00045 - Cultural Anthropology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:- identify the main debates and the key concepts of cultural anthropology (culture, ethnocentrism, relativism, ethnicity); - know how the notion of "fieldwork" has been developed in the past as well as how ethnographic practice takes today place; - critically think about the main notions of anthropological thinking (diversity, identity, multiculturalism) – understand the ethnografic contribution to the analysis of educational context; translate the anthropological knowledge into his/her future professional practices; deal with the theoretical and methodological issues applied to the schools and educational settings.

Course contents

The course aims to provide a general background to the anthropological contribution in the analysis of the schools and educational setting, to the key concepts as well as to the main theoretical and methodological issues and debates that have been characterizing the discipline. The first part of the course will focus on the origin and development of the anthropological studies, on some key paradigms, on the changing issues related to the concept of fieldwork and will aim to provide the critical tools needed to analyze the notions of culture, identity, ethnicity. The second part will focus on both ethnography of education and anthropology of migration, by especially focusing on the contexts, issues and problems the students will face in doing their future professional career. In particular, we'll discuss the main approaches to minority school performance - dealing with the case of Sinti children - the relationship between school and foreign families as well as children of migrants' identity practices.

Lectures are given in Italian Language.

 

Readings/Bibliography

Recommended readings (no distinction between attending and non attending students will be done):

- Benadusi M., La scuola in pratica. Prospettive antropologiche sull’educazione, ED.it, Firenze, 2017.

- Gomes A.M., Vegna che ta fago scriver. Etnografia della scolarizzazione in una comunità di sinti, CISU, Roma, 1998

(or Bonetti R., Etnografie in bottiglia. Apprendere per relazioni nei contesti educativi, Meltemi, Milano, 2019)

Personal or alternative readings, in English, for international/Erasmus students have to be discussed with the professor.

Teaching methods

Interactive lectures, seminars, video analysis and plenary discussions.

Assessment methods

Oral exam. The conversation aims at assessing the students' understanding of the main theorical and metodological issues which where dealt with in both lessons and textbooks. Among the criteria used to evaluate the preparation of students, there are: A) the understanding of the theoretical-methodological issues and the main debates that the discipline today faces, especially dealing with the educational processes and contexts; B) the ability to translate the anthropological knowledge in a critical understanding of the school minority performance, migratory processes and intercultural mediation; C) the ability to accurately use the anthropological language; D) the ability to apply both the ethnographic insight and a self-critical approach to their specific professional fields.

Final score based on ../30 (18 is considered the minimum to pass the exam).

Inscription to the exam on Almaesami website.

For the international/ERASMUS students only: possibility to arrange with the teacher the elaboration of a written paper

 

Teaching tools

Powerpoint Slides, video analysis, readings;

Office hours

See the website of Federica Tarabusi