Curriculum : Learning outcomes The course will focus on cultural body semantics, their association with social practices, and more specifically those of education, the cultural practices (material and semiotic activities) and the culture-specific values. The post grad students, through interdisciplinary study of the body, will be able:
• To be familiarized with the new field of Body Culture Studies, which investigates both culture and society on a basis of body practice of humans throughout time and in different societal settings.
• To acknowledge that the body is directly linked to social structures, history, the processes of training and education, as well as the culture in general.

Competences Having completed this course, students will be able:
•To describe and compare body practices observed in a general framework of culture and society.
•To approach with reflective and critical way any given body practices (including diet, dancing, gameplay activity, outdoor activities, physical exercise, traditional festivities, decoration of the body, fashion etc.).
•To comprehend the role of the “bodyness” in the educational processes.

Teaching and learning methods
•Lectures.
•Group discussions.
•Use of audiovisual material (cultural works form different cultures).
•Critical investigation of fundamental concepts by individuals, dyads and groups.
•Embodied learning.
•Exercises and applications.

Outline : The following themes are examined:
•The notion(s) of human body.
•Brief walkthrough of the basic philosophical approaches of body studies, ending in the modern school of “physicality”.
•The body as a living experiential process that affects and shapes the socio-cultural processes: the Phenomenology of Perception theory of Μ. Merleau-Ponty.
•The body as a result of a socio-historical and cultural process: the theory of N. Elias.
•Socio-historical body formation: the theory of M. Foucault.
•The body as a social space of recording, expression and manifestation of economic, social and cultural conflict: the theory of P. Bourdieu.
•The body as a means of promoting network technologies of communication in cyberspace.
•The role of body in cognitive, learning and communicational processes.
•Practices of body control in contemporary education.

Teaching and learning methods
•Lectures.
•Group discussions.
•Use of audiovisual material (cultural works form different cultures).
•Critical investigation of fundamental concepts by individuals, dyads and groups.
•Embodied learning.
•Exercises and applications.

Assessment and grading methods Post grad students are obliged to study before every lecture, according to the bibliography provided in the detailed syllabus of the course that is posted on e-class. Final grading will be determined according to the following:
•Attendance and preparation for class discussion and total presentation
•Summary presentation of printed or audiovisual material (article, book, video, educational material, etc.) with a working text of up to 300 words (20% of the final grade),
•An essay presentation (approximately 1500 words), whose structure should include: summary of the topic, outline of the basic concepts one intends to touch upon and ideas to be discussed (40% of the final grade),
•The final exam: written exams (text 1000-1200 words). The way of presenting the topic, the structure of the argumentation and the use of the relevant bibliography of the course are evaluated (40% of the final grade) .

Language of instruction: Greek. Instruction may be given in French if foreign students attend the course.

eclass : https://eclass.upatras.gr/courses/PN1554/

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