94110 - Anthropology and Ethnography of Social and Educational Services

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be socialised to the main anthropological paradigms in the study of policies, organisations and institutions. She will know also the theoretical and methodological challenges of cultural anthropology when appled to social educational and welfare policies. She will be able to translate the anthropological reflections towards ethnicity, nation, religion and culture into a careful project elaboration within multicultural societies. She will be able to champion the anthropological (theoretical as much as methodological) perspective also in the critical evaluation of projects for the socio-educational contexts. She will be better able to communicate her or his (often comparative) readings of contexts within her o his working groups. She will be able to refer to ethnographic approaches to enhance her or his ablity of listening and interpreting communication in different working environments. Finally, she will be able to expand autonomously her or his analytical perspective in the exploration of the anthropological knowledge when applied to socio-educational policies

Course contents

To sit and follow the course it is compulsory to have previously taken the exam of Cultural Anthropology. The course aims at providing an introduction to the anthropological approaches to welfare policies in order to facilitate the practical translation of ethnographic skills into the social and educational work. With intermittent theoretical lectures and weakly participatory workshops, we will be exploring different ways with which policies, organisations and institutions respond to and construct social and educational problems and needs. On the one hand, we will interrogate ethnographically social and cultural dynamics informing institutional projects and practices; on the other hand, the anthropological perspectives will provide a critical lens to recognise contradictions and organisational changes of bureaucratic and institutional structures. Both processes will enhance the understanding of exclusionary practices and unequal access to social rights. During the course students will engage in individual or collective presentations and discussions on the potential use of anthropological skills in the analysis of specific socio-educational fields (migrants reception policies, homelessness, health, etc.)

Readings/Bibliography

Riccio B., Tarabusi F., Antropologia ed Etnografia per i servizi socio-educativi, Junior, Reggio Emilia, 2024.

Tarabusi F., Gallotti C. (eds), Antropologia e servizi: intersezioni etnografiche fra ricerca e applicazione, Ledizioni, Milano, 2024.

One book among the following:

• Reader available on the platform Virtuale
• Dubois V., Il burocrate e il povero. Amministrare la miseria, Misesis, Milano, 2018.
• Herzfeld M., La produzione sociale dell'indifferenza. Esplorando le radici simboliche della burocrazia occidentale, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2022.
• Ong A. Da rifugiati a cittadini, Milano, Cortina, 2006.
• Rimoldi L., Pozzi G. (eds), Pensare un'antropologia del welfare. Etnografie dello stato sociale in Italia, Meltemi, Milano, 2022
• Porcellana V. (2022), Antropologia del welfare. La cultura dei diritti sociali in Italia, Ogliastro Cilento, Licosia.

• Quaranta I., Ricca M., Malati fuori luogo, R. Cortina, Milano, 2012

• Saletti Salza C., Famiglie amputate. Le adozioni dei minori dal punto di vista dei rom, CISU, Roma, 2014

Some further readings

Basile D., Viazzo P. (eds), Alta tensione. Spazi di confronto tra antropologia e istituzioni, Unicopli, Milano, 2023.

Castellano V. Revolving door. I servizi sociali e la riproduzione delle disuguaglianze a New York, Junior, Reggio Emilia, 2018

Douglas M., Come pensano le istituzioni, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1990.

Fassin D., Ripoliticizzare il mondo: studi antropologici sulla vita, il corpo e la morale, Ombre corte, Verona, 2014.

Graeber D. Burocrazia. Perché le regole ci perseguitano e perché ci rendono felici, Il Saggiatore, Milano 2016.

Minicuci M., Pavanello M. (eds), “Antropologia delle istituzioni”, Meridiana. Rivista di storia e scienze sociali, 68, 2010.

Palumbo B., Classificare, agire, disciplinare. Riflessioni critiche su alcune tendenze dell’antropologia politica contemporanea, in “Illuminazioni”, n. 11, 2010, pp. 36-110.

Porcellana V., Dal bisogno al desiderio. Antropologia dei servizi per adulti in difficoltà e senza dimora a Torino, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2017. 

Severi I., Tarabusi F. (eds), I metodi puri impazziscono. Strumenti dell’antropologia e pratiche dell’etnografia al lavoro, Ogliastro Cilento Licosia, 2019.

Tarabusi F. Dentro le politiche. Servizi, progetti, operatori: sguardi antropologici, Guaraldi, Rimini, 2010.

Tarabusi F., Zinn D., eds., (2023), Antropologia e politiche pubbliche: ricerche e prospettive, Rivista di Antropologia Contemporanea, 2.

Zinn D., (2018), Migrants as metaphor. Institutions and integration in south tyrol's divided society, Roma, CISU.

Teaching methods

The course includes an introductory theoretical section, followed by a workshop-oriented part aimed at applying an anthropological and ethnographic approach to the institutional system of socio-educational services. Activities will combine lectures, group work, plenary discussions, reflective exercises, and individual or group presentations.

Assessment methods

The assessment of learning is carried out through a final examination, which verifies the acquisition of the expected knowledge by means of an oral interview. The assessment criteria are explained at the beginning of the course and concern the assimilation of key concepts, the ability to apply them to work contexts and socio-educational practices, and the appropriate use of disciplinary language.

Teaching tools

Lectures Ppt, articles, reports and other teaching material available on the platform virtuale

Students with DSA or disabilities: it is recommended that they contact the responsible University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, considering the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Federica Tarabusi