CULTURAL ANTROPOLOGY
Academic Year 2026/2027 - Teacher: IRENE FALCONIERIExpected Learning Outcomes
The aim of the course is to provide the critical and conceptual tools needed to interpret contemporary social and cultural phenomena and processes from an anthropological perspective. An in-depth study of the main concepts and approaches of cultural anthropology, an introduction to ethnographic research methods, and an examination of specific experiences and practices relating to the body, health, illness, suffering and care will enable students to acquire the following skills:
Knowledge and understanding
To know the main concepts and theoretical approaches of cultural anthropology;
to know the main tools and methods of ethnographic research;
to understand how anthropology analyses practices, representations and experiences within their social and cultural contexts;
to know the main anthropological concepts and perspectives relating to the body, health, illness and care;
to understand the contribution of anthropology to the study of suffering, mental health and care practices.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
To use the main concepts of cultural anthropology in the analysis of social phenomena and processes;
to apply the tools of anthropological analysis to the interpretation of experiences, practices and representations relating to the body, health, illness and care;
to use anthropological concepts and tools to analyse ethnographic material relating to suffering and mental health services.
Independence of judgement
To develop the ability to critically analyse the categories through which social phenomena, experiences of illness and forms of suffering are interpreted, recognising their social and cultural dimensions.
Communication skills
To use the fundamental terminology of cultural anthropology appropriately and discuss the topics covered in the course using appropriate terminology and making connections between the different issues addressed.
Course Structure
The course will consist of lectures focusing on the presentation of theoretical frameworks and case studies, complemented by seminars and, where appropriate, workshop activities. Should the course be delivered in a blended or fully online format, the necessary adjustments may be made to the arrangements described above in order to ensure that the programme set out in this syllabus is followed.
Required Prerequisites
No specific prerequisites are required, although students should have a good ability to understand complex texts. A basic knowledge of major contemporary social and cultural phenomena and processes is also desirable.
Attendance of Lessons
Attendance is not compulsory but is strongly recommended, given the importance of active participation in classes and in the activities included in the course.
Detailed Course Content
The course introduces the main concepts and approaches of cultural anthropology, with particular attention to the processes through which the person, identity, and otherness are socially and culturally constructed, and to the relationships between the individual, the body, and the sociocultural context. The main tools and methods of ethnographic research will also be introduced.
The second part of the course focuses on the anthropology of the body, health, and illness, considering the different ways in which experiences, representations, and practices related to the body and health are socially and culturally constructed. The course will address illness and suffering, explanatory models, biomedicine, medical pluralism, and practices and therapeutic itineraries.
The final part examines anthropological perspectives on mental suffering and mental health, with particular attention to ethnopsychiatry, the social and cultural dimensions of experiences of distress, and the institutional and relational contexts of care. Through ethnographic materials and case studies, the course will consider mental health services and the relationships between different forms of knowledge and professional expertise involved in care pathways.
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Culture and cultural difference — The anthropological concept of culture; the production of meanings and the critique of naturalizing conceptions. | Text 1, Ch. 1 |
| 2 | Ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, identity and otherness — Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism; the construction of difference; identity and otherness. | Text 1, Ch. 1 |
| 3 | Personality, identity and the development of the person — The cultural construction of personality and identity; enculturation, development and the life cycle. | Text 1, Ch. 4 |
| 4 | Anthropological research and ethnography — Fieldwork, participant observation and the production of ethnographic knowledge. | Text 1, Ch. 2 |
| 5 | Qualitative research in healthcare settings — Approaches to and methods of qualitative research in healthcare settings; illness experience and practices of care. | Text 1, Ch. 2; Text 3 |
| 6 | The body between nature and culture — The body as a biological, social and cultural dimension; bodily practices and representations. | Text 1, Ch. 4; Text 2, Ch. 1 |
| 7 | Health and illness from an anthropological perspective — Conceptions of health and illness; social and cultural dimensions of the experience of illness. | Text 1, Ch. 5; Text 2, Ch. 2 |
| 8 | Illness experience and suffering — Experiences, meanings and interpretations of illness and suffering. | Text 1, Ch. 5; Text 2, Ch. 2 |
| 9 | Biomedicine as a system of knowledge and practice — Biomedical knowledge, professional practices and patients’ experiences. | Text 1, Ch. 5; Text 2, Ch. 4 |
| 10 | Self-care, therapeutic itineraries and explanatory models — Interpretations of illness, self-care, therapeutic itineraries and explanatory models. | Text 1, Ch. 5; Text 2, Ch. 7 |
| 11 | The meaning of illness and the construction of its causes — The attribution of causes and meanings to illness and suffering. | Text 2, Ch. 7 |
| 12 | Care as a social and relational practice — Practices of care and relationships between people, forms of knowledge and institutions. | Text 1, Ch. 5; Text 2, Ch. 7 |
| 13 | Mental suffering and mental health from an anthropological perspective — Social and cultural dimensions of mental suffering and mental health. | Text 1, Ch. 5; Text 2, Ch. 2 |
| 14 | Ethnopsychiatry and cultural differences in care — Ethnopsychiatry; the relationship between culture, mental suffering and practices of care. | Text 1, Ch. 5; Text 2, Ch. 7 |
| 15 | Ethnography and practices in mental health services — Ethnographic analysis of institutional contexts and practices of care. | Text 1, Ch. 2; Text 3; Text 4 |
| 16 | Rehabilitation and community mental health — Discourses and practices of rehabilitation and care in community mental health services. | [Text 4] |
| 17 | Mental health, migration and access to services — Migratory experiences, suffering, access to services and care pathways. | Text 5 |
| 18 | Anthropology, psychology and practices of care — Overview of the main topics addressed in the course and reflection on the contribution of anthropology to the study of experiences and contexts of care. | Texts 1–5 |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
The examination consists of an oral examination designed to assess students’ knowledge of the course content and their critical engagement with any workshop activities. The number of questions may vary from a minimum of three to a maximum of six, and the examination will last between 10 and 20 minutes, depending on the relevance of the answers provided.
The following aspects will be assessed in particular: the relevance of the answers to the questions asked; the quality of the content and its theoretical depth; the ability to make connections between the topics covered in the course; the ability to provide examples, including those drawn from the case studies discussed in class; appropriate use of disciplinary terminology; and overall communication skills.
For students attending the course, the assessment of the oral examination will also take into account active participation in classes (relevant contributions in class, independent research and reading, and discussion and dialogue with the lecturer and fellow students). A midterm assessment may be offered. Details of how it will be conducted will be communicated at the beginning of the course, following an assessment of the students’ level of basic preparation.
Learning assessment may also be carried out on-line, should the conditions require it. To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students may request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures based on educational objectives and specific needs. Students can also contact the CInAP (Centro per l’integrazione Attiva e Partecipata — Servizi per le Disabilità e/o i DSA) referring teacher within their department (https://www.cinap.unict.it/content/referenti)Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
What is meant by culture in anthropology?
How can the concepts of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism be defined?
How does cultural anthropology problematise the concept of the person?
What are the main characteristics of ethnographic research?
What differences can be identified between biomedicine and other systems of care?
What is meant by medical pluralism?
How can the experience of illness be analysed from an anthropological perspective?
What is meant by ethnopsychiatry?
Why is it important to consider the social and cultural context when analysing experiences of suffering?
What contribution can anthropology make to the study of psychological suffering?
What insights emerge from an ethnographic analysis of mental health services?