The Department of Anthropology offers courses that focus on human diversities and similarities from a sociocultural point of view. Through theoretical and empirical approaches, issues related to the everyday, religion, food, and music are examined through the department's curriculum.
3 semester credits. This course focuses on the forces that shape cultures and societies. The following topics will be explored: our relationship to our environment, systems of social organization, social rules of law, politics, economics, religion, language, and social practices. Students will gain an understanding of anthropological variations through the study of people as social and cultural beings.
3 semester credits. The course explores the secret facets of Florence from an artistic, historical, and social perspective through thematic walks and visits. Embracing the city as an unrestricted classroom, the course unveils artworks, parks, streets, and spaces such as workshops and laboratories that keep the earliest Florentine traditions alive. These traditions include carpentry, music, marble carving, papermaking, and gastronomy. Furthermore, walks and visits will investigate the changing aspects of the city from an architectural and socio-ethnic point of view. Course sessions start in the city center and transition to the areas beyond the ancient walls. This progression allows students to visualize, assess, and comprehend hidden spatial narratives of Florence from the well-known to less-frequented areas. As a result, students discover the significance of the city in its entirety, explore the relationship between the Florentine community and the arts, and develop a new way of “city-gazing” that generates knowledge through walking.
3 semester credits. This one-week intensive course explores the secret facets of Florence from an artistic, historical, and social perspective through thematic walks, visits, and dining activities. Embracing the city as an unrestricted classroom, the course unveils artworks, parks, streets, and spaces such as workshops and laboratories that keep the earliest Florentine traditions alive. These traditions include carpentry, music, marble carving, papermaking, and gastronomy. Furthermore, walks and visits will investigate the changing aspects of the city from an architectural and socio-ethnic point of view. Course sessions start in the city center and transition to the areas beyond the ancient walls. This progression allows students to visualize, assess, and comprehend hidden spatial narratives of Florence from the well-known to less-frequented areas. As a result, students discover the significance of the city in its entirety, explore the relationship between the Florentine community and the arts, and develop a new way of “city-gazing” that generates knowledge through walking.
3 semester credits. This course is designed to explore the diversity of food and culture around the world. It will apply the concepts and principles of anthropology to the study of human diet and nutrition. The overall goal is to broaden awareness and understanding of how different cultures celebrate food through rituals and traditions. Students will analyze the origins of the human diet, the role of the cultural heritage on food preparation techniques, identify nutritional menus for international and regional areas; interpret international recipes, customs, and lifestyles; and compare ethnic customs in order to understand social/cultural meanings and implications of food behaviors.
6 semester credits. This field learning course engages the student in topics related to Italian civilization and culture through direct experience and on-going research. Places of historic, archeological, artistic, architectural, religious, and culinary importance will be introduced on-site as students are guided by the instructor to contextualize an interdisciplinary understanding of Italy. The 3-week course focuses on three distinct areas of geographic interest in Italy: Northern Italy and its relationship to Europe; Southern Italy’s proximity to Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures; and Central Italy’s cultural dominance due to the Etruscan, Roman, and Renaissance influence. Pre-course research is required through the analysis and study of designated resources and bibliographies. On-site fieldwork and assessment are conducted on a daily basis between the instructor and students. Discussion, recording, and presentation are essential forms of re-elaborating the course topics. The course emphasizes the cross-cultural analysis and comparisons of the Italian population according to local, regional, and global perspectives. This class includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.
3 semester credits. This course is structured as one week of on-site field learning in different locations of the city of Florence. Students will acquire deep awareness of the main Florentine traditions and districts, and they will be able to navigate and discover non-canonical areas of the city. This one-week intensive course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Florentine culture and to broaden one’s awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Local traditions will be placed and discussed in relation to the framework of Italian culture. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of history, art, architecture, food, religion, and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and aims to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic, architectural, and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills. This class also includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural as it is intended to be wide-reaching. Field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.
3 semester credits. One week of on-site field learning in different locations before session start: Rome, Tuscan coast, Cinque Terre (Fall-Summer); Rome, Orvieto, Perugia (Spring). The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This one-week intensive course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden one’s awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion, and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and aims to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic, architectural, and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills. This class includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.
3 semester credits. The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden one’s awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion, and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and is aimed to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic architectural and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills. Florence only.
6 semester credits. One week of on-site field learning in different locations before semester/summer sessions: Rome, Tuscan coast, Cinque Terre (Fall-Summer); Rome, Orvieto, Perugia (Spring). Upon completion of the field learning week, the course continues as a regular academic session in Florence. The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This one-week intensive course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden one’s awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion, and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and aims to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic, architectural, and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills. This class includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.
3 semester credits. This course seeks to offer an overview of the Italian culture through the exploration of the city of Florence. Students will become familiar with the main Italian and Florentine cultural aspects through the observation of street names, studied as an intangible cultural heritage. In particular, students will learn about Italian social dynamics and traditions related to education, business, social life, healthcare, politics, religion, and sports. The course is held entirely outside as it makes use of the city as its learning environment. Students are therefore encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and develop a critical gaze. The course is further enriched by basic notions of Italian language, with exercises based on grammar, vocabulary, and communicative functions. The approach of this course is based on experiencing the city of Florence as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations: lectures, observations, exercises, analysis, and reflections on presented topics are held in relevant sites that are accounted for in the academic planning, syllabus, and related course material. Coursework and submissions will be regularly assessed on the MyFUA platform through daily assignments in addition to exams, papers, and projects. Learning through the on-site classroom approach fosters a deeper understanding of the cultural environment of Florence and how it is related to the subject of study represented by the course, and allows the overall experience to contribute to the students' academic and personal enrichment.
3 semester credits. Where does our food come from? How is it grown? What is actually in the food we eat? These are all important questions that we don’t always want to know the answer to. Food justice is a social movement that examines the ethics of food production and food distribution, access to food, and the policies that are often a silent ingredient in our meals. Organic foods, farming, labor wages and practices, food supply distribution and waste, and sustainability are among the themes to be examined in this course. How food systems impact the health and well-being of individuals and communities, political policies and their role in food distribution in developed and developing countries, and the consequences of globalization on food ethics will be addressed through hands-on workshops, visits, and in-class discussions. A special emphasis will be placed on the cultural aspects of food supplies, the Italian traditions of food production and consumption, and the darker roles represented by food in organized crime and immigration.
4 semester credits. Where does our food come from? How is it grown? What is actually in the food we eat? These are all important questions that we don’t always want to know the answer to. Food justice is a social movement that examines the ethics of food production and food distribution, access to food, and the policies that are often a silent ingredient in our meals. Organic foods, farming, labor wages and practices, food supply distribution and waste, and sustainability are among the themes to be examined in this course. How food systems impact the health and well-being of individuals and communities, political policies and their role in food distribution in developed and developing countries, and the consequences of globalization on food ethics will be addressed through hands-on workshops, visits, and in-class discussions. A special emphasis will be placed on the cultural aspects of food supplies, the Italian traditions of food production and consumption, and the darker roles represented by food in organized crime and immigration. This course includes service learning hours within the Florentine Community. Service learning is a method that incorporates intentional learning with service to the community, in which the service component functions as a reflection on classroom learning for all tasks performed. In addition to regular class hours, students will be involved in a volunteer project for the entire session that integrates them in the local community in order to remove barriers and gain a sense of social responsibility. The acquisition of new skills and knowledge obtained in the service learning environment outside the classroom will enrich the learning experience and contribute to personal and emotional growth, as well as cultural consciousness, to develop a greater sense of a global citizenship and sensitivity to the needs of others. Students are guided through the experience by the non-profit association supervisor and the service learning coordinator to enhance outcomes both inside and outside the classroom. The contribution to the association is not only crucial to a deeper understanding of course topics but also allows for a greater sense of belonging in the community, allowing for students to acquire a heightened awareness of emotional intelligence that enhances the classroom learning experience.
3 semester credits. How is individual and collective memory created? What is heritage, and how is it propagated? This course explores memory and memorialization as social phenomena that shape, and are mutually shaped, by both tangible and intangible heritage. Emphasis is attributed to an increasingly relevant concept in the social sciences: multisensoriality. The latter can be framed as a means to attain an embodied experience that can foster the generation of sociological, political, and imaginative considerations. Memory shapes and is mutually shaped by the organization and values of communities. Students will be exposed to a great variety of multisensorial spaces in Florence, such as participatory museums and memorials. These will be examined analytically, with a particular focus on the methodology of ethnographic research, so as to bridge the gap between theory-based knowledge and the applied skills of data gathering and assessment. The approach of this course is based on experiencing the city of Florence as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations: lectures, observations, exercises, analysis, and reflections on presented topics are held in relevant sites that are accounted for in the academic planning, syllabus, and related course material. Coursework and submissions will be regularly assessed on the MyAUF platform through daily assignments in addition to exams, papers, and projects. Learning through the on-site classroom approach fosters a deeper understanding of the cultural environment of Florence and how it is related to the subject of study represented by the course, and allows the overall experience to contribute to students' academic and personal enrichment.
3 semester credits. This course seeks to offer an overview of the Italian culture through the exploration of the city of Florence. Students will become familiar with the main Italian and Florentine cultural aspects through the observation of street names, studied as an intangible cultural heritage. In particular, students will learn about Italian social dynamics and traditions related to education, business, social life, healthcare, politics, religion, and sports. The course is held entirely outside as it makes use of the city as its learning environment. Students are therefore encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and develop a critical gaze. The course is further enriched by basic notions of Italian language, with exercises based on grammar, vocabulary, and communicative functions. The approach of this course is based on experiencing the city of Florence as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations: lectures, observations, exercises, analysis, and reflections on presented topics are held in relevant sites that are accounted for in the academic planning, syllabus, and related course material. Coursework and submissions will be regularly assessed on the MyFUA platform through daily assignments in addition to exams, papers, and projects. Learning through the on-site classroom approach fosters a deeper understanding of the cultural environment of Florence and how it is related to the subject of study represented by the course, and allows the overall experience to contribute to the students' academic and personal enrichment.
3 semester credits. This course will introduce students to the world of walking as an artistic, philosophical, political, literary, inspirational - as well as physical - experience. While exploring different types of walking, the concept of "wanderlust" will also be analyzed and discussed from both an anthropological and philosophical perspective, to provide students with a thorough overview of the traveling and walking experience both in natural and urban landscapes. Different types of walking activities will be an integral component of the course, allowing students to reflect upon walking as an act of desire, escape, imagination, freedom, rebellion, and well-being. The classroom approach of this course is based on experiencing the city of Florence as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations: lectures, observations, exercises, analysis, and reflections on presented topics are held in relevant sites that are accounted for in the academic planning, syllabus, and related course material. Coursework and submissions will be regularly assessed on the MyFUA platform through daily assignments in addition to exams, papers, and projects. Learning through the on-site classroom approach fosters a deeper understanding of the cultural environment of Florence and how it is related to the subject of study represented by the course, and allows the overall experience to contribute to the students' academic and personal enrichment.