Ateneo - UPO

Eating disorders: clinical, antropological, sociological perspective.

Clinical aspects: Biological, clinical and psychopathological aspects of eating disorders.

Sociological Aspects:
This module aims to introduce the possible social factors affecting eating disorders, both from a theoretical and empirical point of view. The module includes, as fundamental tools for learning, the basic theories and concepts of the sociology of health and disease and the understanding of the social determinants of health.

Anthropological aspects:
Eating Disorders from a Clinical and Sociological Point of View: Anthropology offers an overview of the main themes and conceptual frameworks concerning food and eating from an anthropological point of view. The course aims to critically discuss and apply the main theories regarding social situations characterised by cultural diversity.

Slides of the course.
Possible (suggested, optional) readings: books by Hilde Bruch, Vandereycken & Van Deth, papers on the topic of the course.

Handouts and articles provided during class.

Gain a basic knowledge about the main eating disorders from a clinical,
antropological and sociological perspective.
With more detail concerning the three modules of the course:
Gain a basic knowledge about the main eating disorders from a clinical, and etiological perspective. Be able to apply this knowledge, gaining awareness of what represents an at risk situation and what represents an appropriate referral and treatment for patients.

Gain a basic knowledge on possible social factors affecting eating disorders through the acquisition of the basic theories and concepts of the sociology of health and disease and an understanding of the social determinants of health.

The teaching of Eating Disorders from a Clinical and Sociological Point of View: Anthropology aims to facilitate the acquisition of notions and concepts inherent to the discipline of Cultural Anthropology through a general overview of the most relevant conceptual nodes. Particular attention will be paid to the question of how anthropology can be a valid tool in the field of nutrition through a comparative investigation of how other cultures relate to the concepts of food, nutrition, food fashions and food taboos. At the end of the course, students will be able to demonstrate that they are familiar with the basic notions of the discipline and have acquired the fundamental tools for a better understanding of the role played by Cultural Anthropology in nutrition.

English language knowledge

Lessons, laboratories, workshops, case studies, simulation labs.

With more detail, for the anthropology module:The course consists of 24 hours of face-to-face lectures (3 CFU), held in the classroom with the help of power point slides and ethnographic videos. The course will be divided into two parts: - the first part will deal with topics inherent to the discipline of Cultural Anthropology, such as the concept of culture, how human beings inherit, transmit and produce it, with particular reference to culture related to food. - The second will focus more on case studies showing the different uses of food as a means of cultural and social production. In the second part of the course, students are invited to present and discuss in class ethnographic cases and theoretical insights provided by the material shared during the lectures.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services students-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.   

The exam involves a collegial assessment by the teachers of the 3 modules that make up the integrated course, starting from the outcome of the tests for each module, and considering the contribution in terms of CFU of each module,
in order to be able to make a weighted average.
Please refer to the individual module syllabi for details on the individual learning assessment methods.
For the clinical part, the exam is written with open questions.
For the sociological and anthropological part, the exam includes the preparation of a written report and oral discussion.

The evaluation will take into consideration the degree of mastery, knowledge and understanding of the topics covered, the ability and clarity of presentation.

A good knowledge of the subject will correspond to the maximum grade in each module, with grades scaling based on the accuracy and level of depth of knowledge.

The course is articulated in 3 parts, dealing with the following topics. Each topic will be addressed from a gender perspective, in particular with regard to eating disorders in the context of psychiatry, where the gender-specific dimension is implicit in the diagnosis.

Clinical part about Eating disorders: overview; food, body shape and their meaning in
different socio-cultural contexts; historical perspective; body image;
epidemiology; diagnostic criteria; clinical features: symptoms and
complications; treatment approaches.

Sociological part:
I week: Introduction to the module: objectives, structure, issues
and concepts II week: Basic concepts and theories on sociology of health and illness III week: New key issues in sociology of health; IV week: The case of eating disorders V week Introduction to social determinants of health VI week
Social determinants and health promotion VII week: Focus on obesity: case study and workshop VIII
week: Conclusions and final assignments.

Anthropological part:
The course is organised in three parts: I (3 lessons): introduction to the anthropological approach (themes and research methods) and to the close relationship between food and culture; II (3 lessons) presentation and discussion of three themes concerning the study and understanding of the relationship between food/cooking and culture/society (meanings and practices; representations and identity; global and local) are presented and discussed; II (1 lesson) critical analysis of the One Health and World System approaches, conclusion of the course.

Gain a basic knowledge about the main eating disorders from a clinical,
antropological and sociological perspective.

Clinical part:
Gain a basic knowledge about the main eating disorders from a clinical, and etiological perspective. Be able to apply this knowledge, gaining awareness of what represents an at risk situation and what represents an appropriate referral and treatment for patients.

Sociological part:
Display the ability to use the main sociological concepts useful for a greater understanding of health and illness in contemporary societies, particularly eating disorders.

Anthropological part:
Demonstrate an understanding of and ability to apply the anthropological approach to issues related to food, cooking and food production/market. In particular, the student must show that he/she is able to critically analyse phenomena and behaviour (individual and collective), recognising the cultural and social meanings that make food something that goes well beyond mere nutrition.