Learning objectives
- To acquire the fundamental concepts and tools of cultural anthropology.
- To broaden their horizons and vision of the world; to learn to deconstruct stereotypes and question the assumptions of common sense; to develop reflexivity; to develop critical thinking;
- to become accustomed to listening to others; to understand inequalities and hierarchies in social, kinship and gender relations; to understand social dynamics in relation to processes of globalization, migration, and intercultural processes; to apply the concepts learned in the educational profession and in understanding educational processes.
- To acquire the ability to communicate information, ideas, and anthropological and ethnographic issues to specialist and non-specialist interlocutors
Course unit content
In the first part of the course, I will focus on the concepts, practices and methods of cultural anthropology, with special attention to ethnographic research, about which I will provide multiple examples. After contextualizing the birth of anthropology and changes in the ethnographic perspective from an historical point of view, I will lead students in analyzing several fundamental concepts such as culture, cultural relativism, stereotype, identity, gender, kinship, ethnocentrism and cultural translation, highlighting the cultural complexities and specificities of anthropological discourse as a critical tool for reading various social processes. In particular I will focus on some key issues of contemporary society as migration, gender and intercultural topics and new parental forms.
In the second part of the course, we will discuss the specificity of qualitative research, participant observation and the reflexive turn, the concept of "fieldwork", the observer/observed relationship, the interview as a source, life stories and peer research. The knowledge acquired will be put into practice: with the help of the professor, students will develop an anthropological research project. Students will have the opportunity to carry out fieldwork and present the results in a report that will form part of the final evaluation.
Bibliography
1)Teorie, metodi e pratiche dell’ antropologia, dispense di Antropologia Culturale e Metodologia della Ricerca Etnografica 2023 (new versione) a cura della docente
2)Fabio Dei, Antropologia Culturale, il Mulino (cap 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 e 15)
3)For the students of Psychology the final report with the results of the research will replace the monograph in the final evaluation.
For non-attending students it will be possible to replace the research with a monograph chosen from the following:
Una monografia a scelta tra le seguenti:
-Mead M., L’adolescenza in Samoa, Giunti, 2007.
- Mead M., Maschio e femmina, il Saggiatore, 2016
Beneduce R., Trance e possession in Africa. Corpi, mimesi, storia, Bollati Boringhieri
- Taliani S., Vacchiano F., Altri corpi. Antropologia ed etnopsicologia della migrazione, Unicopli.
- Malinowski B., Sesso e repressione sessuale tra i selvaggi, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2006 [orig. 1927].
- Beneduce R., Frontiere dell'identità e della memoria. Etnopsichiatria e migrazione in un mondo creolo, Milano, Angeli
De Martino
- De Martino E., Morte e pianto rituale. Dal lamento funebre antico al pianto di Maria, Bollati Boringhieri.
- Giuffrè M. (a cura di), Essere madri oggi tra biologia e cultura: etnografie della maternità nell'Italia contemporanea, Pacini, 2018.
- Giuffrè M., Donne di Capo Verde, CISU, 2007.
- Giuffrè M. (a cura di), Uguali, diversi, normali. Stereotipi, rappresentazioni e contro narrative del mondo rom in Italia, Spagna e Romania, Castelvecchi, 2014.
- Tallè C., 'Scuola, Costumbre, Identità', CISU, 2009.
-Lelli, S., 2007, 'Trasformazioni guaranì. Tra paradigma sciamanico e scuola', CISU
-Benadusi, M., 2012, 'Il segreto di Cybernella', Euno Edizioni
-Gomes, A.M., 1998, 'Venga che te fago scriver. Etnografia della scolarizzazione in una comunità Sinti', CISU.
- Crapanzano V., Thuami. Ritratto di un uomo dal Marocco, Booklet, 2007.
- De Martino E., La fine del mondo, Einaudi, 2002.
- Bateson, G. (1988) Naven, Torino, Einaudi.
- Descola P., Diversità di Natura , diversità di Cultura, Book Time, 2011
Teaching methods
The lessons will take place in person but with the possibility of using materials and video recordings on the Elly page of the course. During classes the teacher will explain in detail the content of the exam texts and provide insights and examples with the aid of PowerPoint. I will also lead the students in group discussions on specific topics and exercises, to be decided on together with students.
Assessment methods and criteria
Oral examination. The exam will focus on the entire exam program indicated, including both the theoretical and monographic components. Students are invited to engage with the materials in a way that connects the field research (or their chosen monograph) with the theoretical component of the lecture and the manual.
With the help of the professor, PSYCHOLOGY Students will be able to develop an anthropological research project and carry out fieldwork, presenting the results in a report that will form part of the final evaluation (50% of the final grade). The final report will be evaluated on the basis of the student's comprehension skills: excellent ability to elaborate and put into practice the concepts learned (from 28 to 30 e Lode); good ability to elaborate and put into practice the concepts learned (from 25 to 27); fair ability to process and put into practice the concepts learned (from 21 to 24); sufficient capacity to elaborate and put into practice the concepts learned (from 18 to 20).
The oral part will follow the following evaluation: the student will answer the questions correctly using an appropriate language, communication skills, and showing an excellent ability to apply, make connections, autonomy of judgment and critical re-elaboration of concepts (from 28 to 30 e Lode); the student will answer correctly the questions using an appropriate language, communication skills, and showing a good ability to apply, sufficient autonomy of judgment and critical re-elaboration of the concepts (from 25 to 27); the student will answer the questions correctly using a sufficiently appropriate language (from 21 to 24); the student will answer correctly at least a part of the essential questions using a sufficiently appropriate language (from 18 to 20).
Other information
Availability to also provide tutoring (e.g. office hours, explanations in the classroom) in a foreign language for Erasmus students or those on the move: English. Availability to also hold exams with the aid of a foreign language: English
