BERGAMO
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The educational objective of the teaching is to provide basic knowledge that characterizes the
anthropological approach. Through active participation (lectures, critical text) and individual study of the
exam material, students will develop the ability to critically read contemporary social contexts as well as
their evolution over time. This ability will be built through learning basic anthropological theories and
methods applied to the study of different social phenomena with particular reference to the relationships
between migration and globalization. The course will examine an introduction to the main tools and
methodology specific to the anthropological discipline (field research, participant observation, verbal and
non-verbal data collection methods, transcription, production of anthropological knowledge, the insertion
and positioning of the anthropologist, systematization and interpretation of data). These tools will be
presented in such a way as to bring out a personal and critical vision in students, aimed at suspending
judgment on other societies and groups, avoiding imposing their own cultural categories and representations,
reflecting on the concepts of borders, forms of citizenship and ethnic identities. . The critical analysis will
take into account the comparison between the different anthropological schools of thought and the
foundations of the anthropology of migration. At the end of the course, students will have the tools to make
connections, and critically summarize themes and ideas learned during lessons and in the presentation of
case studies.
The course also aims to provide students with technical vocabulary and anthropological terminology
together with discursive analysis tools through which they can construct short, detailed accounts of
contemporary problems in relation to the urgent challenges of globalization and multiculturalism.
Course Prerequisites
Knowledge of modern and contemporary history. Basic knowledge of world political geography. Ability to
understand the texts read, articulating a summary of the concepts acquired.
Teaching Methods
Frontal and in-person lessons, with the support of slides and videos.
Participatory discussion of the main themes of the course.
The course is divided into two parts. A first part of approximately 18 hours includes a historical, theoretical
and methodological analysis. The second part, approximately 18 hours, will be dedicated to in-depth
analysis and analysis of case studies on migration with the involvement of external experts. In the second
part, two exercises are planned for students.
Essays and articles cited and presented in class will be uploaded to the Moodle platform available to
students together with optional in-depth materials.
Assessment Methods
Interview on the course program aimed at investigating the understanding of the topics covered in class and covered in the exam texts.
For attending students:
Attendance and active participation in the class discussion, and a positive evaluation by the teacher, constitute 70% of the final grade.
During the lessons, optional intermediate exercises will be proposed (2 tests, halfway and at the end of the course) on the topics covered and appropriately introduced by the texts in the program. Group presentations are also planned, on a voluntary basis, on the topics taken from the texts in the program.
The positive outcome of both intermediate exercises and classroom presentations will contribute to the grade of the oral exam.
For non-attending students, in order to take the exam, the same texts as those attending are required.
Contents
In the first part, the course introduces the general aspects of the discipline by providing the basic theoretical
and methodological tools of cultural anthropology and the anthropology of migration. Starting from the
study of the concept of culture, the different themes of the anthropological approach to migration will be
addressed, emphasizing studies on: the concept of culture, its dynamism and creative dimension; the
differentiation and stratified dimension of knowledge; cultural relativism and critical ethnocentrism; forms
of exchange: gift and goods; the overcoming of the scientific category of race and the definitions of racism,
ethnicity, ethnicity; ethnic, religious and gender identities; kinship and family networks; the phenomenon of
diasporas and forms of citizenship; “neo-racism”.
In the second part of the course, an introduction to the anthropological study of religions will be constructed by presenting both ethnographic cases and methodological reflections. The aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of a very sensitive topic within current migratory processes and often a source of conflicts and misunderstandings.
Any seminars, study groups aimed at classroom presentations, conferences and other moments of in-depth study, such as exercises, will be reported in class.
Online Resources
More information
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