27280 - Seminars (1) (G.B)

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Anthropology, Religions, Oriental Civilizations (cod. 8493)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the seminar course (an activity strictly related to the objectives of the degree course) the student will have acquired specific skills and notions to address central and methodological issues and problems in an anthropological environment.

Course contents

Images of the OtHer

History and Stories of the Feminine in Mediterranean Cultures

 

Flash News - Next Meeting

Thursday, the 23rd of June, 09.15-11.00,

Professor Indrakshi Tandon (American University in Dubai)

“Creating ‘modern’ women in neo-liberal India”.


 

 

Meetings for the month of June 2022 (online)

Thursday, the 16th of June, 09.15-11.00,

Prof. Giuseppe Cecere (Università di Bologna)

 "Critica femminista e poesia araba classica: nuove prospettive di analisi" (in Italian) . 

 

Thursday, the 23rd of June, 09.15-11.00,

Professor Indrakshi Tandon (American University in Dubai)

Title to be confirmed

 

Thursday, the 30h of June, 09.15-11.00,

Professor Omar Bortolazzi (American University in Dubai) -

"Women in Iraq. From the ‘Awakening’ to the 2003 Invasion".


General course contents 

At the end of the course, the student knows how to critically interpret and historically contextualise literary and other historical sources in a gender perspective, using a plurality of methodological approaches typical of historiographical research and literary criticism. S/he knows the fundamental features of the history of the "material"and" symbolic" condition of women in the different cultural contexts examined by the course.

In particular, the student is able to reconstruct the main lines of elaboration of the notions of sexual difference and gender identity, with special regard to the notion of "feminine" and its social and literary representations, in the different cultures that have developed in the Mediterranean basin from the ancient age to the contemporary age. S/he is oriented in the different elaborations of thought in the field of gender studies and knows how to apply them to the different contexts considered; knows how to listen, understand and communicate with respect to different points of view and identify relationships between different disciplines; can communicate in oral and written form using specific terminology and in accordance with the scientific statute. The course is coordinated by the Teacher(s) with the participation of other scholars (mainly from the Department) as well as representatives of the world of culture and professions. It will be articulated into two fundamental aspects: 1) introduction to the basic tools and categories of gender history, historiographical research, history and literary criticism (with particular reference, in this latter context, to the analysis of rhetorical structures); 2) analysis of single themes considered significant for the reconstruction of the representations of the "feminine" and of the notions of gender in different cultures of the Mediterranean basin, with particular reference to the following macro-areas: Classical and Hellenistic world; modern and contemporary Western world; Arab and Muslim world. In consideration of the variety and complexity of different topics and disciplinary approaches, each of these macro-areas will be chaired by one or more specific reference teacher(s). 

Readings/Bibliography

For a general introduction to the themes and methods of the course, students are recommended to read the following texts:

Course readings are articulated into three levels:   

a) common compulsory readings for all students;

b) compulsory readings for one of the macro-areas (Classical and Hellenistic world; Modern and contemporary Western world; Arab and Muslim world). Each student will have to choice one of the macro-areas; 

c) specific suggested readings and/or handout material for single lectures as provided by the relevant teacher. 

a) Common compulsory readings for all students:

Simone DE BEAUVOIR, Il secondo sesso, Firenze, Sansoni, 1961 e qualunque edizione successiva (originale: Le deuxième sexe, Paris, Gallimard, 1949), in particolare la Prima Parte ("I fatti e i miti).

Joan W. SCOTT, "Il genere: un'utile categoria di analisi storica", in P. DI CORI, Altre storie. La critica femminista alla storia, Bologna, Clueb, 1997, pp. 307-347.

Lorenza PAMATO, "Storia delle donne, «gender studies» e ricerca storico-religiosa. Note introduttive", Annali di Studi religiosi 3/2002, pp. 375-410

b.1) Compulsory readings for the Macro-Area "Classical and Hellenistic World": 

F. Cenerini, La donna romana, II edizione, Il Mulino, Bologna 2013

F. Lamberti, La storiografia sulla familia romana fra inquadramenti tradizionali e nuove tendenze di ricerca [https://www.ledonline.it/Erga-Logoi/allegati/764-2-famiglia-tardoantica-lamberti.pdf], V. Neri, B. Girotti, La Famiglia tardoantica. Società, diritto, religione. Milano 2016, 11-29

Teresa Sardella,La famiglia cristiana: il fidanzamento nella costruzione di una identità religiosa (IV-V secolo) [https://www.ledonline.it/Erga-Logoi/allegati/764-2-famiglia-tardoantica-sardella.pdf], in V. Neri, B. Girotti, La Famiglia tardoantica. Società, diritto, religione. Milano 2016, 79-99

Ida Gilda Mastrorosa, Girolamo e l’ascetismo muliebre tardoantico: a proposito di un recente studio sul monachesimo femminile, Giornale italiano di Filologia 65, 2013, 354-362

b.2) Compulsory readings for the Macro-Area "Modern and Contemporary World". One of the following texts:

Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, Le donne nell'Europa moderna, Torino, Einaudi, 2017.

Simona Feci - Laura Schettini (a cura di), La violenza sulle donne nella storia: contesti, linguaggi, politiche del diritto (secoli XV-XXI), Roma, Viella, 2017

b.3) Compulsory readings for the Macro-Area "Arab and Muslim World":

Joumana Haddad, Ho ucciso Shahrazad. Confessioni di una donna araba arrabbiata, Milano, Mondadori, 2011

Valentina Colombo, Parola di donna, corpo di donna. Antologia di scrittrici arabe contemporanee. Milano, Mondadori, 2005,Postfazione.

Margot Badran e Miriam Cooke, Opening the Gates: An Anthology of Arab Feminist Writing. Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 2004,Introduction.

c) For each single lecture, the relevant Teacher may provide specific handout material and/or indicate some suggestions for further readings. 

FURTHER SUGGESTIONS (MERELY OPTIONAL READINGS) -

The following reference list of optional readings is provided for students wishing to deepen some of the issues dealt with in the seminar cycle: 

F. Cenerini, La donna romana, II edizione, Il Mulino, Bologna 2013

Antonella Cagnolati - Sandra Rossetti (a cura di), Donne e potere. Paradossi e ambiguità di una difficile relazione, Roma, Aracne, 2015;

Elena Riva (a cura di), La politica charmante. Società di corte e figure femminili nell’età di transizione, “Cheiron”, 1, Milano, FrancoAngeli, 2017;

Maria Teresa Guerrini - Vincenzo Lagioia - Simona Negruzzo (a cura di ), Nel solco di Teodora. Pratiche, modelli e rappresentazioni del potere femminile dall'antico al contemporaneo, Milano, FrancoAngeli, 2019.

Simona Feci - Laura Schettini (a cura di), La violenza sulle donne nella storia: contesti, linguaggi, politiche del diritto (secoli XV-XXI), Roma, Viella, 2017

Fatima MERNISSI, L'harem e l'Occidente. Firenze, Giunti 2000, e qualunque edizione successiva.

Joumana Haddad, Ho ucciso Shahrazad. Confessioni di una donna araba arrabbiata, Milano, Mondadori, 2011

Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, Le donne nell'Europa moderna, Torino, Einaudi, 2017.

 

Teaching methods

The lessons will be of two types:

a) expository-argumentative lectures;

b) seminars with active participation.

For all the meetings, even those of type a, there are however moments dedicated to group work and readings on which to discuss together.

Assessment methods

AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT DISTINCTION

Assessment of the acquired notions and skills will be carried out in two distinct ways, according to the distinction between "Internal seminars" and "Collage seminars" that is described in the Seminars page of the ARCO course: https://corsi.unibo.it/laurea/ScienzeAntropologiche/seminari

1) "INTERNAL SEMINARS" MODE - WRITTEN TEST

Students attending at least eight meetings of this seminar cycle will have to take a written test, with questions based on both the common compulsory bibliography and the compulsory bibliography of one of the three sections, at the student's choice (classical world and Hellenistic; modern and contemporary Western world; Arab and Muslim world).

Passing this written test will allow the student to achieve all 6 CFU of the "Seminars" training activity.

2) "COLLAGE SEMINARS" MODE - REPORTS ON SINGLE MEETINGS

Students who adopt a personalized seminar plan (so-called "Collage seminars") may attend individual meetings of this seminar cycle. In this case, Students may write a short report (8,000-12,000 characters in length) on each of the meetings in which they participated (up to a maximum of three reports), and these reports would be useful for obtaining the CFU of the Seminar Activity according to the guidelines provided in the relevant page of the ARCO website under the heading "Collage seminars". https://corsi.unibo.it/laurea/ScienzeAntropologiche/seminari

EVALUATION CRITERIA.

BOTH FOR THE WRITTEN TEST (INTERNAL SEMINARS) AND FOR THE INDIVIDUAL REPORTS (COLLAGE SEMINARS) THE FOLLOWING EVALUATION CRITERIA WILL BE ADOPTED:

- ability to comment on texts, i.e. the ability to identify, date and contextualize the required passage(s) of ancient authors;

- mastery of the contents;

- ability to summarize and analyze issues and problems;

- ability to express oneself adequately and with the appropriate language for the subject in question. 

Top marks will be awarded to students who will prove able to comment comprehensively on the passages and to express an organic vision of the topics dealt with in the lesson with a good expressive mastery and specific language.

Students showing mnemonic knowledge of the subject, together with synthesis and analysis capabilities articulated in a correct language, even if not always appropriate, will receive intermediate evaluations.

Students showing some gaps in knowledge and / or using inappropriate language - albeit in a context of minimal knowledge of the exam material - will receive grades not exceeding sufficiency.

Students with major training gaps, lack of appropriate technical language, lack of orientation within the bibliographic materials offered during the course will not pass the exam

Teaching tools

Slides, photocopies and more material will be provided in class

Office hours

See the website of Giuseppe Cecere

SDGs

Quality education Gender equality Reduced inequalities

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.