JCU Logo
JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "SOSC/ITS 380"
COURSE NAME: "Researching Rome: Fieldwork in the City of Rome"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2026
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Eleonora Diamanti
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: T2:15 PM 5:00 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites but it is strongly recommended that students have a background in contemporary Italian studies or anthropology/sociology/urban studies.
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course guides students interested in executing an independent fieldwork project in the city of Rome. As a unique global city, Rome’s contemporary social, economic and political realities provide a fascinating context for observing and analyzing the production of culture, social and political change, and practices of everyday life. This seminar-style course guides students through the four main phases of their independent research project, helping them to: a) select a manageable and realistic case-study for their research, b) identify and interpret relevant theoretical and empirical literature, c) choose the most appropriate techniques of fieldwork observation, data collection and recording, and apply them in a rigorous, ethical and reflexive manner in the city of Rome, d) create a sophisticated written and visual report of their research findings and conclusions. Students will present their final projects to the JCU community during the last week of the semester.
In addition to each student's independent project, the class visits a number of Roman neighborhoods to apply theories and observation techniques learned throughout the course.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course is structured as an on-going discussion between the professor and students during which, together, they decide the most appropriate ways of carrying out each student’s chosen research project and of interpreting and presenting the findings. Students are required to read widely on contemporary Rome and global cities more broadly and they are introduced to the main methods of doing urban research. They learn to hone their observation skills, keeping a diary of all their fieldwork sessions, and to actively consider the ethical issues surrounding ethnographic research. Students are introduced to methods and theories of non-participant observation and a variety of creative ethnographic approaches, enabling non-Italian speakers to study Rome’s social environment. They will participate in a variety of fieldwork observation activities with the professor in selected neighborhoods of Rome. Where linguistic skills permit, students are also trained in carrying out interviews and surveys in the field. Students will conduct a research project explaining the rationale, methods, results and conclusions and present their findings.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

· Identify a key feature of contemporary social, economic or political dynamics in Rome and contextualize it within broader scholarship in    Italian studies and urban studies.

· Demonstrate knowledge of the main methods for carrying out fieldwork observation in an urban context and select the most appropriate for researching their topic.

· Construct an ethically rigorous research project.

· Organize their research time in an independent and disciplined way.

· Carry out their fieldwork observation in a systematic manner, identifying any problems and solving them in dialogue with the professor.

· Question, discuss and analyze their findings, incorporating feedback from class discussions into their final report.

· Present their findings in a clear and engaging manner to a large audience.
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Midterm Written essay & research planEssay outlining the theories, literature review, secondary sources and research method plan30%
Class presentationStudents give a 10-minute oral presentation explaining their preliminary findings and explaining how their research strategy will evolve.15%
Field journalStudents keep a detailed diary of their fieldwork sessions and will also be assessed on the progress, detail and sophistication of their fieldwork observation written up in their diary.15%
ParticipationStudents’ participation in class discussions, their ability to outline and justify their research choices and refine them based on feedback are graded based on their engagement and responsiveness in class sessions.10%
Final project Report and class presentationStudents write a research report explaining the rationale, methods, results and conclusions of the project. Students present their findings to the class using a media-based support justifying the method of their choice.30%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Attendance is mandatory for this class and students are allowed one excused absence, after which I will deduct 3% of the participation grade for each class missed. More than three absences (excused or unexcused) will result in failing the course.

 

You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

Week 1 Course overview. Introduction to doing fieldwork in the city.

Reading:

Introduction. Cities: How Place and Space Shape Human Experience

 

Week 2 Contemporary Rome: from modern to global city

Reading:

Introduction. Global Rome: Changing Faces of the Eternal City

 

Week 3 Post-industrialization and gentrification

On-site visit: Testaccio

Reading:

Introduction to Cities: How Place and Space Shape Human Experience (Chapters 2&3)

 

Week 4 Gentrification and community

On-site visit: Monti

Reading:

Evicted from Eternity. The Restructuring of Modern Rome (selected chapter)

 

Week 5 Research methods and library instruction

Readings:

Ethnography and the City: Readings on Doing Urban Fieldwork (selected chapter)

Introduction to cities: how place and space shape human experience (chapter 4)

 

Week 6

Midterm: discussion of literature review and research methods

Students start fieldwork

 

Week 7 Ethnographic methods

Readings:

Chapter 1. Urban Life: Readings in the Anthropology of the City

Anthropology in the City: Methodology and Theory (selected chapter)

 

Week 8 Doing fieldwork and writing fieldnotes

Students carry out fieldwork research. Individual meetings with professor.

 

Week 9 Student presentations of primary findings

 

Week 10 Body governance, migration and ethnic identities in the city

On-site visit: Esquilino

Readings:

Haynes, W. (2024) Whiteness and 'whiteness' in Roma Termini. Lo Squaderno, 69. 7. pp. 35-40. ISSN 1973-9141

Banini, T. (2021). Living at the Esquilino: Representations and Self-Representations of a Multi-ethnic Central District in Rome. In: Banini, T., Ilovan, OR. (eds) Representing Place and Territorial Identities in Europe. GeoJournal Library, vol 127. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66766-5_2

 

Week 11 Housing policies, squatting and emancipatory practices

On-site visit

 

Readings:

Cacciotti, C. 2022. Inhabiting Liminality: The Temporal, Spatial and Experiential Assemblage of Emancipatory Practices in the Lives of Housing Squatters in Rome, Italy. In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH. ISSN 1468-2427

Grazioli, M. (2021). Housing, urban commons and the right to the city in post-crisis Rome : metropoliz, the squatted Città Meticcia. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70849-8 (selected chapter)

 

Week 12 Constructive feminism & safer spaces

On-site visit

Reading:

Bonu Rosenkranz, G. (2025). Safer Spaces, Feminist Movements and Emotions: Affect into Action. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003544487 (selected chapter)

 

Week 13

Class discussion on writing up findings, integrating theory, methodology and results.

Individual meetings with professor.

Reading:

Urban theory: new critical perspectives. (selected chapter)

 

Week 14

Final project presentations