ANTHROPOLOGY OF EDUCATION

In this course, we will explore how anthropology can deepen our understanding of education by bridging theory and practice to support more thoughtful and effective planning of educational and social services.

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

• Knowledge and Understanding
  Students will acquire a solid understanding of key anthropological theories, concepts, and methods as they relate to education. They will explore how educational and social service institutions function as cultural spaces and agents of social transformation and inclusion.
• Applied Knowledge and Understanding
  Through the application of anthropological perspectives and ethnographic methods, students will learn to design, implement, and evaluate educational initiatives in both formal settings (such as schools and after-school programs) and informal or third-sector contexts (such as community-based projects and NGOs).
• Making Judgements
  The course will develop students’ capacity for critical thinking, particularly in examining the values, relationships, and social norms that shape learning environments. Special attention will be paid to power dynamics and cultural diversity, encouraging students to make informed, reflective judgments across a range of educational contexts.
• Communication Skills
  Students will strengthen their ability to clearly and effectively communicate their learning, critical thinking, and ethnographic insights. They will be encouraged to present analyses, proposals, and reflections using appropriate academic and professional language, and to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue.
• 5. Learning Skills (Learning to Learn)
  The course will foster a reflective and self-directed approach to learning. Students will develop the ability to continue their education independently and flexibly, equipping them to adapt to engage with the complex challenges facing contemporary education and to promote more inclusive, culturally responsive approaches that respect and value diversity.

The course is structured in a seminar-style format, where students are expected to actively engage with the material and participate in class discussions. Contribution to course activities is important for enriching the learning experience and may positively affect the final grade. Effective attendance and participation means more than just being present. Read and reflect on the assigned readings before class. Come to class prepared to engage with the class in discussing the readings and relevant themes.

Information for students with disabilities or special needs:

Students who wish to discuss accommodations to support their learning and meet course objectives can request a personal meeting. Alternatively, they may contact the faculty representative of CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Inclusion – Services for Disabilities and/or Specific Learning Disorders) within the Department.

This course offers an anthropological perspective on education, exploring how learning, teaching, and cultural transmission intertwine with social inclusion. It provides a comprehensive, comparative analysis of educational systems and practices across diverse cultural and social contexts.

Students will develop critical insights and practical skills relevant to a range of settings, including schools, social education services, child neuropsychiatry, and counseling centers. The course examines how social factors such as class, family dynamics, gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation influence notions of what it means to be “educated,” fostering reflection on ways to create more inclusive and supportive learning environments.

The course unfolds in three parts:

• Part One: An introduction to key anthropological theories and methodological approaches to the study of education, drawing on the foundational concepts explored in Training Units 1 and 2. These units focus on how education is shaped by broader cultural processes, emphasizing themes such as cultural transmission, the symbolic dimensions of schooling, and the ethnographic method as a tool for understanding educational practices. Through lectures and class discussions, students will also examine how ethnographic perspectives help reveal the social and cultural dynamics of learning, and reflect on how these insights can support inclusive, trust-based relationships in educational contexts (Training Units 1 & 2).
• Part Two: Students will collaborate in small groups to critically examine a selection of ethnographic studies drawn from Training Units 3–6, which address themes such as class inequality, racialization and ethnicity in schooling, gender and sexuality, and the educational experiences of immigrant students. Building on these case studies, students will explore key challenges in intercultural education, reflect on the dynamics of collaborative learning, and discuss the ethical dilemmas that arise in diverse educational settings. This collective analysis is designed to deepen students' understanding of how anthropological perspectives can illuminate the social complexities of education and inform more equitable and culturally responsive practices (Training Units 3-6).
• Part Three: Building on the theoretical foundations and ethnographic analyses developed in the first two parts of the course, students will participate in a field-based Project Work focused on educational outreach programs across Sicily. These guided visits will offer direct engagement with educators, care professionals, and social workers operating in intercultural and inclusive settings. Through systematic field observations, collaborative analysis, and the writing of fieldnotes, students will apply anthropological methods to real-world educational contexts. The experience will culminate in a group project that synthesizes field data and critical reflection, allowing students to consolidate and expand their understanding of how anthropological insight can inform practice in education and social work. (Project Work).

Training Unit 1: Introduction to Educational Anthropology

• Levinson, Bradley A., Pollock, M. (Eds.). (2016). A Companion to the Anthropology of Education. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. (Chapters assigned in class)

• McDermott, Ray & Varenne, Herve. (2006). Reconstructing culture in educational research. In G. Spindler & L. Hammond (Eds.), Innovations in Educational Ethnography: Theories, Methods, and Results (pp. 3–31). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

• Spindler, George (Ed.). (1997). Education and Cultural Process: Anthropological Approaches (3rd ed.). Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press. Chapters 1 & 2 (pp. 4–49).

• Levinson, Bradley A.U. et al. (Eds.). (2000). Schooling the Symbolic Animal: Social and Cultural Dimensions of Education. Lanham, MA: Rowman & Littlefield. Introduction, Chapter 1 (pp. 25–30), and Chapter 6 (pp. 57–61).

Training Unit 2: What is Ethnography in Education?

• Heath, Shirley Brice. (1982). Ethnography in education: Defining the essentials. In P. Gilmore & A.A. Glatthorn (Eds.), Children in and out of school: Ethnography and Education (pp. 33–55). Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

• Spindler, George & Spindler, Louise. (1985). Ethnography: An anthropological view. Educational Horizons, 63(4), 154–157.

• Erickson, Frederick. (1984). What makes school ethnography ‘ethnographic’? Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 15(1), 51–66.
  

• Joshua M. Bluteau. (2019). Legitimising digital anthropology through immersive cohabitation: Becoming an observing participant in a blended digital landscape. Ethnography, 22 (2). 

  
  

Training Unit 3: Ethnographies of Class Inequality

• Willis, Paul. (1977). Learning to Labor: How Working Class Kids Get Working Class Jobs. New York: Columbia University Press. Chapters 1–3 (pp. 1–85).

• Willis, Paul. (1977). Learning to Labor: How Working Class Kids Get Working Class Jobs. New York: Columbia University Press. Chapters 5–8 (pp. 119–184).

Training Unit 4: Ethnographies of Racialization, Ethnicization, and Inequality

• Ogbu, John. (1987). Variability in minority school performance: A problem in search of an explanation. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 18(4), 312–334.

• Erickson, Frederick. (1987). Transformation and school success: The politics and culture of educational achievement. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 18(4), 335–356.

• Rival, Laura. (1996). Formal Schooling and the Production of Modern Citizens in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In B. Levinson, D. Foley, & D. Holland (Eds.), The Cultural Production of the Educated Person: Critical Ethnographies of Schooling and Local Practice (pp. 153–167). Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Training Unit 5: Ethnographies of Gender and Sexuality

• Pascoe, C.J. (2007). Dude, You’re a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Chapter 3: “Dude, You’re a Fag: Adolescent Male Homophobia” (pp. 52–83).

• Woolley, Susan. (2012). “The Silence Itself Is Enough of a Statement”: The Day of Silence and LGBTQ Awareness Raising. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 43(3), 271–288.

• Fiona G. Menzies & Ninetta Santoro. (2018). Doing’ gender in a rural Scottish secondary school: An ethnographic study of classroom interactions, Ethnography and Education, 13 (4), 428-441.

Training Unit 6: Immigrant Students Making Sense of Schools

• Ogbu, John U. (1994). Racial stratification and education in the United States: Why inequality persists. Teachers College Record, 96, 264–298.

• Ogbu, John U. (1987). Variability in minority school performance: A problem in search of an explanation. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 18(4), 312–334.

• Gibson, Margaret A. (1987). The school performance of immigrant minorities: A comparative view. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 18(4), 262–275.