Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology

The course will consider the main approaches of intercultural pedagogy to the issue of prejudice and stereotypes, as well as education for reflective thinking and the promotion of an empathetic attitude as effective strategies for overcoming dogmatic attitudes and for creating an open and democratic society based on integration, social inclusion, and the appreciation of differences. The thematic units of the course will be developed as follows: - Course introduction: content, teaching methods, evaluation criteria. Overview of students' expectations and educational needs. - The multicultural society: presentation of ministerial reports on students with non-Italian citizenship and documents on school reception and inclusion. - Forms of coexistence in a multicultural society. - The intercultural approach in Italian schools. - Definitions of the course's main concepts: prejudice, stereotype, and behavioral discrimination. Types of prejudice: Ethnic prejudice and racism. Modern racism, ambivalent racism, reluctant racism, automatic racism, and subtle racism. Gender prejudices and stereotypes. Ambivalent sexism. Gender-based violence. Gender education. Ageism. Age prejudice (children, adolescents, young people, adults, the elderly). - Cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of prejudice. Categorization as a cognitive strategy. Categorization as assimilation and differentiation. Group dynamics and prejudice. Workshop with individual and group work on film viewing perspective-taking and conflict mediation exercises. - Cognitive consequences of categorization. Stereotype and cognitive dissonance. Stereotypes and social evaluation: differential evaluation, verificationist prejudice, distortion in recalling the past, ultimate attribution error, stereotypes as self-fulfilling prophecies. Individual and group activities on expectations and perceptual distortions. - Contact, empathy, common identity, cross-categorization, and identity complexity as strategies for reducing prejudice. - Reflective thinking: experimental attitude for an open and intercultural mind. - Workshop on designing and implementing intercultural teaching practices for early childhood and primary education.

The student must be - able to read and understand psycho-pedagogical texts; - motivated to learn. It is helpful for the student to be - available to work in groups; - available to participate in the proposed activities.

1) Dewey, John, Come pensiamo, Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 2019 (capp. da 1 a 8). 2) Hakuzwimana, Espérance, Tra i bianchi di scuola. Voci per un'educazione accogliente, Einaudi, Torino, 2024. 3) Mazzara, Bruno M., Stereotipi e pregiudizi, il Mulino, Bologna, 1997. 4) Institutional documents on welcoming in the integrated 0-6 system, nursery school, and primary school (the documents will be uploaded to the Moodle page of the Course Pedagogia interculturale SFP 2025-2026). I will provide any additional materials for consultation and study during the lessons.

Attendance at classes is strongly recommended, but is not mandatory.

The final assessment will be based on a post-course oral exam, which will include questions on the textbooks used. The oral exam lasts approximately 20 minutes and is intended to assess and evaluate the student's mastery and ability to reflect on the content covered in class and in the reference textbooks. The final assessment will also take into account the quality of student participation in lectures and laboratory activities, with mandatory attendance. In particular, individual homework, participation in group work, and laboratory activities will be assessed. The objective of the midterm exams will be to evaluate the student's ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations. The final assessment will be based on a shared assessment rubric discussed in class.

Teaching will be conducted using a variety of teaching strategies: lectures, discussions, seminars, simulations, group work, individual and group presentations on specific topics, development of lesson plans, and reflective learning. Lectures will always be accompanied by group discussions and reflections in the classroom. Classroom discussions are used as a strategy for co-constructing disciplinary knowledge and for individual and group reflection on specific topics. Individual and group reading assignments will be conducted on the texts required for the exam, and a summary will be presented to the class. Simulations and role-plays will be conducted to put some of the theoretical concepts into practice. Experts will be involved in laboratory activities or to explore specific topics in greater depth. A laboratory activity on the specific contexts of preschool and primary school is also planned, which includes a lesson plan on the topics of prejudice and education regarding differences.

The course will consider the main approaches of intercultural pedagogy to the issue of prejudice and stereotypes, as well as education for reflective thinking and the promotion of an empathetic attitude as effective strategies for overcoming dogmatic attitudes and for creating an open and democratic society based on integration, social inclusion, and the appreciation of differences. The thematic units of the course will be developed as follows: - Course introduction: content, teaching methods, evaluation criteria. Overview of students' expectations and educational needs. - The multicultural society: presentation of ministerial reports on students with non-Italian citizenship and documents on school reception and inclusion. - Forms of coexistence in a multicultural society. - The intercultural approach in Italian schools. - Definitions of the course's main concepts: prejudice, stereotype, and behavioral discrimination. Types of prejudice: Ethnic prejudice and racism. Modern racism, ambivalent racism, reluctant racism, automatic racism, and subtle racism. Gender prejudices and stereotypes. Ambivalent sexism. Gender-based violence. Gender education. Ageism. Age prejudice (children, adolescents, young people, adults, the elderly). - Cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of prejudice. Categorization as a cognitive strategy. Categorization as assimilation and differentiation. Group dynamics and prejudice. Workshop with individual and group work on film viewing perspective-taking and conflict mediation exercises. - Cognitive consequences of categorization. Stereotype and cognitive dissonance. Stereotypes and social evaluation: differential evaluation, verificationist prejudice, distortion in recalling the past, ultimate attribution error, stereotypes as self-fulfilling prophecies. Individual and group activities on expectations and perceptual distortions. - Contact, empathy, common identity, cross-categorization, and identity complexity as strategies for reducing prejudice. - Reflective thinking: experimental attitude for an open and intercultural mind. - Workshop on designing and implementing intercultural teaching practices for early childhood and primary education.

The student must be - able to read and understand psycho-pedagogical texts; - motivated to learn. It is helpful for the student to be - available to work in groups; - available to participate in the proposed activities.

1) Dewey, John, Come pensiamo, Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 2019 (capp. da 1 a 8). 2) Hakuzwimana, Espérance, Tra i bianchi di scuola. Voci per un'educazione accogliente, Einaudi, Torino, 2024. 3) Mazzara, Bruno M., Stereotipi e pregiudizi, il Mulino, Bologna, 1997. 4) Institutional documents on welcoming in the integrated 0-6 system, nursery school, and primary school (the documents will be uploaded to the Moodle page of the Course Pedagogia interculturale SFP 2025-2026). I will provide any additional materials for consultation and study during the lessons.

Attendance at classes is strongly recommended, but is not mandatory.

The final assessment will be based on a post-course oral exam, which will include questions on the textbooks used. The oral exam lasts approximately 20 minutes and is intended to assess and evaluate the student's mastery and ability to reflect on the content covered in class and in the reference textbooks. The final assessment will also take into account the quality of student participation in lectures and laboratory activities, with mandatory attendance. In particular, individual homework, participation in group work, and laboratory activities will be assessed. The objective of the midterm exams will be to evaluate the student's ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations. The final assessment will be based on a shared assessment rubric discussed in class.

Teaching will be conducted using a variety of teaching strategies: lectures, discussions, seminars, simulations, group work, individual and group presentations on specific topics, development of lesson plans, and reflective learning. Lectures will always be accompanied by group discussions and reflections in the classroom. Classroom discussions are used as a strategy for co-constructing disciplinary knowledge and for individual and group reflection on specific topics. Individual and group reading assignments will be conducted on the texts required for the exam, and a summary will be presented to the class. Simulations and role-plays will be conducted to put some of the theoretical concepts into practice. Experts will be involved in laboratory activities or to explore specific topics in greater depth. A laboratory activity on the specific contexts of preschool and primary school is also planned, which includes a lesson plan on the topics of prejudice and education regarding differences.