Through strong connection with other courses the learning activities will be developed starting from epistemological basis of social research. The methodological and technical aspects of an empirical work will be developed thereafter, notably by referring to participatory action research. Hence, besides basic aspects of empirical research (indicators, sources of information and main data collection instruments), issues like power and participation will be dealt with.
As to theory, we will examine the disciplinary specificity of sociology and its uses for territorial planning, notably by referring to such classic matters concerning community and society, norms and values, spaces, places and non-places.