APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY

The course is aimed at students who are pursuing a specialist degree in Cultural Anthropology, Ethnology and Ethnolinguistics, or who, despite coming from other disciplines, are interested in the critical tools offered by the discipline and their application in relation to the study of the relationship between civil society, development projects and state, and between man and nature. The general objective of teaching is to provide students with the analytical tools necessary to be able to deal with the ethnographic analysis of development processes, with particular attention to environmental conflicts.

1. Knowledge and understanding
Acquire the ability to critically analyze a development project and the underlying power dynamics.
Have a general idea of ​​the possible fields of extra-academic application of ethnographic knowledge
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
Acquisition of the basic tools to apply the ethnographic method to the observation of development processes
3. Judgment capacity
Critical judgment capacity towards applied anthropology texts
4. Communication skills
Through the group exercises carried out during the course, the student will deepen his own exhibition skills.
5. Ability to learn
Through the group exercises carried out during the course, and the preparation of the final thesis, the student will deepen his critical and independent research ability.

Students are advised to follow the applied anthropology course only after having given and taken at least two of the fundamental exams of the degree course in ACEL.

The first part of the course will focus on the analysis of some particular cases of environmental conflicts, developing through the development of conceptual tools suitable for their analysis and deepening.
The second part of the course will address the reading of the book "The rhythm of experience" through work groups and classroom exhibitions by students.

Scott, James. “Seeing like a state (ch. 1)”
Orlove, J. “Lines in the water” (articolo).
De Leon, J. “Land of open graves (ch. 1-3)”
Ferguson, J. “The anti-politics machine (ch.4-5)”
Tsing, A. “Friction (ch. 3-4)”
Bonifacio, V. & Vianello, R. (a cura di). 2020. Il ritmo dell'esperienza. Dieci casi etnografici per pensare i conflitti ambientali". CLEUP.

For the final exam, students will have to write a written essay deepening one of the topics addressed in class.

The course will consist of lectures, viewing and commentary of audio-visual materials and group presentations of selected articles.

English

written

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