94203 - General and Scientific Anthropology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student: (a) knows the general lines of the development of the discipline with particular reference to the contexts of the construction of scientific knowledge; (b) knows the theoretical-methodological problems that the discipline faces in its ethnographic practice; (c) knows the contribution of anthropology to the study of ecological systems; (d) is able to use anthropological knowledge for a critical reading of the ideological processes of the production of scientific thought precisely of complex and technologically advanced societies; (e) knows how to translate the theoretical and methodological knowledge of anthropology into taking a critical and self-critical approach in the professional field; (f) is able to integrate its knowledge and orient itself in anthropological knowledge in order to independently expand its analytical tools; (g) is able to deepen the relationship between gender and scientific knowledge.

Course contents

Throughout its history, Cultural Anthropology consisting as the scientific study of cultural diversity through a theoretical reflection and empirical research that have led it from the study of exotic and distant cultures to the analysis of the sociocultural processes of the contemporary. At the basis of anthropological thought, the nature/culture dichotomy had great relevance and opened several lines of research; to the origins settling into an opposing dichotomy result of a process of essentialization that subsequently had to reckon over time with studies aimed at deepening a complex relationship (from the human/animal relationship to the themes of environmental sustainability, or the interdisciplinary debate between cultural and biological sciences). The course will be organized in a first part, introductory, which will focus on the definition of the field of study of cultural anthropology and on the development of discipline through the deepening of its key concepts - culture, race, ethnicity, ethnicity, globalization, nomadism - ; and in a second part, in which we intend to present any way of ethnographic research around the relationship between nature/culture (environment/man, sustainability and cultural diversity, development and community), on the one hand, and on the other, the theme of the construction of knowledge in the society of mass knowledge with particular regard to scientific knowledge and the areas of their dissemination (media, new technologies, but also museums).

Readings/Bibliography

Part 1

Tassan B., Antropologia per insegnare, Zanichelli, 2020 

One online reading of your choice.

 

Part 2

S.Boni, Culture e poteri. Un approccio antropologico, elèuthera, Milano 2011 (da p. 156 a p.197)

D.De Kerckhove, Psicotecnologie connettive, Egea, Milano 2014

M.Micheli, L’appropriazione di Internet da parte degli adolescenti: tra riproduzione sociale e mutamento culturale, in «Quaderni di Sociologia» n.69/2015

Teaching methods

Tought-classes and lectures, seminars on case-studies, group-works on ethnographic materials, papers etc.

Assessment methods

The final examen consist of: 

- two interview for each module in Italian Language, that aim at assessing students' knowledge the teaching programme contents.

The question deal with general issues; it is up to students demonstrating their in-depth and detailed preparation through their anwers. The assessment procedure is grounding on the following criteria: a) detailed knowledge of the teaching programme contents and, specifically, of the books contentes; b) language proficiency; c) ability to be consistent with the issue proposed; d) ability to apply the thereotical background to concrete case studies and examples related to childcare settings.

The two interviews of each module takes place on the same appeal date; depending on the number of students enrolled in the exam, the appeal may take place over several shifts over several days.

Inscription to the exam on Almaesami website.

Students must sign-up to the Alma Esami Portal by the set deadlines in order to attend the exam. Those who failed to enroll in due times for technical-related issues, must promptly report the problem to the Student Administration Office (before the official closing date of the enrollment procedure). The lecturer can allow them accessing the exam.

Teaching tools

The course makes use of audiovisual material, exercises, case studies, papers etc. The course can make use of teaching materials online.

Office hours

See the website of Giovanna Guerzoni

See the website of Marco Grilli