most vulnerable social groups or those located in the so-called “peripheries of the world-system.”
Historical-anthropological analysis of long-term global processes that influence the social life of local communities, producing new culturally informed subjectivities and forms of resistance.

8 HOURS

1 CFU

Historical and anthropological analysis of the logics and practices of exploitation and valorization of capital that operate through the international division of labor, class, ethnicity, and gender distinctions.
Historical analysis and ethnographic study of local production processes within the context of the global economy.
Main themes and analytical methodologies of Global Labour History.
Ethnographic case studies intersecting the issues of labor with class, gender, and ethnicity.
Study of the unequal distribution of wealth, environmental degradation, and social changes caused by the expansion of the world economy, along with the analysis of “bottom-up” alternatives developed by workers and marginalized groups to overcome or transform capitalist relations of production and power.

8 HOURS

1 CFU

Analysis of key classics in sociological thought, with an in-depth study of its history and the political content of some of its fundamental concepts.
Sociology as a critical science of society, its hierarchies, and its powers.

16 HOURS

2 CFU

The genesis and construction of the psyche-object by psychoanalysis at the intersection of the natural sciences and the humanities, starting from some foundational texts by Freud, Jung, and Ferenczi.

16 HOURS

2 CFU

Historical analysis of the Soviet phenomenon.
Study of the convergence with and divergence from an ideal-typical model of totalitarian control and of a socialist and communist society.
Examination of the contradictory persistence of a strict adherence to Marxism-Leninism alongside its modification/distortion, the will to impose a regime of total efficiency, and the ongoing presence of pervasive phenomena such as resistance, chaos, insubordination, inefficiency, and particular interests.

8 HOURS

1 CFU

Analysis of a series of case studies from Sub-Saharan Africa and reflection on the relationships between environment, social inequalities, and power asymmetries.

8 HOURS

1 CFU

Introduction to a political history of art, exploring debates and works reflecting on the relationship between art and social change.
Study of selected episodes where art and art theory questioned their own raison d’être, including contemplating the abolition of art as a separate sphere from politics and life.
The productivist experiment, theoretical proposals of Arvatov and Bogdanov in post-revolutionary Russia, and Lu Märten’s challenge to Western art taxonomies.
The debate on the autonomy and heteronomy of art initiated by the Frankfurt School, especially Adorno.
The 1960s–70s: examination of artistic practices and feminist theories questioning the boundary between art and life (Lonzi, Lozano), and attempts to rethink art as labor, including trade unions, strikes, and acts of refusal (Vishmidt, Beech, Child).
Analysis of recent theoretical interventions outlining an ontology of contemporary art from a materialist perspective (Osborne, Groys).
Attempts to reinterpret Western aesthetic philosophy through critical categories from postcolonial theory and Black studies (Lloyd, Black).

8 HOURS

1 CFU

Presentations of the transformations of the narrative of the Resistance, from the very first texts published even before April 25th to the 1980s, intersecting the more strictly literary production with public debate, the evolution of historiographical research, and other media.
Focus on narrative with some in-depth studies of exemplary texts (especially by Giorgio Caproni, Beppe Fenoglio, and Italo Calvino).

8 HOURS

1 CFU

Overview of theories linking the formation and development of the city to capitalist economic dynamics.
Definition and reproduction of social relations.
Analysis of ideological processes triggered and reproduced in everyday life by the urban environment.

16 HOURS

2 CFU

The role of the educational system (in advanced capitalist systems).
The contributions of the education system to the formation and stabilization of a given social structure.
The issue of education policies, highlighting their structural and intrinsic systemic fragility.
The structural problems of the education system as a tool for general social mobility.

8 HOURS

1 CFU

56 HOURS

0 CFU

Formation of capitalism through the interplay of agrarian transformations, the development of the labor market, and migrations from a comparative perspective.
Formation of workers’ associative forms in a complex process that leads to the emergence of modern trade unions.

8 HOURS

1 CFU

Application

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The course is open to all bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, old system degrees, and university diplomas.
ENROLLMENT
Registration deadline: October 7, 2025
Selection: October 17, 2025
Enrollment deadline: November 3, 2025
Enrollment fee: €1,000
This amount must be paid as follows:
1. €500 upon enrollment
2. €500 by February 28, 2026
Code Payment Reason (for foreign applicants only): SPECIALIZATION COURSE

SELECTION
- The selection for the course, scheduled for October 17, 2025, involves the evaluation of qualifications and the curriculum vitae et studiorum.
- Candidates’ presence is not required either on-site or online.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Classes will normally be held on Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Languages of instruction: Portuguese, English.
Lessons will be available both in-person and remotely, in asynchronous mode.

FINANCIAL AID

20 scholarships worth €500 each (tax-exempt pursuant to Law 398/89), to partially cover the enrollment fee.
Recipients of the scholarships will be exempt from paying the second installment of the course enrollment fee.
The scholarships will be awarded to the 20 admitted candidates with the lowest economic conditions, determined based on a valid ISEE certification (Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator) for the University Right to Study benefits.
Applicants must submit their ISEE certification for the University Right to Study benefits by the application deadline, along with other required documents during the admission application process (upload on Segreterie Online), or send it by email to carriere.academy@unimib.it by the final application deadline.
Specific information on how to determine the ISEE for University Right to Study benefits and the required documentation can be found at this link.
In case of equal ISEE values, priority will be given to the younger candidate.

AUDITORS
- 20 auditor seats
  Admission requirements: High school diploma
  Selection: evaluation of curriculum vitae
  Enrollment fee: €500

RANKINGS AND ENROLLMENT

SELECTION DATE: October 17, 2025
PUBLICATION OF ADMITTED CANDIDATES LIST: From October 27, 2025
ENROLLMENT DEADLINE: November 3, 2025

CONTACTS

For inquiries about the registration process, please contact carriere.academy@unimib.it

Scientific Committee

Director

Vittorio
Morfino

Professore ordinario Università Milano-Bicocca

Committee members

Didier
Contadini

Ricercatore Università Milano-Bicocca

Stefano
Pippa

Ricercatore Università Milano-Bicocca

Michele
Parodi

Libero professionista

Gianluca
Pozzoni

Assegnista

APPLICATION DEADLINE

07 Oct 2025

PLACES AVAILABLE

ONLINE APPLICATION

DURATION

From

Nov

2025

Jun

2026

LINK TO THE CALL

What skills do you gain?

Theory of history

Apprendere come la storia sia disciplina ben più complessa dei luoghi comuni correnti e come sia necessario per affrontarla tanto una raffinata strumentazione metodologica che una problematizzazione categoriale.

Law and Theory of the State

Evidenziare parallelismi e convergenze che consentano di costruire una teoria veramente generale del diritto

Economics and Society

Comprendere come inquadrare criticamente la realtà economica e sociale contemporanea secondo alcune problematiche fondamentali

Feminism and Marxism

Studiare alcuni dei momenti fondamentali dell'incontro tra la teoria marxista e quella femminista

Queer Studies

Conoscere il contributo che la teoria critica ha apportato ai movimenti femministi e LGBTQIA

Disability Studies

Comprendere la contestualizzazione culturale e critica dei temi legati alla disabilità
Pensare alla disabilità come strumento di critica che mette in luce i meccanismi di costruzione normativa del soggetto

Theory and Ideology

Comprendere come lo studio delle forme dell'immaginario audiovisivo contemporaneo (cinema, serie tv, cinema espanso) possa aiutare a comprendere le formazioni ideologiche collettive.

Postcolonial Studies

Comprendere il profondo nesso, presente nel mondo contemporaneo tra cultura e imperialismo

Ecology and democracy between Kurdistan and Europe

Comprendere la decostruzione teorica e pratica che la teoria del movimento confederale curdo produce nello scenario mediorientale e internazionale

Political Philosophy

Acquisire gli strumenti concettuali fondamentali per muoversi nel difficile terreno della filosofia politica contemporanea, fornendo le coordinate storiche e teoriche necessarie ad una sua corretta comprensione.

Social Theory and Critical Anthropology

Apprendere metodi e strategie di analisi con cui l’antropologia ha articolato una specifica riflessione critica
Acquisire conoscenza sui temi del relativismo, della riflessività, della coappartenenza del ricercatore sociale e dei suoi interlocutori alla scena politica ed ermeneutica della loro interazione
Comprendere alcune svolte teoriche e metodologiche della storia dell’antropologia
Apprendere i processi globali che influenzano la vita sociale delle comunità locali.

Global Studies on labour

Conoscere le logiche e pratiche di sfruttamento e di valorizzazione capitalistiche del lavoro

Introduction to Social Theory

Interiorizzare la problematizzazione del sapere sociologico.

Critical psychoanalytic theory

Comprendere la genesi di alcuni tra i concetti più ricorrenti della psicoanalisi

Political History of the Soviet Union

Proporre una discussione dei 74 anni di storia dell'URSS tramite l'utilizzo di paradigmi interpretativi che rendano discernibili, storicizzabili ed analizzabili le continuità e le discontinuità

Political Ecology

Comprendere il concetto di ecologia politica e delle principali riflessioni teoriche ad esso collegate
Studiare casi di studio contemporanei
Sviluppare una riflessione critica sul nesso tra questioni ambientali e diseguaglianze sociali.

Political history of arts

Comprendere la complessità del rapporto arte-società

Literature and resistence

Conoscere i modi in cui gli scrittori hanno raccontato la lotta partigiana italiana

Theory of Urban Space

Acquisire gli strumenti per approfondire criticamente il rapporto con lo spazio urbano

The formation of capitalism and the birth of trade

Formare la consapevolezza che le culture e i rapporti sociali sono connessi

Educational system and social reproduction

Chiarire il ruolo (nelle formazioni sociali a capitalismo avanzato) del sistema educativo relativamente alla produzione delle condizioni di riproduzione di un determinato assetto egemonico
Gettare luce sulle intrinseche problematicità funzionali delle politiche dell’educazione
Evidenziare le difficoltà, proprie del sistema educativo, di assicurare un accettabile livello di mobilità sociale.

Critical theory

Who is it aimed at ?

RECENT GRADUATES
In Philosophy and in various fields of Human Sciences.

PROFESSIONALS
who work in the social sector, trade unionists, journalists, and secondary school teachers.

The course is aimed at philosophy students and those from various fields of the humanities and social sciences who wish to expand their knowledge, as well as professionals working in the social sector, trade unionists, journalists, and secondary school teachers.

Critical theory

Vision