Next Lecture

The next Lecture of "History of Material Culture" will be held in Alenia Space on Wednesday, the 9th December, from 9.00 AM to 2.00 PM.
The student are kindly requested to bring with the elaborated final work for a preliminary examination.
In the following the structure of the "inquiry".

1. Identify the assigned "domestic tool"
2. Prepare a Conceptual Map (CM) for the organization of the final report.
3. Collect data and elements for the inquiry, and organize them in the following categories:
3.1 Dictionary, i.e. translation of the "word" into different languages
3.2 Glossary, i.e. a word cluster around the "domestic tool" (in English)
3.3 Anthology, i.e. a collection of literary texts, from mythology thru the Web (do not forget the bibliographic references)
3.4 Comics, at least 1 picture containing an explicit citation of the "domestic tool"
3.5 Images from the visual arts (at least 3 picture)
3.6 Movies (at least 1 clip)
3.7 Songs (at least 1 lyrics)
3.8 Materials (a chronological selection of the materials typical of the "domestic tool")
3.9 Shapes (an evolution of the "domestic tool")
3.10 Innovations (a selection of 3-5 Patents (*))
4. Prepare a conclusive report that - in a narrative form - describes the topics examined within the inquiry (2000-6000 characters maximum).

Pdf files are kindly requested for an easier examination of the work done.

(*) Visit the "freepatentsonline" site (a free registration is required).

In the Museum on Monday, 24th november

ladder, rake, bottle,...


crutch, glasses,...


... and a group on the top of the tower.

Visit to the Museum

Le lecture of Tuesday 24th november will take place at Palazzo Madama - Museo Civico di Arte Antica.
The meeting point is in front of the entrance at 2.45 PM.

Visit to the Museum

More concepts

Taken from the movie The Corporation some concepts and ideas emerge from the background of the material culture embedded in the industrial (or post-industrial) society.

More Movies

Movies are the today narrative form for telling stories: they can be also a good workbench for an anthropological inquiry around a "domestic tool"...


Delicatessen (1990), directed by Marc Caro.


The General (1927), directed by Buster Keaton


The Corporation (2003), directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott


Robots (2005), directed by Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha.


Apollo 13 (1995), directed by Ron Howard.

Concepts

In order to draw a conceptual map around the "domestic tool" object of the research, please choose from the above list, 5-7 concepts that can be developed to describe the "tool":

accuracy
biocompatibility
brilliance
cleanliness
costs
curiosity
durability
eco-compatibility
economy
elasticity
ergonomics
fetishism
finishing
flammability
flexibility
functionality
handicraft
handling
interchangeability
irony
lightness / heaviness
luxury
maintainability
measure
modularity
mysticism
mythology
pleasure
practicality
redundancy
resistance
safety
servicing
shape
sharpness
standard
strength
superstition
toxicity
traceability
transparency
transportability
triviality
uniformity
utility
value
variety
violence
workmanship