Not a simple competition, but the culmination of a long and rich journey that began a few months ago with meetings, initiatives and reflections on figure of Ernesto De Martinowith the primary aim of spreading and valorising the thought of the anthropologist of contemporary society, who passed away half a century ago.
The myth competition conceived and created by “Rosa-Gianturco” High School of Human Sciences in Potenza not only did it bring many cultural places closer together, but it made young people discover the relevance of a scholar of the magical southern peasant culture, Lucania in particular.
His studies, in fact, are still the subject of reflection today by those involved in cultural planning, territorial promotion, protection of traditions and recovery of historical memory. Through the works of high school students from Potenza, the Neapolitan anthropologist’s great merit in having historicized has re-emerged the popular traditions of primitive peasant masseslargely illiterate, giving them a social value and having been able to combine his object of study with the thorny southern question.
For four years, De Martino had direct contact with the farmers of Colobraro, Pisticci, and many other towns in Basilicata and Southern Italy, from which arose his propensity for field research, participant observation, and team work. interdisciplinary.
No one before him had addressed the problem of southern peasant cultureseen as a complex conception of the world and placed at the bottom of a historically determined society.
De Martino filled this void with in-depth explorations of religious manifestations and the traditions of a people ignored by history.
He reveals a magical world, but in a dimension of culture and history, going against the grain of those who moved with entirely negative reflections, fueled by prejudice rooted in the dominant mentality.
From the students’ texts, the real value of the master of contemporary anthropology emerged, of his method of investigation, of the critical analysis of magism, of beliefs, of ritual practices, without prejudice, so that we can identify the essence of diversity, but not inferiority.
In short, a historical knowledge of the reality to be transformed, exalting the need for a renewal of traditional southern consciousness and trying to ensure a place in society for peasant masses unexpectedly excluded from belonging.
The over 30 students of the “Rosa-Gianturco” reflected and analyzed his works with original compositions evaluated by a special commission. A cultural enrichment, which has influenced many classes of the Potentino school.
First place went to Nicole Oriana Claps thanks to a “coherent and profound” work.
Prize: one thousand euros and a stay in Colobraro. Second place to Giancanio Lucia. Third place to Bianca Leoci. Special mentions to Antonio Romaniello and Giulia Karol Lo Russo.
The comments were positive.
“De Martino is a thinker of the crisis, he is a scholar of the crisis and our children in this era of disorientation need cultural tools to face their crises” claimed the director of the “Rosa-Gianturco” prof. Mario Lanzi.
“Whenever crisis situations occur, we need to understand the reasons in order to find solutions to this crisis” commented the professor. Fernando Mirizzi of Unibas, while prof. Enzo Alliegro of the “Federico II” University of Naples concluded by warning that “we must resign ourselves to the idea that cultural contexts cause cultures to change and populations to change”.
