12120 - History of Psychology (2)

Learning outcomes

The course aims to prepare students to critically read and contextualize both texts and sources belonging to different scientific domains. Students will also learn how to use the acquired historical knowledge in order to theoretically analyze several recurring problems and themes. At the end of the course, they will have the skill to express a well-founded opinion, both thinking about all of the notions acquired and discussing them with other students.

Course contents

The Ethnopsychoanalysis of Devereux: between identity and alterity

The course will deepen the history, the matters and the key concepts of Ethnopsychiatry and Ethnopsychoanalysis starting from the reflections of the anthropologist and psychoanalyst Georges Devereux (1908-1985). Following the thread of the question “what determines human nature?” the Ethnopsychoanalysis will be read, first of all, as a method aimed to study Human Been in his complexity, avoiding any determinism or reductionism. In this path, the topic of identity will be comprehensively examined considering other authors which, together with Devereux and from different backgrounds, faced the matter of constructing cultural, psychological and gender identity, in the dialogue with alterity and diversity, denouncing the problematic neutrality of scientific knowledge.

Readings/Bibliography

As an eloquent and engaging introduction to some of the topics faced during the lessons students can read the novel of Philip Roth, La macchia umana (2000).

The study of this texts is required:

1) Writings will be read and commented during the lessons and will be part of the learning materials;

2) G. Devereux, La rinuncia alla identità. Una difesa contro l'annientamento (1967), a cura di A. Cerea, Milano Mimesis, 2015.

3) Selection of papers (availables at the Copisteria Burchiellaro, Via Zamboni 66/A): G. Devereux, “I fattori culturali nella terapia psicoanalitica” (1953), “Cultura e inconscio” (1955), “Normale e anormale” (1956), “Influenza dei modelli di pensiero sulle teorie psichiatriche primitive e moderne” (1958), “L’identità etnica” (1970), “Argomento” (1972), Dall’angoscia al metodo (1967, selection);

4) One of the following texts: Franz Fanon, Pelle nera, maschere bianche (1952), Pisa, ETS, 2015; F. Basaglia, Scritti (1953-1980), Milano, il Saggiatore, 2017 (selezione); G. Jervis, Presenza e identità. Lezioni di psicologia, Milano, Garzanti 1984; F. Remotti, Contro l’identità, Bari, Laterza, 1996; A. Prosperi, L’identità. L’altra faccia della storia, Bari, Laterza, 2016.

* In addition to the above bibliography (except part 1), not attending students must read a selection of critical studies available at the Burchiellaro Print Shop, via Zamboni 66/A.

Teaching methods

The course will be based on lectures and critical reading of the texts. Students will be encouraged to participate actively to the discussion. Movies and documentaries will be used to encourage students' considerations and discussions.

Assessment methods

The assessment of learning will be conducted through an oral discussion in which the acquired knowledge, both argumentative and expositive qualities and the critical skills developed by the student will be evaluated. More specifically, the student's ability to orientate himself within topics, selecting significant theoretical steps, will be taken into account. Furthermore the acquired historicisation of the issues and problems faced will also be examined.

Assessment criteria and thresholds of evaluation:

30 cum laude: Excellent as to knowledge, terminology and critical expression.

30: Excellent, knowledge is complete, well articulated and correctly expressed, with some slight faults.

27-29: Good, knowledge comprehensive and satisfactory, essentially correct expression.

24-26: Fairly good, knowledge present in significant points, but not complete and not always expressed with correctness.

21-23: Sufficient, knowledge is sometimes superficial, but the guiding general thread is included. Expression and articulation incomplete.

18-21: Almost sufficient, but knowledge present only on the surface. The guiding principle is not included with continuity. The expression and articulation of the speech show important gaps.

Not sufficient: knowledge absent or very incomplete, lack of guidance in discipline, expression seriously deficient.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandra Cerea