Learning outcomes

The course aims to get closer to objects from an anthropological perspective. Objects of the "others" either inside or outside museums. Through various different teaching methods (lectures, discussions, meetings with experts), the course aims to introduce students to a critical understanding of the notion of culture in its material and non-material aspects and of what is meant by the notion of "social life of things". Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions and to engage in a personal research.

Program

The course is divided in two parts:

Part One: a) students are critically introduced to some of the central concepts of the discipline such as culture, identity, borders, tradition, memory, heritage; b) research methods will also be addressed (mainly participant observation and the ethnographic interview).
Part Two: the area of tangible and intangible cultural heritage and the processes of “patrimonializzazione” (heritage-making) by which cultural productions are defined as heritage will be presented and discussed through an analysis of specific ethnographic cases.

Course Readings:
- F. Dei, 2016, Antropologia culturale, il Mulino, Bologna (2nd edition)
- A. Paini, M. Aria, a cura, 2014, La densità delle cose. Oggetti ambasciatori tra Europa e Oceania, Pacini editore, Pisa.

One of the following articles:
- M. Jolly, 2011, “Oggetti in movimento: riflessione sulle collezioni d’Oceania”, in A. Paini, E. Gnecchi Ruscone, a cura, numero monografico La ricerca folklorica, 63, pp.29-50.
- L. Turgeon, 2007, "La memoria delle cultura materiale e la cultura materiale della memoria", in S. Bernardi, F.Dei, P.Meloni, a cura, La materia del quotidiano. Per un'antropologia degli oggetti ordinari, Pacini editore, Pisa, pp. 103-124.

Examination Methods

For those attending classes : class participation, in-class presentation and reports/papers .

For those NOT attending classes: Final oral exam. The student is asked questions about the course readings and about the thematic aspects dealt with. The student should bring with her/him the texts which s/he has studied. The final evaluation is based on 30/30.

The oral test seeks to verify:
- the breadth of knowledge gained;
- the use of a correct language;
- the ability to make connections.

Erasmus and international students may study alternative texts and take the final exam in English or French. If interested, they need to discuss the choice of the new reading materials with me during Office hours.