At the end of the course, students are expected to know the main methodological approaches and theoretical frameworks that social and cultural anthropology has developed on issues related to the management of natural resources and the relations between human beings and their environment. Students will be also able to critically engage with - and make use of - key anthropological concepts in the analysis of the social, cultural and political dimensions that characterize the dichotomy between "nature" and "culture", the conflicts engendered by a differentiated access to resources, and the interactions between human and non-human actors.
Course Prerequisites
A basic knowledge of the political history of the 19th and 20th centuries is required.
Teaching Methods
Frontal lessons, class discussions and presentations.
Assessment Methods
Oral examination: Students will be asked to present and discuss the content of the books they studied. The evaluation is based on the degree of knowledge and critical understanding of the topics discussed.
Texts
For the exam, students will have to study the following books:
2) The second book must be chosen among the following list:
D'Angelo L. and R. J. Pijpers, 2022, The Anthropology of Resource Extraction, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxfordshire.
Gardini, M. 2017, La Terra Contesa. Conflitti fondiari e lavoro agricolo in Togo: Edizioni Mimesis, Milano.
Gentilucci, M. 2022, La montagna e il capitale. Il cammino kanak del nichel, Prospero Editore, Novate Milanese.
Rimoldi L., Scaglioni M. (a cura di), Antropologia dei rifiuti nelle Afriche del Terzo Millennio. Scarti, Sfide, Riconfigurazioni e opportunità, Milano: Utet.
Tsing, A. L. 2021, Il fungo alla fine del mondo. La possibilità di vivere nelle rovine del capitalismo, Keller, Rovereto.
2) The third book must be chosen among the following list:
Borgnino, E. 2022, Ecologie native, Elèuthera, Milano.
Breda, N. 2020, I respiri della palude, CISU, Roma.
Brigati, R., Gamberi, V., 2019, Metamorfosi. La svolta ontologica in antropologia, Quodlibet, Macerata.
Dei, F., Quarta, L. 2021. Sulla svolta ontologica. Prospettive e rappresentazioni tra antropologia e filosofia, Meltemi, Milano.
Descola, P. 2005, Oltre natura e cultura, Raffaello Cortina Editore, Milano (introduzione, cap. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Postfazione).
Kohn, E. 2021, Come pensano le foreste. Antropologia oltre l'umano, Nottetempo, Milano.
Lai, F. 2020, Antropocene, Edit, Firenze.
Rossi, A. 2022, Eco-buddhismo. Monaci della foresta e paesaggi contesi in Thailandia, Meltemi, Milano.
Van Aken, M. 2020, Campati per aria, Elèuthera, Milano.
Contents
The course will focus on the anthropological debates on the “nature/culture” divide, the notion of Anthropocene, and the conflicts related to the access to - and management of - specific resources. By considering ethnographic cases from Europe, Africa, Oceania, Asia and the American continent, the course will explore the challenges that these socio-political processes involve at local and global level. Seminars are planned around specific case studies and field research experiences.
Course Language
Italian
More information
Agli studenti che hanno ottenuto la certificazione di trovarsi nelle condizioni previste dalla normativa di Ateneo, (https://portale.unipv.it/it/didattica/servizi-lo-studente/modalita-didattiche-inclusive) saranno assicurate fino a due ore alla settimana di ricevimento online e indicazioni sui materiali didattici che consentano la preparazione dell'esame in autonomia.