CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY I A
Course objectives
The course program aims to outline the field of cultural anthropology and cultural diversity to provide the basic methodological tools of anthropological reflection and ethnographic research, to present the main theoretical perspectives, with particular reference to the relationship between culture and communication to make to develop in the students the ability to orient themselves critically to the main cultural dynamics and to the practices of social communication. At the end of the course, the student will also have acquired the critical skills necessary for the analysis of cultural phenomena concerning the sectoral and professional sector of tourism. This knowledge can be applied to the study of the territory and the pedagogy of heritage from an ethnographic perspective, developing the ability to formulate judgments by coordinating and contextualising the topics, making a correct use of the available bibliography, and being able to carry out research on aspects related to tourism studies .
Channel 1
MATTEO ARIA
Lecturers' profile
Program - Frequency - Exams
Course program
The first part of the course will focus on 1) the concepts of race, culture and ethnicity,
2) ethnocentrism and relativism
3) fieldwork
4) theoretical paradigms
5) explaining, understanding and interpreting
6) folklore, popular culture and mass culture
The second part will explore the themes and issues of contemporary anthropology
Prerequisites
No specific prerequisites are required, as this course is designed to provide the basics of anthropological knowledge.
Books
Fabio Dei, 2016, Antropologia culturale. seconda edizione, Bologna, Il Mulino
2) a text of your choice from:
Margaret Mead, 2007, L'Adolescenza in Samoa; Giunti; Edward Evans Pritchard, 2002,Stregoneria, Oracoli e Magia, Raffaello Cortina; Claude Lévi Strauss, 2015, Tristi tropici, Il Saggiatore; Ernesto de Martino Il mondo magico, Einaudi;
3) a text of your choice from
Matteo Aria, 2025 Cercando nel vuoto, Pacini, Pisa Matteo Gallo, 2022, I saperi della Foresta, Prospero, Milano; Philippe Bourgois, 2011, Reietti e fuorilegge. antropologia della violenza nella metropoli americana, Derive approdi; Luca Jourdan 2025 Generazione Kalashnikov. Un antropologo dentro la guerra nel Congo, Laterza. Michael Taussig, 2017, Il diavolo e il feticismo delle merci, Derive approdi; Marshall Sahlins, 2020, Economia dell'età della Pietra, Eleuthera; James Clifford , 2010, I frutti puri impazziscono, Bollati Boringhieri; Clara Gallini, 2024, Dono e malocchio, Patron
Frequency
Attendance at classroom lessons is recommended but not obligatory.
Exam mode
For those who are able to attend classes, assessment will consist of a written test at the end of the first part of the course and a final written test on the second part of the topics covered in the course (the test will include open-ended questions and multiple-choice questions). Assessment will also take into account class participation and interaction with the Prof. Additional texts not listed in the exam syllabus may be assigned during the course.
For those who do not attend, the assessment consists of a final written exam with open-ended questions and some multiple-choice questions.
Lesson mode
The course format involves traditional lessons that progressively seek the active involvement of students.
MATTEO ARIA
Lecturers' profile
Program - Frequency - Exams
Course program
The first part of the course will focus on 1) the concepts of race, culture and ethnicity,
2) ethnocentrism and relativism
3) fieldwork
4) theoretical paradigms
5) explaining, understanding and interpreting
6) folklore, popular culture and mass culture
The second part will explore the themes and issues of contemporary anthropology
Prerequisites
No specific prerequisites are required, as this course is designed to provide the basics of anthropological knowledge.
Books
Fabio Dei, 2016, Antropologia culturale. seconda edizione, Bologna, Il Mulino
2) a text of your choice from:
Margaret Mead, 2007, L'Adolescenza in Samoa; Giunti; Edward Evans Pritchard, 2002,Stregoneria, Oracoli e Magia, Raffaello Cortina; Claude Lévi Strauss, 2015, Tristi tropici, Il Saggiatore; Ernesto de Martino Il mondo magico, Einaudi;
3) a text of your choice from
Matteo Aria, 2025 Cercando nel vuoto, Pacini, Pisa Matteo Gallo, 2022, I saperi della Foresta, Prospero, Milano; Philippe Bourgois, 2011, Reietti e fuorilegge. antropologia della violenza nella metropoli americana, Derive approdi; Luca Jourdan 2025 Generazione Kalashnikov. Un antropologo dentro la guerra nel Congo, Laterza. Michael Taussig, 2017, Il diavolo e il feticismo delle merci, Derive approdi; Marshall Sahlins, 2020, Economia dell'età della Pietra, Eleuthera; James Clifford , 2010, I frutti puri impazziscono, Bollati Boringhieri; Clara Gallini, 2024, Dono e malocchio, Patron
Frequency
Attendance at classroom lessons is recommended but not obligatory.
Exam mode
For those who are able to attend classes, assessment will consist of a written test at the end of the first part of the course and a final written test on the second part of the topics covered in the course (the test will include open-ended questions and multiple-choice questions). Assessment will also take into account class participation and interaction with the Prof. Additional texts not listed in the exam syllabus may be assigned during the course.
For those who do not attend, the assessment consists of a final written exam with open-ended questions and some multiple-choice questions.
Lesson mode
The course format involves traditional lessons that progressively seek the active involvement of students.
- Lesson code1024127
- Academic year2025/2026
- CourseSustainable tourism science
- CurriculumTURISMO SOSTENIBILE ED ESPERIENZIALE
- Year2nd year
- Semester1st semester
- SSDM-DEA/01
- CFU6