CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, INTRODUCTION

The course of "Cultural anthropology, introduction" A-L students falls within the formative activities for the anthropological path of the three-year degree course in History and is included as a mandatory exam in Conservation and management of cultural assets and activities. The aim of the course is to develop a capacity for reflection on cultural diversity and to provide basic theoretical and methodological tools for cultural anthropology. The course devotes particular attention to the main themes of the anthropological approach and outlines the basic methods for conducting ethnographic research.

The attendance and active participation in the course (lectures, written exercises) and the individual study of the exam material will allow students and students to:

1. know the anthropological theories and methods applied to the study of different social phenomena
2. know and appreciate the cultural and social complexity of other societies
3. avoid judging other companies and groups by applying their own cultural categories and learning to reflect on their evaluations, practices and cultural representations that are taken for granted
4. learn technical vocabulary and anthropological terminology
5. to be able to take notes and summarize the themes and ideas learned during the lessons and in the preparation of the exam material.

Teaching does not require prerequisites.

The anthropological concept of culture. Ethnocentrism. Relativism. Ethnographic fieldwork. Language and knowledge. Rationality and beliefs. Economics. Forms of social relations and social structures. Political systems. Anthropology of the body.

Students must study the following books:

1) U. Fabietti, "Elementi di antropologia culturale", Milano, Mondadori Università, 2015.

2) B. Malinowski, “Argonauti del Pacifico Occidentale”, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2011 (vol. 1, soltanto l’ “Introduzione di Malinowski” e i capp: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

Non attending students must add: U. Hannerz, "La diversità culturale", Bologna, Il Mulino, 2001.

Important: Students must always bring the program of the current academic year. Under no circumstances can they bring old past academic programs.

Given the basic introductory character of the course, attendance is strongly recommended.

The exam consists, for all students, in a written test, lasting two hours, consisting of four questions on the topics of the course and textbooks, of which three are open-ended and one is composed of ten short questions per question dry on notions, definitions, events, dates and authors.
Evaluation criteria for open-ended questions are: 1. relevance; 2. completeness; 3. language properties; 4. argumentative capacity; 5. specific references to works and authors treated during the course and on textbooks. The final grade is based on an overall critical evaluation of the elaborate.

Frontal lessons with use of power point.

To apply for a Bachelor's thesis in Cultural Anthropology, the following requirements are essential:

1) have successfully passed, by attending, 2 modules of Cultural Anthropology;
2) the good knowledge of English;
3) the discussion of a short preliminary research project.

The thesis topic should be consistent with the research fields of the teacher:
Anthropology of space and landscape; Space-time categories; Anthropology of risk; Saami history and ethnography (Lapland, Northern Scandinavia); History of Anthropology.

Erasmus students are required to speak correctly in Italian. The exam for Erasmus students must be in Italian.

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development