OVERVIEW

The study of anthropos is an easy target for reductionism: it is often reduced to its cultural or biological aspects. Nevertheless, the nature-culture dichotomy is hardly ever questioned. To be human means to be a product of - and to produce - a specific human world, it means to be immersed in an specific relational environment that shapes our being.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course offers a broad introduction to the fundamental notions of anthropology (variation, differentiation, phylogenetic evolution); it presents the many biocultural strategies developed by different human populations; and concludes with anthropology of health and illness, and ethnopsychiatry. Particular attention will be paid to the critical analysis of data.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course students will be able to

1) expose the fundamental topics and areas of research of contemporary anthropology;
2) remember and connect main anthropological theories and the data upon which they are construed;
3) appreciate human variability and the plurality of existing "human worlds", reading them according to the scientific data presented in the course;
4) critically analyze scientific data and theories, understanding their social, ethical and political implications;
5) analitically develop an anthropological theme through personal research and reading of specific literature;
6) practice an anthropologically sound form of reasoning.

PREREQUISITES

None.

TEACHING METHODS

The course is entirely developed through lessons delivered by the teacher or, in some cases, by experts in the anthropological field. If time allows, a short film club can be organized at the end of the course, aimed at conveying, in its minimal form, the sensation known as "anthropological bewilderment".

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

1) Biological and cultural anthropology: conceptual analysis of the divide.

2) natural hisotry and the theory of evolution.

3) Evolution and genetic in the XX century: history, developments fundamental concepts, intersections.

4) Humans within the living world: evolutionary timeline, systematics, close relatives.

5) Human phylogeny: from missing link to agriculture.

6) Human ontogeny: variability, bio-culture, practices and implicit knowledge..

7) Medical anthropology and ethnopsychiatry.

The 6 CFU program implies the study of the lecture notes, one book chosen form a list, and two papers chosen from another list  (see section "Reccomended readings/Bibliography").

The 9 CFU program implies the study of the lecture notes, two books chosen form a list, and three papers chosen from another list (see section "Reccomended readings/Bibliography").

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The 6 CFU program implies the study of the lecture notes (a), one book chosen form the list (b), and two papers chosen from the list (c).

The 9 CFU program implies the study of the lecture notes (a), two books chosen form the list (b), and three papers chosen from the list (c).

Lecture notes and papers are available at the Section of Anthropology's library (tel. 010-2099745, email: elena.limardo@unige.it). Books can usually be found in city libraries, or can be bought in bookshops.

(a) Lecture notes.

(b) Books' list:

• Barbujani G., 2006. L’invenzione delle razze. Bompiani, Milano.
• Barbujani G. & Brunelli A., 2018. Il giro del mondo in sei milioni di anni. Il Mulino, Bologna.
• Biondi G. & Rickards O., 2017. Umani da sei milioni di anni. L’evoluzione della nostra specie. Carocci, Milano.
• Carroll S.B., 2005. Infinite forme bellissime. La nuova scienza dell’Evo-Devo. Codice, Torino 2006.
• Coppo P., 2003. Tra psiche e culture. Elementi di etnopsichiatria. Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 2003.
• Corbey R., 2005. Metafisiche delle scimmie. Negoziando il confine animali-umani. Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 2008.
• Despret V., 2001. Le emozioni. Etnopsicologia dell’autenticità. Elèuthera, Milano 2002.
• Good B.J., 1994. Narrare la malattia. Edizioni di Comunità, Torino 1999.
• Gould S.J., 1993. Otto piccoli porcellini. Riflessioni di storia naturale. Il Saggiatore, Milano, 2003.
• Hadot P., 2004. Il velo di Iside. Storia dell’idea di natura. Einaudi, Torino 2006.
• Hazen R., 2013. Breve storia della Terra. Il Saggiatore, Milano 2017.
• Ingold T. & Pallson G. (eds), 2013. Biosocial becomings. Integrating social and biological anthropology. CUP, Cambridge 2013.
• Jablonka E. & Lamb M., 2005. L’evoluzione in quattro dimensioni. Variazione genetica, epigenetica, comportamentale e simbolica nella storia della vita. UTET, Torino 2007.
• Lewontin R., 1993. Biologia come ideologia. La dottrina del DNA.  Bollati Boringhieri, Torino.
• Quaranta I. (a cura di), 2006. Antropologia medica. I testi fondamentali. Raffaello Cortina, Milano.
• Reichholf J.H., 1992. L’impulso creativo. Garzanti, Milano 1995.
• Rogoff B., 2003. La natura culturale dello sviluppo, Raffaello Cortina, Milano 2004. 
• Zimmer C., 2018. She has her mother's laugh. Dutton Penguin, New York 2018.

(3) Papers' list:

• Chandler M.J. & Lalonde C., 1998. Cultural continuity as a hedge against suicide in Canada’s First Nations.  «Transcultural psychiatry» 35, 2, pp. 191-220.
• Coppo P. & Consigliere S., 2009. Psicologie, etnopsichiatria, sistemi di cura. «Humana.Mente. Journal of Philosophical Studies» n. 11, Oct. 2009, pp. 125-136.
• Csordas T.J., 1990. Embodiment as a Paradigm for Anthropology. «Ethos» 18 (1), pp. 5-47.
• Deutscher G., 2010. Pensieri obbligati. «Internazionale» 867 (08/10/2010), pp. 54-58. (in versione inglese: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/magazine/29language-t.html?_r=0)
• Devereux G., 1965. La schizofrenia, psicosi etnica o la schizofrenia senza lacrime. In: id., 1973. Saggi di etnopsichiatria generale. Armando Editore, Roma 2007, pp. 245-268.
• Gardner L.I., 1972. Nanismo da deprivazione. «Le Scienze» 50, pp. 72-78.
• Gould S.J. & Lewontin R.C., 1979. I pennacchi di San Marco e il paradigma di Pangloss. Critica del programma adattazionista. Torino: Einaudi (Piccola Biblioteca on line), 2001.
• Lestel D., 2009. Pensare con l’animale. «Discipline filosofiche» XIX (1), 2009, pp. 153-169.
• Longo G. & Tendero P.-E., 2005. L’alfabeto, la macchina e il dna. L’incompletezza causale della teoria della programmazione in biologia molecolare. «Naturalmente» anno 22 (2009), numero speciale Oltre il dna?, pp. 9-75.
• Marmot M., 2005. Social determinants of health inequalities. «Lancet» 365, pp. 1099–1104.
• Novick D., Haro J.M., Hong J., Brugnoli R., Lepine J.P., Bertsch j., Karagianis J., Dossenbach M., Alvarez E., 2012. Regional differences in treatment response and three year course of schizophrenia across the world. «Journal of Psychiatric Research» 46, pp. 856-864
• Ochs E. & Schieffelin B.B., 1984. L’acquisizione del linguaggio e la socializzazione. Tre percorsi evolutivi e le loro implicazioni. In: Shweder R.A. & LeVine R.A., 1984. Mente, Sé, emozioni. Per una teoria della cultura. Argo, Lecce 1997, pp. 317-362.
• Ramirez-Goicoechea E., 2013. Life-in-the-making: epigenesis, biocultural environments and human becomings. In: Ingold T. & Palsson G. (eds), 2013. Biosocial becomings. Integrating social and biological anthropology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2013, pp. 59-83.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

STEFANIA CONSIGLIERE (President)

SIMONA PARAVAGNA

CRISTINA ZAVARONI

LESSONS

LESSONS START

September 16, 2019

Class schedule

ANTHROPOLOGY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists of an interview.. In order to pass it, one must (a) know the exam program, i.e., the contents of the lecture notes; (b) develop and in-depth critical analysis of (at least) one of the themes presented in the lecture notes through the study of the reading list proposed in the "Readings/Bibliography" section. Students will first be asked to expose their in-depth analysis through the chosen literature; after that, their knowledge of the themes presented in the lecture notes will be assessed. Learning outcomes, assessment method and bibliography are identical both for students who follow the lessons and for those who do not.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Knowledge of the contents of the lecture notes counts for 24/30 of the final vote. The capacity to develop a critical in-depth analysis of an anthropological theme counts for 6/30 of the final vote.

Exam schedule