The course provides a solid knowledge of the main concepts, theoretical perspectives, and methodological tools of Cultural Anthropology. Languages, theories, and anthropological methods allow students to achieve skills to read different socio-cultural contexts and develop critical thinking autonomy to explore the contemporary social processes concerning social vulnerability and discrimination.
teacher profile teaching materials
The course’s first part will put this discipline’s core classical notions, such as institutions, culture, power, and society, and then follow the development of these debates and further conceptual issues, such as violence, body, and subject. Specifically, it will be explored processes related to violence and violability in the light of their anthropological meanings, namely their symbolic, social, cultural, and structural dimensions; the long-term reverberations of exposure to violence and violation on the generations; their repercussions on the construction of the subject; the effects in social and educational relationships. This is the basis for deepening tools and concepts to analyse the nexus among violence, generations, and construction of the subject.
Starting with notions explored, the course aims to provide a) a knowledge of anthropological perspectives and their main concepts to develop an ability to understand currents of thought in their historical and social dimensions. They are helpful b) in applying such knowledge, theories, and concepts to develop a reflexive, autonomous and critical gaze on the main topics of contemporary (gender, body, violence, migration, generations). The ethnographic method and ethnographic examples will encourage a participatory method to understand the ‘otherness’, becoming helpful means to develop a comparative and non-ethnocentric perspective, together with micro-macro levels of analysis.
Parte prima: Genesi e struttura dell’antropologia culturale (Capitoli 1, 2, 3);
Parte terza: Comunicazione e conoscenza (Capitoli 1, 2, 3);
Parte quarta: Sistemi di pensiero (Capitoli 1, 2, 3)
Parte quinta: Il sé e l’altro (Capitoli 1, 2, 3);
Parte settima: Esperienza religiosa e pratica rituale (Capitoli 1, 2, 3);
Parte nona: Risorse e potere (Capitoli 1, 2, 3).
2) Reference articles and suggested lecture notes (will be indicated and uploaded by the teacher)
3) A text of your choice (the books can be read in their original version - where available):
a) Susan Sontag – Davanti al dolore degli altri. Nottetempo.
b) John Berger, Jean Mohr – Il settimo uomo. Contrasto.
c) Adichie Ngozi Chimamande – Metà di un sole giallo. Einaudi.
d) Marco Omizzolo – Per motivi di giustizia. People.
e) Behrouz Boochani – Nessun amico se non le montagne. add editore
f) Ben Lawrence – La città delle spine. Nove vite nel campo profughi più grande del mondo. Brioschi.
Programme
The course aims at providing students with methods and concepts of social and cultural anthropology. In the contemporary world, the anthropological perspective is set up as a critical study aiming at understanding cultural diversity and similarities, processes building belonging, inequalities, differences, hierarchies, and forms of power. The course aims at offering concepts and methods of social and cultural anthropology to develop basic knowledge and analytical tools which will be helpful to build a critical gaze on contemporary conditions of vulnerability and discrimination.The course’s first part will put this discipline’s core classical notions, such as institutions, culture, power, and society, and then follow the development of these debates and further conceptual issues, such as violence, body, and subject. Specifically, it will be explored processes related to violence and violability in the light of their anthropological meanings, namely their symbolic, social, cultural, and structural dimensions; the long-term reverberations of exposure to violence and violation on the generations; their repercussions on the construction of the subject; the effects in social and educational relationships. This is the basis for deepening tools and concepts to analyse the nexus among violence, generations, and construction of the subject.
Starting with notions explored, the course aims to provide a) a knowledge of anthropological perspectives and their main concepts to develop an ability to understand currents of thought in their historical and social dimensions. They are helpful b) in applying such knowledge, theories, and concepts to develop a reflexive, autonomous and critical gaze on the main topics of contemporary (gender, body, violence, migration, generations). The ethnographic method and ethnographic examples will encourage a participatory method to understand the ‘otherness’, becoming helpful means to develop a comparative and non-ethnocentric perspective, together with micro-macro levels of analysis.
Core Documentation
1) Ugo Fabietti, 2015. Elementi di antropologia culturale. Mondadori, Milano (solo le parti di seguito indicate)Parte prima: Genesi e struttura dell’antropologia culturale (Capitoli 1, 2, 3);
Parte terza: Comunicazione e conoscenza (Capitoli 1, 2, 3);
Parte quarta: Sistemi di pensiero (Capitoli 1, 2, 3)
Parte quinta: Il sé e l’altro (Capitoli 1, 2, 3);
Parte settima: Esperienza religiosa e pratica rituale (Capitoli 1, 2, 3);
Parte nona: Risorse e potere (Capitoli 1, 2, 3).
2) Reference articles and suggested lecture notes (will be indicated and uploaded by the teacher)
3) A text of your choice (the books can be read in their original version - where available):
a) Susan Sontag – Davanti al dolore degli altri. Nottetempo.
b) John Berger, Jean Mohr – Il settimo uomo. Contrasto.
c) Adichie Ngozi Chimamande – Metà di un sole giallo. Einaudi.
d) Marco Omizzolo – Per motivi di giustizia. People.
e) Behrouz Boochani – Nessun amico se non le montagne. add editore
f) Ben Lawrence – La città delle spine. Nove vite nel campo profughi più grande del mondo. Brioschi.
Type of delivery of the course
Lectures will be supported by Power Point and audio-visual materials, as well as by the reading and analyzing ethnographic examples. These support-tools intend to encourage the active participation of the students, dialogues, and discussions on the course topics.Type of evaluation
Oral interview. Through questions/answers it will be verify that: 1) the students have read the materials assigned 2) the students are able to interpret and reflect on concepts and perspectives illustrated; 3) the students have developed capacity of autonomous thought.