LEARNING OUTCOMES

The first objective of the course is the deepening of the issues related to the encounter between cultures and cultural hybridization, with particular reference to South America. The examination of universalistic and relativistic positions offers food for thought related to transcultural dynamics, such as the spread of African-American religions. Another objective of the course is the evaluation of cultural crossbreeding as a proposal for an ideal mediation between totalizing homogenization and heterogeneous and multicultural fragmentation.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of the course is the evaluation of cultural crossbreeding as a proposal for an ideal mediation between totalizing homogenization and heterogeneous and multicultural fragmentation.

At the end of the course, the student must be able to analyze issues related to the encounter between cultures and cultural hybridization. He will have to be able to describe universalistic and relativistic positions, proposing some food for thought related to transcultural dynamics, such as the spread of African-American religions; he will have to be able to discuss how and why cultural crossbreeding presents itself as a resource capable of mediating between homologation tendencies and excessive fragmentation and localization.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures with the use of multimedia supports, guided discussions in the classroom, group activities of cooperative learning, individual exercises.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

First of all, the main currents of cultural anthropology will be presented - from evolutionism to functionalism, from structuralism to post-modernism - in their historical development, as well as the most widespread theoretical and methodological approaches practiced by scholars, from Universalism to Relativism. We will then move on to the analysis of the concept of hybridisation in History and Social Sciences and various ethnographic cases will be considered, especially concerning the Brazilian reality. The hypothesis will be to present hybridisation as a real possibility for the future of humanity.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

For nine credits:
2 mandatory texts

-Bruno Barba Dio negro. Sesso, senso natura tra Africa e Brasile. Seid, Firenze, 2013
- Bruno Barba, Meticcio. L’opportunità della differenza, effequ, Orbetello, 2018

2 texts to choose from:

- François Laplantine, Identità e meticciato, Eleuthera, Milano, 2011
- Francesco Pompeo Autentici meticci, Meltemi, Roma 2009
- Bruno Barba (a cura di), Tutto è relativo. La prospettiva in Antropologia. Seid, Firenze, 2008
- Jean Loup Amselle, Logiche meticce, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino, 1999 
- Jean Loup Amselle, Contro il primitivismo, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino, 2012
- Massimo Canevacci, Sincretismi, Costa & Nolan, Milano, 2004
- Roberto Fernandez Retamar, Calibano, saggi sull'identità culturale dell'America Latina, Sperling & Kupfer, Milano, 2002
- Néstor Garcia Canclini, Culture ibride, Guerini, Milano, 1998
- Guido Barbujani, L'invenzione delle razze, Bompiani, Milano 2007
- Franco La Cecla, Il Malinteso. Antropologia dell'incontro, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2009
- Bruno Barba, Calciologia. Per un’antropologia del football, Mimesi, Milano, 2016
- Bruno Barba, Mitologia degli orixas. Le divinità della natura dall’Africa al Brasile, Ed.it, Firenze, 2015.

For six credits:
2 mandatory texts:

-Bruno Barba Dio negro. Sesso, senso natura tra Africa e Brasile. Seid, Firenze, 2013
- Bruno Barba, Meticcio. L’opportunità della differenza, effequ, Orbetello, 2018.

a text chosen from:

- François Laplantine, Identità e meticciato, Eleuthera, Milano, 2011
- Francesco Pompeo Autentici meticci, Meltemi, Roma 2009
- Bruno Barba (a cura di), Tutto è relativo. La prospettiva in Antropologia. Seid, Firenze, 2008
- Jean Loup Amselle, Logiche meticce, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino, 1999 
- Jean Loup Amselle, Contro il primitivismo, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino, 2012
- Massimo Canevacci, Sincretismi, Costa & Nolan, Milano, 2004
- Roberto Fernandez Retamar, Calibano, saggi sull'identità culturale dell'America Latina, Sperling & Kupfer, Milano, 2002
- Néstor Garcia Canclini, Culture ibride, Guerini, Milano, 1998
- Guido Barbujani, L'invenzione delle razze, Bompiani, Milano 2007
- Franco La Cecla, Il Malinteso. Antropologia dell'incontro, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2009
- Bruno Barba, Calciologia. Per un’antropologia del football, Mimesi, Milano, 2016
- Bruno Barba, Mitologia degli orixas. Le divinità della natura dall’Africa al Brasile, Ed.it, Firenze, 2015.