teacher profile teaching materials
The teaching is configured as an introduction to ethnography as practice and theory of the description of social and cultural phenomena born in the history of anthropology. Ethnography will be presented as both the practice of fieldwork in anthropology and the translating of this experience and knowledge into writing. The first part will focus on field research through a historical examination of the methods and reflection on them: from the expeditions season, to participatory observation, to the most recent and innovative forms, with special regard to feminist and postmodern anthropology. A second part will focus on specific ethnographic experiences, with special attention to the contribution of gender and feminist anthropology. In this section we will analyze the construction of the research question, the identification of the object of analysis, its empirical development, the role and relationship with the “informants” and the tensions and changes that may occur during fieldwork. Classroom readings and presentations of classical and more recent anthropological ethnographies will be held in order to develop discussion and reflection about these and other questions will rise during classes.
- Vivere l’Etnografia, a cura di Cappelletto, Seid, 2009.
And a text chosen from the following:
- Bronislaw Malinowski, 2011 (1922), Argonauti del Pacifico Occidentale, Bollati Boringhieri;
- Ruth Behar e Deborah A. Gordon, editors, 1995, Women writing culture, i seguenti capitoli: Introduction (pp. 1-29), capitolo 8 (pp. 166-185) e capitolo 9 (pp. 186-206);
- Alessia (Leo) Acquistapace, 2022, Tenetevi il matrimonio e dateci la dote. Il lavoro riproduttivo nelle relazioni di intimità, solidarietà e cura oltre la coppia nell’Italia urbana contemporanea, Mimesis, fino a p. 161;
- Frances Larson, 2021, Le intruse, De Agostini;
- James Clifford, I frutti puri impazziscono, Bollati Boringhieri, 1999, Introduzione e parte Prima;
- Gloria Wekker, 2006, The politics of passion: women's sexual culture in the afro-surinamese diaspora, Columbia University Press, i seguenti capitoli: capitolo 1 (pp. 1-54) e capitolo 2 (pp. 55-82);
- Valeria Ribeiro Corossacz, 2015, Bianchezza e mascolinità in Brasile, Meltemi.
For those attending, it is possible to replace the text of your choice with the following essays (which the teacher will make available to the students during the course). Attending students are invited to present and discuss collegially in class one essay chosen with the teacher.
Dispensa Etnografie femministe
* Michela Fusaschi, 2018, “L’etnografia attraversata dal genere. Uno sguardo storico e pratico-politico sulle soggettività”, in Etnografia e Ricerca Qualitativa, n.2, pp. 387-401;
* Gayle Rubin, “Lo scambio delle donne: una rilettura di Marx, Engels, Lévi-Strauss e Freud”, fino a p. 45, in DWF, 1989, n.10-11;
* Nicole-Claude Mathieu, "Critiche epistemologiche sulla problematica dei sessi nel discorso etno-antropologico", in DWF, numero 10-11, 1989, pp. 8-54.
* Valeria Ribeiro Corossacz, “Molestie sessuali e oppressione di classe, sesso e razza. Una ricerca tra lavoratrici domestiche in Brasile”, About Gender, Rivista internazionale di Studi di Genere, Vol. 8 N° 15, 2019, pp. 118-143
* Louise Lamphere, “Unofficial Histories: A Vision of Anthropology from the Margins”, American Anthropologist, Vol. 106, No. 1, 2004, pp. 126-139.
Students not attending classes will study also Fabietti, Malighetti, Matera, Dal tribale al globale. Introduzione all'antropologia, Pearson, 2020, First and Second parts.
Programme
The teaching is configured as an introduction to ethnography as practice and theory of the description of social and cultural phenomena born in the history of anthropology. Ethnography will be presented as both the practice of fieldwork in anthropology and the translating of this experience and knowledge into writing. The first part will focus on field research through a historical examination of the methods and reflection on them: from the expeditions season, to participatory observation, to the most recent and innovative forms, with special regard to feminist and postmodern anthropology. A second part will focus on specific ethnographic experiences, with special attention to the contribution of gender and feminist anthropology. In this section we will analyze the construction of the research question, the identification of the object of analysis, its empirical development, the role and relationship with the “informants” and the tensions and changes that may occur during fieldwork. Classroom readings and presentations of classical and more recent anthropological ethnographies will be held in order to develop discussion and reflection about these and other questions will rise during classes.
Core Documentation
- Vivere l’Etnografia, a cura di Cappelletto, Seid, 2009.
And a text chosen from the following:
- Bronislaw Malinowski, 2011 (1922), Argonauti del Pacifico Occidentale, Bollati Boringhieri;
- Ruth Behar e Deborah A. Gordon, editors, 1995, Women writing culture, i seguenti capitoli: Introduction (pp. 1-29), capitolo 8 (pp. 166-185) e capitolo 9 (pp. 186-206);
- Alessia (Leo) Acquistapace, 2022, Tenetevi il matrimonio e dateci la dote. Il lavoro riproduttivo nelle relazioni di intimità, solidarietà e cura oltre la coppia nell’Italia urbana contemporanea, Mimesis, fino a p. 161;
- Frances Larson, 2021, Le intruse, De Agostini;
- James Clifford, I frutti puri impazziscono, Bollati Boringhieri, 1999, Introduzione e parte Prima;
- Gloria Wekker, 2006, The politics of passion: women's sexual culture in the afro-surinamese diaspora, Columbia University Press, i seguenti capitoli: capitolo 1 (pp. 1-54) e capitolo 2 (pp. 55-82);
- Valeria Ribeiro Corossacz, 2015, Bianchezza e mascolinità in Brasile, Meltemi.
For those attending, it is possible to replace the text of your choice with the following essays (which the teacher will make available to the students during the course). Attending students are invited to present and discuss collegially in class one essay chosen with the teacher.
Dispensa Etnografie femministe
* Michela Fusaschi, 2018, “L’etnografia attraversata dal genere. Uno sguardo storico e pratico-politico sulle soggettività”, in Etnografia e Ricerca Qualitativa, n.2, pp. 387-401;
* Gayle Rubin, “Lo scambio delle donne: una rilettura di Marx, Engels, Lévi-Strauss e Freud”, fino a p. 45, in DWF, 1989, n.10-11;
* Nicole-Claude Mathieu, "Critiche epistemologiche sulla problematica dei sessi nel discorso etno-antropologico", in DWF, numero 10-11, 1989, pp. 8-54.
* Valeria Ribeiro Corossacz, “Molestie sessuali e oppressione di classe, sesso e razza. Una ricerca tra lavoratrici domestiche in Brasile”, About Gender, Rivista internazionale di Studi di Genere, Vol. 8 N° 15, 2019, pp. 118-143
* Louise Lamphere, “Unofficial Histories: A Vision of Anthropology from the Margins”, American Anthropologist, Vol. 106, No. 1, 2004, pp. 126-139.
Students not attending classes will study also Fabietti, Malighetti, Matera, Dal tribale al globale. Introduzione all'antropologia, Pearson, 2020, First and Second parts.
Type of delivery of the course
The course is thought in Italian, is based on lectures and will be in presence. Students will be encouraged to participate, drawing connections between key concepts. Student’s involvement is particularly welcome through critical remarks and comments, starting from specific case studies and the literature. In order to involve students frontal teaching and collegial discussions will alternate. Articles and essays to read and comment together will be shared during classes. Students' participation will be evaluated for the grade of the final exam.Type of evaluation
Exams will test general knowledge about the main topics presented during the course, and the theoretical tools acquired reading course books.