English

Culture is very much a combination of lifestyle and art. This course explores the development and transition of Japanese aesthetic in lifestyle from the prehistoric Jomon Period all the way to today, with special emphasis on the crafts and arts of Edo, Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras. In Japan, there are fine arts, fine crafts, Mingei (the people’s arts and crafts), and design. The course examines the trends in art and lifestyle from ancient times; how traditional crafts and arts appeared in art history, and how Japanese arts and lifestyle transformed with the industrial revolution during the Meiji Era with a newly applied idea of “fine arts,” followed by the emergence of the philosophy of Mingei. The course finishes by discussing how art and crafts influence our everyday lifestyle; what it means to us today, and what you think will happen in the future.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program. The course is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The course focuses on some questions and debates that are central to the contemporary philosophy of social sciences. After a short introduction to the discipline, in which a comparison between the social sciences and the natural sciences is made, the following topics are covered: 1) the naturalism/anti-naturalism debate within the philosophy of social sciences; 2) the role of idealized models in social sciences; 3) the nature of explanation in the social sciences; 4) the value-free/laden character of social studies; 5) the objectivity question within the social sciences; and 6) the possibility of having social laws. During the course these topics are explored at length, using case-studies from different social science fields and tracing connections with those debates that address similar topics within the general philosophy of science.

This interdisciplinary course explores classic literature and contemporary perspectives on reproduction from the perspectives of history, sociology, anthropology, and law. It examines the crucial role reproduction plays in how relations between nations are negotiated, both symbolically and materially. From colonial to metropolitan households, notably via military contexts, the “domestic” has been re-signified by the transnational: nannies, international adoption, and gestational surrogacy have historical links with 19th and 20th centuries' wars. Focusing on the exchanges and connections between the economic, the political, and the intimate, it examines how these increasingly global processes affect individuals, families, and (imagined) communities from multiple lenses: ethnicity and race, nation, class, and gender. It considers how notions of kinship, citizenship, and human rights have become the subject of intense scrutiny, notably through public debates on private and state management of collective life through (bio)technologies of measurement and intervention. Case studies range from analysis of gender dynamics of armed rebellions in Africa to reproductive politics in the United States. Key concepts and policies pertaining to biopolitics, birthing, welfare programs, domestic labor, marriage, and care work are discussed.

The focus of this course is a selection of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. The critical tools used in class include structuralist, post-colonial, and gender studies. Through this course, the students appraise each text individually and look at the global issues pervading the Sherlock Holmes corpus. The proposed method of study is comparative analysis.

This course explores the ultimate influences on the human mind and behavior by taking an evolutionary psychological perspective to study (modern) cognition, emotion, motivation, and behavior. The course revisits cognitive, clinical, and social psychology – and topics, however, the type of questions asked to uncover psychological mechanisms and processes is different. Evolutionary psychologists focus on the ‘why’ question, and the adaptive functions of modern-day cognition, emotion, and behavior. Topics range from psychopathology to human mating and sexual conflict, and from parenting and kin selection to aggression. During the discussion of these topics, prominent assumptions – and misunderstandings – about evolutionary psychology are critically assessed.

In this course, students look at the extent to which our familiar norms and ways of interacting with each other transfer to our online lives, and how we should respond when these familiar ideas fail to apply to our online life. 

This course provides you with an introduction to aesthetics and the philosophy of art. While aesthetics is occasionally thought as synonymous with the philosophy of art, it examines questions raised by experiences that are appreciated for their own sake in a much wider variety of contexts, including natural environments, and watching sport. The course focuses on two main themes. First, the nature and justifiability of aesthetic judgements. Questions addressed may include: How should we reconcile the commonly held thought that taste is subjective with the equally commonly held idea that some artworks are nonetheless better than others? Is there a right or wrong way to experience the aesthetic qualities of a sunset or a starfish? The second theme is the contemporary debates in the philosophy of art. Questions addressed may include the nature and value of art (can just anything count as art if you put it in a gallery?), the aesthetic value of forgeries, what we can learn about life from art, and why we value painful works such as tragedies.

This course improves Korean writing skills using the composing of simple paragraphs covering various topics that arise in daily life, and then writing a longer essay by the end of the course. The course also teaches students how to complete various official forms, improve basic Korean writing skills, practice various genres of Korean writing, and develop Korean written communication skills.

This course has been designed to provide students with an introduction to a range of important concepts, theories and principles that underpin the study of economics. Lectures take the form of lectures, case studies, and problem-solving exercises. The aims of the course are to: Provide students with an introduction to a number of essential economic concepts, principles and models, explain the functioning of markets, demand, supply, and government economic policies, and provide students with some analytical tools to tackle economic problems.

This course provides an introduction to the history and establishment of ASEAN community. The overview of ASEAN countries in social, political, economic, cultural and ideological aspects.