ANTROPOLOGIA DEL WELFARE

Through an integrated approach that bridges theory and practice, the course aims to train professionals who are aware of the cultural implications of social work and capable of acting with sensitivity, responsibility, and competence in contexts of care and social inclusion. Specifically, the course is designed to achieve the following learning outcomes:

• Knowledge and Understanding
  

  By the end of the course, students will be able to demonstrate a solid knowledge of the fundamental concepts of cultural anthropology and to critically understand their relevance and applicability in the fields of social work and welfare policies.

• Applied Knowledge
  Students will learn to apply anthropological approaches and methodological tools to the analysis of concrete situations in personal care and social service settings. In particular, they will have the opportunity to experiment with participant observation as a method for understanding the moral, cultural, and relational dimensions of care work.

• Autonomy of Judgment
  The course will foster the development of critical thinking and independent analysis. Students will be able to critically assess intervention contexts, recognize the complexity of reciprocal relationships, and reflect on the cultural implications of their professional actions.
• Communication Skills
  Through discussions, exercises, and group work, students will develop the ability to clearly and thoughtfully communicate ideas, analyses, and reflections, using language that is appropriate to educational and professional contexts within social work.
• Learning Skills (Learning to Learn)
  The course will encourage an active and collaborative learning approach, supporting the ability to adapt flexibly to teamwork and to the dynamic changes typical of organizations in the third sector and social economy.

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 an engaging introduction to the anthropology of welfare, structured into three main parts.

Part One: Students will develop an analytical understanding of core anthropological concepts, including nature and culture, identity and otherness, ethnicity and ethnocentrism, symbols and values, power and social structures, rituals and identity formation processes, as well as family and kinship. The professor will also introduce key methodological approaches within the discipline and equip students with the foundational skills needed for conducting ethnographic fieldwork.

Part Two: The course will then focus on the anthropological study of social work and service sectors, with a critical emphasis on care processes and reciprocal relationships formed when engaging with vulnerable groups in both formal and informal settings. During this phase, students will delve into selected ethnographic monographs, exploring crucial areas such as public health, education, prison rehabilitation policies, street education, addiction recovery, and services for "at-risk "youth.

Part Three: The course concludes with a series of guided field visits to third-sector organizations, providing students the opportunity to engage directly with care professionals and social workers. These hands-on experiences will enable students to apply and deepen their theoretical and methodological knowledge through direct observation and collaborative activities. At the end, students will work collaboratively on a brief written report (project work), designed to encourage critical reflection on their field experience and to deepen and consolidate the knowledge gained throughout the course.

A) For the theoretical part:

• B. Miller, Antropologia culturale, Pearson, 2ª edizione, 2019 (For non-attending students: the entire book. For attending students: chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10);
• Giacomo Pozzi and Luca Rimoldi (eds.), Pensare un'antropologia del welfare. Etnografie dello stato sociale in Italia, Meltemi, 2022 (For non-attending students: Introduction by the authors, plus two chapters of the student’s choiceFor attending students: Introduction by the authors, plus one chapter of the student’s choice).

B) For the empirical part, students should choose one of the following texts:

• Ferdinando Fava, 2022, Lo Zen di Palermo. Antropologia dell'esclusione, Franco Angeli.
• Philippe Bourgois e Jeff Schonberg, 2019, Reietti e fuorilegge. Antropologia della violenza nella metropoli americana, DeriveApprodi.
• Francesca Cerbini, 2016, La casa di sapone: Etnografia del carcere boliviano di San Pedro, Mimesis.
• Valentina Castellano, 2018, Revolving door. I servizi per i minori e la riproduzione delle disuguaglianze a New York, Edizione Junior.
• Mara Benadusi, 2011, Il segreto di Cybernella. Governance dell'accoglienza e pratiche locali di integrazione educativa, EunoEdizioni.

The final evaluation for ATTENDING STUDENTS will be based on a combination of oral and written components, corresponding to the different parts of the course program:

1. Part I of the syllabus will be assessed during the final oral exam. Students will be expected to demonstrate a solid understanding of the core anthropological concepts and their application to social work and care contexts.
2. Part II of the syllabus may be assessed through a midterm assessment. Students will be divided into working groups and will present and discuss in class the ethnographic monograph selected by each group. This assessment will evaluate the students’ ability to apply theoretical knowledge to specific case studies and to engage in collaborative, critical discussion.
   
3. For the fieldwork component, students who participated in the field visits will produce a written group project (Project Work), which will be presented and discussed in class during a Second Midterm Assessment. This component will assess students' ability to work collaboratively, reflect critically on their experiences, and integrate theoretical and empirical insights in a coherent, well-argued written report.

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The final evaluation for non-attending students will take place exclusively in the form of an oral exam. Non-attending students will not have access to midterm assessments. The exam will cover all parts of the course syllabus, according to the following structure:

• Part I of the syllabus: Students will be required to demonstrate a solid understanding of the fundamental concepts of cultural anthropology and their application to social work and care contexts.

• Part II of the syllabus: Evaluation will be based on the student's individual ability to apply theoretical knowledge to the analysis of specific cases, even in the absence of classroom discussion.

• In place of fieldwork activities, non-attending students are required to study additional readings from the course’s core textbooks (see “Readings” section). These readings will be assessed based on the student's ability to: reflect critically on the content; integrate theoretical and empirical knowledge; develop a coherent, well-structured, and critically informed argument.
  
  

  Assessment Criterion	Description	Weight (%)
  1. Disciplinary Knowledge	In-depth understanding of core concepts in cultural anthropology; correct and thoughtful use of theoretical and disciplinary language	40%
  2. Critical Application of Theory	Ability to connect anthropological theories to key themes covered in the readings; independent analysis of real or hypothetical cases in social care work	35%
  3. Independent Study Skills	Evidence of autonomous learning; critical engagement with course content; integration of theoretical and empirical knowledge in a coherent argument	25%
  Total		100%