ETHNOGRAPHY

Course title: "Ethnography and the Arts. Introduction to an important theoretical and methodological debate".

Monographic course. The teaching is part of the fundamental teachings of the demo-ethno-anthropological disciplines. The course aims to introduce the main themes of a very vast and important debate in contemporary anthropology: the relationship between Ethnography and the Arts. It should be noted that it is not strictly speaking a course in "art" Ethnography, that is, the application of anthropological theories to Western art, although some aspects of this topic will be covered. The course instead aims to focus on the mutual relationships that exist between anthropology and the arts (literature, cinema, theatre, dance, photography, music, performance, etc.) in the production of ethnographic knowledge: how an artist or a performer with his own artistic practice can do ethnography? How can an anthropologist establish collaborative relationships with native artists in their field research? Does ethnography, which is essentially a technique of the body, have any characteristics in common with the arts? If the arts can no longer be considered today as simple forms of aesthetic "representation" of the world, but as political forms of "social action", which produce changes in the context in which they come to life, how can they dialogue with ethnography understood itself as a social practice?
After a first part of general historical and conceptual framework, the course will focus above all on literature and narrative approaches, with references to the visual arts, photography and theatre, examining, with concrete ethnographic examples, phenomena of intense cultural creativity , in which in various parts of the world, social groups and local communities resort to the arts and performance to counteract neocolonial phenomena, subalternity and marginalization.
During the course, some practical exercises will be assigned to be carried out concretely and discussed in the classroom in specific lessons. The course is accompanied by a non-documentary "sensory" photography workshop (one classroom lesson and two in the area) and a theater workshop for urban ethnography. Given the interdisciplinary and operational nature of the course, constant and assiduous attendance is strongly recommended, thus participating in all the workshop forms proposed.
It is specified that it is not a course on basic ethnographic methodologies, for which please refer to the "Methodologies of ethnographic research" course.

Knowledge of the epistemological framework of contemporary ethnography. Critical awareness of the problems and resources of corporeality in field research. Acquire and know how to develop essential theories and concepts in the contemporary debate in the context of the relationship between anthropology and the arts, in the forms of production, representation and social action of anthropological knowledge. Know how to construct ethnographic analyzes by integrating sources in a multi-factorial way with particular reference to literary, narrative and pictorial sources. Initiate a critical awareness of one's sensorial experiences during the field experience.

Given the specialized nature of the teaching, it is essential to possess solid basic knowledge of cultural and social anthropology and the history of anthropology. Non-ACEL students, i.e. students enrolled in other Master's degree courses who have never taken any anthropological science exams, are asked to contact the teacher personally during office hours or during lessons.

Titolo del corso: “Etnografia e Arti. Introduzione a un importante dibattito teorico e metodologico”.

Corso monografico.
- Introduzione alla fenomenologia del corpo vissuto (Schmitz, Böhme, Griffero, Ram, Jackson).
- La corporeità in etnografia e la costruzione sociale del sensorio: sensi, esperienza e linguaggi.
- Elementi di antropologia dei sensi e delle emozioni (Lutz, Rosaldo, Classen, Stoller, Howes, Pink, Synnott)
- Filosofia del sentire, experience-near ethnography: critica allo scientismo etnografico verificazionista.
- Il decentramento e l'autorialità. Ricerche "case-based" e ricerche "variable-based".
- Antropologia e arti: premesse storiche (Boas, Lévi-Strauss, Geertz)
- La svolta "etnografica" dell'arte contemporanea e la crisi della rappresentazione in antropologia.
- Artisti/e e antropologi/ghe imparano dalle reciproche pratiche di campo (Joseph Beuys, Suzanne Lacy, Marcus Coates, Cameron Jamie e Mohini Chandra).
- Che cos'è l' "etnografia artististica"? Pratiche collaborative e sperimentazioni etnografiche (Anthony Luvera, Kathryn Ramey, Brad Butler e Karen Mizra, Kate Hennessy e Jennifer Deger).
- Arte, attivismo ed esperimenti di etnografia partecipativa.
- Approfondimenti sul rapporto fra entografia, letteratura e approcci narrativi (Behar, Hill, Bruner, Nussbaum)
- La testualizzazione dell'esperienza: il diario etnografico (Rilke, Malinowski, Métraux, Wenders, Celati)
- Etnografia e romanzo (Buttitta, Poyatos, Ghosh); etnografia e poesia (Affergan).

During the course, some practical exercises will be assigned to be carried out concretely and discussed in the classroom in specific lessons. The course is accompanied by a non-documentary "sensory" photography workshop (one classroom lesson and two in the area) and a theater workshop for urban ethnography. Given the interdisciplinary and operational nature of the course, constant and assiduous attendance is strongly recommended, thus participating in all the workshop forms proposed.
It is specified that it is not a course on basic ethnographic methodologies, for which please refer to the "Methodologies of ethnographic research" course.

Mandatory texts for all students:

- Sansi R., "Art, Anthropology and the Gift", Routledge, 2020.
- Schneider A., Wright C., "Between Art and Anthropology. Contemporary Ethnographic Practice", Bloomsbury, 2010.

Plus a text chosen at will from one of the following thematic groupings:

a) critical in-depth texts regarding various forms of performance and art:
- Schneider A., Wright C., "Anthropology and Art Practice", Bloomsbury, 2018.
- Serafini P., "Performance Action. The Politics of Art Activism", Routledge, 2018.
- Ingold T., "Making. Antropologia, arte e architettura", Raffello Cortina, 2013.
- Severi C., "Il percorso e la voce", Einaudi, 2004.
- Probst P., "Art History and Anthropology. Modern Encounters, 1870-1970", Getty, 2023 (parti da concordare).

b) ethnography, literature and narrative approaches:
- Clifford J., "I frutti puri impazziscono. Etnografia, letteratura e arte nel XX secolo", Bollati Boringhieri, 1993.
- Behar R., "The Vulnerable Observer: Anthropology that Breaks your Heart", Beacon, 1997.
- Clifford J., Marcus G, "Scrivere le culture. Poetiche e politiche in etnografia", Meltemi, 1986.
- Sobrero A., "Il cristallo e la fiamma. Antropologia fra scienza e letteratura", Carocci, 2009.
- Clemente P., "Le parole degli altri", Pacini, 2013.
- Affergan F., "Anthropologie et poésie", Cnrs edizioni, 2020.
- Scafoglio D., "Antropologia e romanzo", Rubettino, 2006.
- Buttitta A., "Antropologia e letteratura", Sellerio, 2018.

c) ethnography and theatre:
- Turner V., "Dal rito al teatro", Il Mulino, 1986.
- Barba E., "La canoa di carta", Il Mulino, 1993.
- Pertuso P., "Antropologia e teatro. Intrecci e corrispondenze" (Turner, Turnbull, Schechner, Barba, Brook), Mnamon, 2023.
- Caruso F., "Teoria sociale del teatro. Struttura e azione sociale in Marx, Durkheim, Gurvitch, Goffman", Bonanno, 2018.
- Flynn A., Tinius J., "Anthropology, Theatre and Development. The Transformative Potential of Performance", Palgrave, 2015.

An in-depth critical bibliography on other art forms (photography, cinema, etc.), not obligatory for the exam, but useful for exam preparation, will be provided during the lessons.

For a better exam outcome, regular attendance at lessons is strongly recommended.

It is possible to bring the program from the previous academic year. 2023-24 exclusively for the exam sessions of the current academic year. 2024-25

Important: this course is not valid for obtaining credits in M-DEA/01 for PF 24.

Drafting of a written report on a course topic agreed with the teacher, plus an oral interview in person. In the "Exam test" field of the Moodle, a PDF is available with instructions for completing and submitting the written report. The exam is considered passed if in the written discussion and in the oral presentation the evaluation is judged to be at least sufficient with respect to the following four basic criteria: 1. relevance of the contents with respect to the agreed topic (essay) and the questions asked (oral part) ; 2. ability to critically elaborate the concepts exposed; 3. clarity of presentation; 4. language properties.
Registration on Moodle is mandatory.

Lectures in Italian with the use of Power Point and classroom discussion, with practical exercises in the area. Male and female students who appear for the exam as attending students are required to actively participate in the exercises and discussion in the classroom.

Italian

In order to apply for Master's thesis in Social Anthropology SP, the following requirements are essential:

1. have passed the examination of Social Anthropology SP, with a positive outcome and attending.
2. have passed the examination of Ethnography SP, with a positive outcome and attending.
3. discussion of a short preliminary research project.
4. the degree thesis must be written in Italian.

Erasmus students are required to speak correctly in Italian. The exam for Erasmus students must be in Italian.

Important: students must always bring the program for the current academic year to the exam for the four scheduled exam sessions. Only those who studied the program of the last academic year 2023-24, but failed to take the exam, can carry the old program exclusively for the duration of this academic year (24-25).

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Climate change and energy" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development