The course will follow the history of folklore discipline from its origin, as part of Humanistics, mostly literary or historically oriented study, within the Romantic context, through its reassessment as a discipline belonging to the anthropological paradigma, which in the Italian context, on the 60', is due to the works of Alberto M. Cirese; the evolution of the discipline will be followed until the recent turns to the anthropology of heritage, in particular the intangible heritage policies and practices.
The first part of the course will introduce to the various schools, methods and theories which have been influencing the evolution of demo-anthropology until the reassessment proposed in Italy by Alberto M. Cirese.
In the second part, the evolution will be followed up until our days, and will be mainly oriented to explore the present cultural dynamics which involve folklore: onb one side the opening ot the folklore paradigma to the "popular culture" items, differentially connotated, on the other side the birth of heritage policies and practices which are growing along with the revivals, reenactments, and other means of transmissions or promotions of cultural facts proclaimed as "traditionals" and cultural heritage. During the second part of the course students will be invited to make short research experiences, from the neighbouring areas, or their native ones, comparing with case studies from European extra European areas.