ANTROPOLOGIA POLITICA

How do anthropologists approach the study of politics? What theories and methods are best suited to understanding the actions of institutions, states, organizations, and social groups? And more fundamentally, what does it mean to speak of “politics” from an anthropological perspective? This course aims to equip students with critical and methodological tools to analyze the political dimensions of social life from an anthropological perspective.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Examine how power is expressed, negotiated, and challenged across diverse social and cultural contexts, both formal and informal;

• Apply key concepts and ethnographic methods from cultural anthropology to study contemporary political phenomena such as migration, social movements, urban governance, and humanitarian action;

• Critically reflect on ideas like authority, citizenship, legitimacy, and participation through case studies from Italy, Europe, and beyond;

• Work collaboratively in small groups to analyze and discuss ethnographic research, strengthening their interpretative skills, argumentation, and teamwork.

The course will alternate between traditional lectures that introduce theoretical concepts and interactive sessions where students will engage with the assigned readings and anthropological research methods. Group work, presentations, class discussions  and field-visits will also play a key role.

Information for Students with Disabilities or Special Needs:
To ensure equal learning opportunities, we encourage students with special needs to schedule a personal meeting to discuss how we can best support their learning goals. Students may also contact the department’s designated representative from the CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Inclusion - Services for Students with Disabilities or Learning Disorders).

This course offers a critical introduction to political anthropology, examining how power is experienced, exercised, negotiated, and contested across a wide range of social and cultural settings. Through the analysis of contemporary case studies—spanning both local and global contexts—students will explore how key concepts such as authority, legitimacy, citizenship, and participation are socially constructed, reproduced, and challenged in everyday life. The course encourages students to think beyond formal institutions and consider the multiple and often subtle ways in which politics operates across different scales of social interaction.

The course is structured in two distinct yet complementary parts.

1. The fist section of the course offers a concise yet thorough introduction to the foundational concepts of cultural anthropology. Students will explore key notions such as culture, engage with the principles and practices of ethnographic fieldwork, and examine how anthropologists have historically approached and interpreted cultural diversity across different societies.
   
   
2. In the second section, students will explore key theories, methods, and developments in political anthropology. Particular attention will be given to the diverse ways in which power is exercised, negotiated, and contested — from traditional societies to the modern state, from civil society organizations to postcolonial resistance movements and identity politics. The course invites students to critically examine how political processes take shape in everyday life, fostering a deeper and more reflexive understanding of the political as a lived experience.
   
   
3. The third section will focus on the discussion of selected ethnographic case studies that investigate how power relations are enacted and challenged in contemporary contexts. Topics will include emerging political movements, the social dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in the context of migration, mechanisms of control and surveillance in urban peripheries, the politics of compassion in humanitarian interventions, and evolving forms of active citizenship. Working in small groups, students will each take turns presenting one of the ethnographies selected from the course reading list, engaging the class in collective reflection and critical analysis.

1. B. Palumbo, G. Pizza, P. Schirripa (a cura di), "Antropologia culturale e sociale. Concetti - Storia - Prospettive", Hoepli, 2023 (PARTE 1: L’antropologia e i suoi campi, pp.1-38)
2. L. Li Causi, "Uomo e potere", Carocci, 2005
3. One book of the student’s choice from the following ethnographic monographs:

• Maddalena G. Cammelli, "Fascisti del terzo millennio. Per un'antropologia di CasaPound", Ombre Corte, 2015
• A. Ong, "Da rifugiati a cittadini. Pratiche di governo nella nuova America", Raffaello Cortina, 2005
• D. Fassin, "La forza dell’ordine. Antropologia della polizia nelle periferie urbane", La Linea, 2013
• M. Benadusi, "Maremoto. L'onda anomala degli aiuti umanitari", EditPress, 2025

For attending students:
In addition to the final oral exam, there will be an intermediate assessment focused on the third part of the course. Students will work in small groups to discuss an assigned ethnographic monograph in class. Participation in this intermediate assessment is a required component of the overall evaluation.

For non-attending students:
The final oral exam is the sole form of assessment. Non-attending students will not have access to the intermediate assessment.

• How does political anthropology differentiate between power and sovereignty, and what are the implications of this distinction for analyzing social structures and political control mechanisms across diverse societies?
• What are the structural, symbolic, and performative aspects of “acephalous” political systems, and how do these models challenge traditional Western notions of centralized power and political legitimacy?
• In what ways has anthropology contributed to deconstructing Eurocentric colonial narratives, and what key critiques have emerged regarding the discipline’s historical relationship with colonialism?
• Which ethnographic methods do anthropologists employ to explore power dynamics within state and non-state institutions, and how do these approaches deepen our understanding of political relations?
• How is the concept of “everyday form of resistence” defined within political anthropology, and why is it significant for examining informal, widespread, and often invisible practices of power in social life?
• What does the “post-colonial question” signify in contemporary anthropology, particularly regarding cultural practices, resistance strategies, and the renegotiation of power in formerly colonized societies?
• What role do participant observation and ethnography play in unraveling the complexities of modern political systems, especially in contexts of political pluralism and transnational governance?
• How do processes of ethnic-cultural identification contribute to shaping, negotiating, and sometimes contesting power dynamics in contemporary societies?
• How does political anthropology analyze the relationship between power and kinship, and how do kinship structures influence forms of authority, legitimacy, and social control in different cultures?