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CODE 108241
ACADEMIC YEAR 2023/2024
CREDITS
SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINARY SECTOR M-DEA/01
LANGUAGE Italian
TEACHING LOCATION
  • GENOVA
SEMESTER 2° Semester
TEACHING MATERIALS AULAWEB

OVERVIEW

Every human community is different in the way it sees, knows, organizes and builds its own existential and social context. Indeed, in the face of universal problems, communities implement different solutions. Cultural anthropology offers the methodological tools to enter this diversity and explore it. The anthropological gaze is critical, holistic and anti-ethnocentric, and therefore allows us to read the symbolic codes and behavior patterns of groups within societies or of entire societies in their historical and creative dynamism, making what is foreign and unusual familiar what is familiar.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

A) Cultural anthropology today has a perhaps different function than in the past: it is useful to provide transversal and oblique interpretations with respect to the complexity of current phenomena or at least the greater perceived complexity. Adopting an "other" look, a different perspective, allows us to analyze today's phenomena in the light of other narratives and other world views and to relativize problems. B) The course aims to provide brief notes on the history of anthropological thought and the basic theoretical and empirical tools of the discipline. The different theories and applications of cultural anthropology will be addressed both in traditional societies and in ours. In particular, the final part of the course will focus on the issue of identity and the onset of racism. C) The teaching aims to create greater sensitivity towards cultural diversity. Providing critical tools to analyze the complexity that marks our age. Provide different interpretations of the reading of Western society.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Main training objectives are: 1- Extension of the cultural vocabulary and knowledge of the definitions of the key concepts of anthropology 2- Acquisition of theoretical and methodological notions of anthropological and ethnographic practice 3- Ability to apply theoretical-methodological knowledge to the reading of social phenomena 4- Development of critical thinking 5- Autonomy in the deconstruction and analysis of socio-cultural phenomena

PREREQUISITES

None

TEACHING METHODS

The lessons will be delivered in face-to-face mode.

Speeches by male and female colleagues are expected for insights into the topics covered.

Students who have been certified with special educational needs (DSA), such as dyslexia or dysgraphia, are invited to contact me, as well as to familiarise with the services (e.g. “ufficio disabilità  e DSA”) the University offers to support them: further information available at https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa.

 

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The program for the acquisition of 6 credits is as follows: The teaching includes a journey in stages that crosses, by themes, the history of anthropological thought in a non-hegemonic perspective and that makes use of voices of the indigenous scientific world: body, birth, death, kinship, health and disease, food systems, language , economic systems, religious systems, social and political organization, representations and symbolic systems, time and space, art are some of the macro-themes that will be covered during the course.

The program for the acquisition of 9 credits is as follows: The course includes a journey in stages that crosses, by themes, the history of anthropological thought in a non-hegemonic perspective and which makes use of voices from the indigenous scientific world. Body, birth, death, kinship, health and disease, food systems, language, economic systems, religious systems, social and political organization, representations and symbolic systems, time and space, art are some of the macro-themes that will be covered during the course . Particular attention will be devoted to the practice of anthropological research through the presentation of contemporary ethnographies on the theme of the body.

 

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

For 6 CFU:

For those attending class:

Aime, M. 2008. Primo libro di antropologia, Einaudi, Torino

A book to chose from:

Cottino, G. 2022. Il peso del corpo, Unicopli, Milano

Cottino, G. 2023 (uscita prevista). Convivenza in quota, Unicopli, Milano

For those not attending class, the reading of one more book is required:

Patrone, S. 2023. Il malinteso della bellezza. Per un'antropologia del corpo

 

For 9 CFU:

For those attending class:

Aime, M. 2008. Primo libro di antropologia, Einaudi, Torino

Cottino, G. 2022. Il peso del corpo, Unicopli, Milano

Cottino, G. 2023 (uscita prevista). Convivenza in quota, Unicopli, Milano

For those not attending class, the reading of one more book is required:

Patrone, S. 2023. Il malinteso della bellezza. Per un'antropologia del corpo

 

If Italian represents a linguistic barrier, contact Prof. Cottino to have a program fully in English.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MARCO AIME (President)

GAIA COTTINO (President Substitute)

SALVATORE BRUNO BARBA (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

To be notified

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The final exam will be a written paper on the main topics covered in class

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The result will be proportional to the active participation in the classroom and the developed ability to critically elaborate the basic concepts of anthropological analysis which will be demonstrated in the final written paper.

Exam schedule

Data appello Orario Luogo Degree type Note
16/01/2024 09:00 GENOVA Orale
06/02/2024 09:00 GENOVA Orale
21/05/2024 09:00 GENOVA Orale
11/06/2024 09:00 GENOVA Orale
02/07/2024 09:00 GENOVA Orale
10/09/2024 09:00 GENOVA Orale