OVERVIEW

The course aims to provide interpretive tools for understanding the complexity and multiplicity of cultures through a programme that addresses the main issues in cultural anthropology — from the genealogies of the discipline to its key concepts and contemporary perspectives on themes such as the body, gender, social identities, politics, economy, language, cultural practices, territory, heritage, coloniality, and socio-environmental relations. Structured around a first theoretical part, in which the foundational notions of anthropology will be discussed, and a second monographic part devoted to Peru — from pre-Columbian cultural history to contemporary dynamics of heritage construction, tourist imaginaries, and the idea of the nation — the course aims to offer a critical perspective on the discipline, its genealogies, its key concepts, and its applications to the analysis of contemporary sociocultural processes.

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

Learning Goals (Details) and Learning Outcomes

Main learning objectives:

• Expansion of students’ anthropological vocabulary and deeper knowledge of the discipline’s fundamental concepts.

• Acquisition of the theoretical and methodological tools specific to anthropological and ethnographic practice.

• Ability to apply theoretical and methodological approaches to the analysis and interpretation of social and cultural phenomena.

• Development of critical and reflexive thinking regarding interpretive models and research contexts.

• Analytical and interpretive autonomy in the deconstruction of sociocultural processes and dynamics.

• Understanding the historical and colonial genealogies of the discipline and contemporary debates on the decolonisation of anthropology.

At the end of the 6-ECTS course, students will be able to:

• Understand the historical and colonial genesis of the main anthropological concepts.

• Develop the ability to critically analyse notions such as culture, alterity, identity, “race”, and gender.

• Apply anthropological methods and techniques to concrete case studies.

• Acquire familiarity with the historical, symbolic, and material processes that structure Peru’s cultural reality, including colonialism, classification, territory, heritage, and representation.

• Express their analyses clearly and argumentatively, including in written form.

At the end of the 9-ECTS course, students will be able to:​

• Understand the main debates concerning the decolonisation of anthropology and the critique of hegemonic anthropologies.

• Understand the historical and colonial genesis of the main anthropological concepts.

• Develop the ability to critically analyse notions such as culture, alterity, identity, “race”, gender, body, power, and territory.

• Apply anthropological methods and techniques to concrete case studies.

• Acquire familiarity with the historical, symbolic, and material processes that structure Peru’s cultural reality, with particular attention to colonialism, classification, territory, heritage, representation, tourist imaginaries, and nation-building.

• Analyse the relationship among anthropology, heritage, tourism, and nation in the Peruvian context.

• Understand the role of anthropology in Peru in the transition from the study of the “other” to the construction of a plural and diverse “we”.

• Express their analyses clearly and argumentatively, including in written form.

   

PREREQUISITES

None.

TEACHING METHODS

• Lectures supported by audiovisual materials (slides, films, images).

• Seminar-style discussions based on readings, testimonies, and ethnographic case studies.

• Guest lectures on selected topics.

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 course introduces the main areas of inquiry in cultural anthropology and provides the discipline’s basic theoretical and methodological tools. After a concise reconstruction of the historical and colonial genealogies of anthropology, the course will address several fundamental concepts, including culture, alterity, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, identity, “race”, gender, body, power, and territory. Particular attention will be devoted to the formation of the anthropological gaze, to ethnographic practice, and to the ability to critically question the categories through which social and cultural differences are represented. The course will also address contemporary perspectives on the decolonisation of anthropology, the relationship between knowledge production and systems of power, and the pluralisation of the discipline through engagement with so-called “world anthropologies”.

Bibliography:

• Aime, Marco. 2008. Il primo libro di antropologia. Einaudi.

• Bolles, A. Lynn. 2023. “Decolonizing Anthropology: An Ongoing Process”. American Ethnologist 50 (3): 519–22. The Italian translation will be provided by the instructor.

• Eriksen, Thomas Hylland, e Finn Sivert Nielsen. 2013. A history of anthropology. Pluto Press (capp. 1 and 7). The Italian translation will be provided by the instructor.

• Ribeiro, Gustavo Lins, and Arturo Escobar. 2018. “Antropologie del mondo Mutamenti disciplinari e sistemi di potere”. Anuac 7 (1): 9–41. https://ojs.unica.it/index.php/anuac/article/view/3059/2969 

The 9-CFU syllabus includes the general part required for the 6-CFU course and a second monographic part devoted to Peru:

The course introduces the main areas of inquiry in cultural anthropology and provides the discipline’s basic theoretical and methodological tools. After a concise reconstruction of the historical and colonial genealogies of anthropology, the course will address several fundamental concepts, including culture, alterity, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, identity, “race”, gender, body, power, and territory. Particular attention will be devoted to the formation of the anthropological gaze, to ethnographic practice, and to the ability to critically question the categories through which social and cultural differences are represented. The course will also address contemporary perspectives on the decolonisation of anthropology, the relationship between knowledge production and systems of power, and the pluralisation of the discipline through engagement with so-called “world anthropologies”.

The monographic part will explore several historical, cultural, symbolic, and material processes that have contributed to the production of Peruvian social and cultural reality. Starting with a contextualisation of the country’s cultural history and its colonial, postcolonial, and national stratifications, the course will analyse the relationships among social classification, identity, territory, heritage, tourism, and nation-building. It will also examine the role of anthropology in shaping a discourse on Peru as an object of knowledge, representation, and self-representation. Finally, the course will discuss contemporary dynamics of heritagization, tourist imaginaries, and the symbolic construction of Peru as a tourist destination, with particular attention to how heritage and tourism can be studied as processes of cultural, economic, and political production of the nation.

Bibliography:

• Aime, Marco. 2008. Il primo libro di antropologia. Einaudi.

• Bolles, A. Lynn. 2023. “Decolonizing Anthropology: An Ongoing Process”. American Ethnologist 50 (3): 519–22. The Italian translation will be provided by the instructor.

• Branca, Domenico. 2026. Destinazione Perù. Patrimonio, immaginari turistici e costruzione della nazione. Pàtron Editore.

• Degregori, Carlos Iván, and Pablo Sandoval. 2007. “La antropología en el Perú: del estudio del otro a la construcción de un nosotros diverso”. Revista Colombiana de Antropología 43: 299–334. The Italian translation will be provided by the instructor.

• Eriksen, Thomas Hylland, and Finn Sivert Nielsen. 2013. A history of anthropology. Pluto Press (capp. 1 and 7). The Italian translation will be provided by the instructor.

• Ribeiro, Gustavo Lins, and Arturo Escobar. 2018. “Antropologie del mondo Mutamenti disciplinari e sistemi di potere”. Anuac 7 (1): 9–41. https://ojs.unica.it/index.php/anuac/article/view/3059/2969

Recommended readings (not mandatory):

• Quijano, Aníbal. 2000. “Coloniality of Power and Eurocentrism in Latin America”. International Sociology 15 (2): 215–32; Italian translation: “Colonialità del potere ed eurocentrismo in America Latina”, in America latina e modernità. L’opzione decoloniale: saggi scelti, edited by Gennaro Ascione, translated by Clara Ciccioni, Edizioni Arcoiris, pp. 73–96. The Italian translation will be provided by the instructor.

• Zavala, Virginia, and Michele Back. 2017. “Introducción: la producción discursiva de identidades racializadas”. In Racismo y lenguaje, edited by V. Zavala and M. Back. Fondo Editorial de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú: 11–38. The Italian translation will be provided by the instructor.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The programme for the acquisition of 6 ECTS credits is as follows:

1. Aime, Marco. 2008. Il primo libro di antropologia. Einaudi.

2. Bolles, A. Lynn. 2023. “Decolonizing Anthropology: An Ongoing Process”. American Ethnologist 50 (3): 519–22. The Italian translation will be provided by the instructor.

3. Eriksen, Thomas Hylland, e Finn Sivert Nielsen. 2013. A history of anthropology. Pluto Press (capp. 1 and 7). The Italian translation will be provided by the instructor.

4. Ribeiro, Gustavo Lins, and Arturo Escobar. 2018. “Antropologie del mondo Mutamenti disciplinari e sistemi di potere”. Anuac 7 (1): 9–41. https://ojs.unica.it/index.php/anuac/article/view/3059/2969 

The programme for the acquisition of 9 ECTS credits is as follows:

1. Aime, Marco. 2008. Il primo libro di antropologia. Einaudi.

2. Bolles, A. Lynn. 2023. “Decolonizing Anthropology: An Ongoing Process”. American Ethnologist 50 (3): 519–22. The Italian translation will be provided by the instructor.

3. Branca, Domenico. 2026. Destinazione Perù. Patrimonio, immaginari turistici e costruzione della nazione. Pàtron Editore.

4. Degregori, Carlos Iván, and Pablo Sandoval. 2007. “La antropología en el Perú: del estudio del otro a la construcción de un nosotros diverso”. Revista Colombiana de Antropología 43: 299–334. The Italian translation will be provided by the instructor.

5. Eriksen, Thomas Hylland, and Finn Sivert Nielsen. 2013. A history of anthropology. Pluto Press (capp. 1 and 7). The Italian translation will be provided by the instructor.

6. Ribeiro, Gustavo Lins, and Arturo Escobar. 2018. “Antropologie del mondo Mutamenti disciplinari e sistemi di potere”. Anuac 7 (1): 9–41. https://ojs.unica.it/index.php/anuac/article/view/3059/2969

Recommended readings (not mandatory):

1. Quijano, Aníbal. 2000. “Coloniality of Power and Eurocentrism in Latin America”. International Sociology 15 (2): 215–32; Italian translation: “Colonialità del potere ed eurocentrismo in America Latina”, in America latina e modernità. L’opzione decoloniale: saggi scelti, edited by Gennaro Ascione, translated by Clara Ciccioni, Edizioni Arcoiris, pp. 73–96. The Italian translation will be provided by the instructor.

2. Zavala, Virginia, and Michele Back. 2017. “Introducción: la producción discursiva de identidades racializadas”. In Racismo y lenguaje, edited by V. Zavala and M. Back. Fondo Editorial de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú: 11–38. The Italian translation will be provided by the instructor.

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS:

There is no distinction between attending and non-attending students.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

DOMENICO BRANCA (President)

SALVATORE BRUNO BARBA (President Substitute)

SARA BONFANTI (Substitute)

CLAUDE PETROGNANI (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Tuesday, September 15.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The final examination will consist of a written test composed of short and medium-length open-ended questions. The test is designed to assess students’ understanding of the fundamental concepts of cultural anthropology, their ability to connect texts and theoretical perspectives, their appropriate use of disciplinary vocabulary, and the clarity of their argumentation.

Students enrolled in the 6-ECTS version of the course will complete three parts.

• Part A – Anthropological concept: a short answer devoted to the definition and discussion of a fundamental concept of the discipline.
• Part B – Connections between texts: an answer aimed at relating authors, texts, and theoretical perspectives addressed during the course.
• Part C – Guided commentary on a quotation: a brief argumentative commentary based on a quotation or statement related to the themes of the course.

Students enrolled in the 9-ECTS version of the course will also complete a fourth part.

• Part A – Anthropological concept: a short answer devoted to the definition and discussion of a fundamental concept of the discipline.
• Part B – Connections between texts: an answer aimed at relating authors, texts, and theoretical perspectives addressed during the course.
• Part C – Guided commentary on a quotation: a brief argumentative commentary based on a quotation or statement related to the themes of the course.
• Part D – Monographic focus on Peru: an answer devoted to the monographic part of the course.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The final grade will be proportional to the student’s ability to critically engage with the fundamental concepts of anthropological analysis, as demonstrated in the final written examination. Assessment will take into account the completeness of the answers, the accuracy of the content, the ability to develop critical analysis, clarity of expression, and the originality of the arguments.

The following will also be assessed: relevance of the answer, understanding of the concepts, use of the assigned readings, ability to establish connections between authors and course themes, appropriate use of anthropological terminology, and clarity of written expression.

For 6 ECTS credits:
The exam will consist of Parts A, B, and C and will last 60 minutes.

For 9 ECTS credits:
The exam will consist of Parts A, B, C, and D and will last 90 minutes.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who have regularly filed a certification of DSA, disability or other special educational needs are advised to contact both the contact person Prof. Aristide Canepa (aristide.canepa@unige.it) and the teacher at the beginning of the course, to agree teaching and examination methods which, in compliance with the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning methods and provide suitable compensatory tools.

To request compensatory tools or dispensatory measures, students with disabilities or SLD must fill in the dedicated Webform available at https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa, at least 7 working days before the exam. Students with SEN may instead send their request by e-mail to the lecturer, copying the Department Representative, Prof. Aristide Canepa (aristide.canepa@unige.it) and the Inclusion Office (inclusione.studenti@info.unige.it). Requests from students will be assessed by the lecturer and may be approved or rejected