Anthropology

The course discusses two main topics. The first topic is on Etruscans and the Italic peoples: Ancient Italy between Bronze Age and Iron Age. Topics include the transition from the protovillanovian to the villanovian period; transformations of the population, origin of the proto-urban centres and “formation” of the Etruscan ethnos; cultures, languages, and peoples of the pre-roman Italy; Etruscans and their relationships with the other italic peoples: commercial exchanges and cultural connections; and cultural and chronological periods. The second topic is on History and culture of the Etruscans Culture: The Villanovian period (IX-VIII c. BCE). Topics include from the hut to the house and from the village to the town; the early forms of social and political organization; the Orientalizing period (VIII-VII c. BCE): the rise and consolidation of the aristocracy; the culture of the princes; palaces and big funerary architecture; different expressions of the aristocratic ideology; the Archaic period (VI c. BCE): the end of the aristocracies and coming of the demos; big works of urban monumentalizing; cities and their harbors; relations with the oriental Greek Culture; the Classic period (V-IV c. BCE): the dominance of the inner Etruria and the crisis of the coastal Etruria; the artistic issue and the relationships with Greece; the Hellenistic period (IV-III c. BCE): the great “crisis” of the Fourth Century and the return of aristocracies; the relations with Macedonia and Magna Graecia and last great season of the Etruscan culture; and conflict with Rome and decline of the Etruscans.

Slow Food is a movement whose philosophy is defined by three interconnected principles: good, clean, fair - where “slower/better” is promoted over “faster/cheaper.” This course examines how Slow Food started initially as a protest against McDonalds opening in Rome to igniting a global revolution in such diverse sectors as tourism, education, and city planning. The course studies how Slow Food governance advocates ecological and political awareness, equitable food policy, and sustainable practices that are not only good for the planet, but as the commercial success of Eataly has demonstrated, business as well. Through case studies such as Eataly, but also visits to local farms and interviews with local producers and distributers, the course examines how Slow Food philosophy intersects with business practices. This course aims to assess what happens when the tenets of sustainability, responsibility, and sharing are combined with the value proposition to provide a unique cultural experience that exports the Italian way of life on a global scale. What is the bottom line: has tradition met innovation, or exploitation? 

This course provides a study of Quechua language and culture and examines the importance and influence of the Quechua culture in Chile. The course is divided into twelve units, each examining grammatical and cultural elements through translated texts (riddles, stories, poetry, songs), documentaries, historical surveys, and Internet research.