11292 - Cultural Anthropology (1) (M-Z)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module, students master the topics and conceptual frameworks that characterise the discipline. They understand the processes of mutual conditioning between nature and culture; the dynamics of the cultural construction of reality, the person, and collective belongings. They know how to problematise the relationships between local dynamics and global processes. They are also able to communicate the learnt content with the appropriate terminology.

Course contents

The course (12 cfu) is composed by two integrated modules that cannot be divided (Cultural Anthropology and History of Anthropology).

The course aims at presenting an introduction to the main concepts and theories that characterize cultural anthropology. Particular attention will be dedicated to the limits and potentialities of different conceptualizations of the concept of culture, to the nature/culture relationship, to the ethnographic method, to the contemporary challenges for anthropological knowledge .

Even though attendance is not mandatory, it is strongly suggested.

Students enrolled in the degree program in Anthropology, Religions, Oriental Civilizations are assigned to a specific channel (A-L or M-Z) based on the first letter of their last name, both for class attendance and for exams.

Students from other degree programs who have included the course in their free credits may request a change of channel by contacting the professor and presenting the reasons for their request.

Readings/Bibliography

Students will have to prepare the following four volumes

For the first module "Cultural Anthropology":

1. Emily A. Schultz e Robert H. Lavenda, 2015, Antropologia culturale, Zanichelli, Bologna (Either Third or Fourth Italian edition). [Orig., Cultural Anthropology. A Perspective on the Human Condition, Ninth/Tenth Edition, 2013/2017, Oxfrod University Press, Oxford].

2. Marco Aime, 2024, Il patto delle colline, Elèuthera, Milano.

For the second module "History of Anthropology":

3. Ugo Fabietti, 2011-2020, Storia dell'antropologia, Zanichelli, Bologna (Either Third or Fourth Edition).

4. Max Gluckman, 2019, Analisi di una situazione sociale nel moderno Zululand, edizione italiana a cura di Marco Gardini e Luca Rimoldi, Ledizioni, Milano.

Please note that attending and not-attending students will refer to the same readings, given the extra work required by studying the texts without teaching support.

Teaching methods

Formal lectures with audio-visual support (when appropriate).

In each lecture, students will be engaged in order to verify the proper understanding of the discussed issues.

Assessment methods

Assessment will be done through a computer-based written exam, to be completed without any form of assistance. Consequently, the use of any AI tool is prohibited; such use would constitute a violation of academic integrity and result in the annulment of the exam.

Students will have to answer one question for each of the four volumes indicated above.

Proper language and the ability to make connections between the books' content will lead to a good/excellent final grade.

Acceptable language and the ability to resume the books' content will lead to a sufficient/fair grade.

The exam is failed if students:

- do not demonstrate to master the "learning outcomes" of the course;

- show insufficient linguistic proficiency and fragmentary knowledge of the books' content;

- do not answer all the exam questions.

Students with special needs are kindly invited to contact the lecturer in order to define together the proper assessment method.

Students can consult Exams dates and register at the following URLhttp://www.unibo.it/Portale/Guida/AlmaEsami.htm

Exam sessions are scheduled for the following months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, September, October.

Teaching tools

Students are kindly invited to subscribe to the following mailing list in order to receive information about possible variations in lectures timetable and rooms: chiara.scardozzi.Antropologia_Culturale.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments.

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, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Chiara Scardozzi