04718 - Social Anthropology (M-Z)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will master the main lines of the history of social anthropology and he will acquire a critical knowledge of the anthropological paradigms aimed at studying inequality and social exclusion. Besides, he will master the anthropological debate on Anthropocene.

Course contents

The course described here is directed at students whose family name is between the letters M and Z (No exceptions are possible).

 

Classes start at the beginning of February.

The goal of this course is to provide an introduction to social anthropology. Particular attention will be given to the ethnographic exploration of urban contexts and to fostering a critical understanding of the rise of brand economy, whereby the status of commodity is extended to places, experiences, and individuals. We will analyze, from a theoretical and ethnographic perspective, the contemporary dynamics of social exclusion and inequality and the forms of exploitation and alienation inherent to global capitalism. Throughout the course, students will develop the methodological expertise to undertake fieldwork in urban contexts and will learn how to use ethnographic and semiotic tools to analyze how brands circulate and produce meaning.

 

Although the course is divided in two thematic sections, the program cannot be split and students can only take the exam for 12 CFU (Credito Formativo Universitario). Overall, students will have to study a total of four books: the two mandatory texts and two of the four optional texts (one from each part).

Overall, the course is aimed at exploring our late capitalist moment. The first part focuses on the post-industrial transformation of contemporary cities and on the ensuing forms of injustice and social exclusion. The second part is devoted to the analysis of post-Fordist modes of consumption and production based on the fusion of media and capital and on the circulation of commodities as messages and messages as commodities.

 

By the end of the course, students will achieve a deepergrasp ofthe transformations of social relations in post-industrial urban contexts and of the dynamics of inequality and exclusion triggered by the re-branding of cities and neighborhoods and will gain an better understanding of the ongoing transition from material production to a new form of semiotic capitalism pivoting on information commodities, brands, and advertising.

 

 

Readings/Bibliography

There is no difference between attending and non attending students.

 

First part (two books):

• Bourgois, Philippe.2005.Cercando rispetto: drug economy e cultura di strada, Derive Approdi. (Mandatory) 

One book to be chosen between:

• Zukin, Sharon. 2013. L' altra New York. Alla ricerca della metropoli autentica. Il Mulino.

• Semi, Giovanni. 2015. "Gentrification." Tutte le città come Disneyland,Il Mulino.

 

Second part (two books):

• Rossi-Landi, Ferruccio.2016. Linguistica ed Economia, Mimesis. (Mandatory)

One book to be chosen between:

• Barile, Nello. 2009. Brand new world. Il consumo delle marche come forma di rappresentazione del mondo. Lupetti.

• Arvidsson, Adam. 2010. La marca nell'economia dell'informazione. Per una teoria dei brand: Per una teoria dei brand. FrancoAngeli.

Teaching methods

Teaching will be performed through frontal lectures. Occasionally the instructor will use audiovisual material to give more tangibility to the topics under discussion. Students will be encouraged to ask questions and open up debates on the issues addressed in the course.

Assessment methods

Students will be assessed through an oral exam  on Teams, and they will have to register for the exam on the website almaesami.

Students will have to study a total of four books: the two mandatory texts and two of the four optional texts (one from each part).

Students will have to demonstrate their ability to contextualize the texts, place them within the history of discipline and to reconstruct their theoretical frameworks. The program is the same both for students attending classes and for the non-attending ones.

Teaching tools

The instructor will occasionaly use audio-visual sources (documentaris, maps and photos)

Office hours

See the website of Aurora Donzelli