« Back

The Department of Humanistic Studies represents a coming together of homogeneous knowledge within the area of humanistic and social disciplines. Such a coming together is based not on a sectorial vision but a critical and integrated one of these disciplines, which is suitable to guarantee the scientific and didactic efficiency in the field of literary subjects, of philosophy, of history, of foreign languages and literatures, of sciences dealing with cultural property, of psychological and pedagogical sciences and, at the same time, being able to ensure the quality of research for each of the sectors in question, and so favouring an inter-disciplinary approach. The six Sections in which the Department is articulated co-ordinate the activity: i.e. Modern Philology, Philosophy, Psychology and Educational Sciences, Antiquity Sciences, Historical Sciences, the History of the Cultural Patrimony. The sections promote common scientific and cultural interests, bringing together professional, instrumental and technological resources and ensure the organization of the research activities. The Sections monitor the development of the activities undertaken within each section and so contribute to carrying out the objectives of the departmental research.

The research activities of the DHS include doctoral training, articulated in directions which have to do with the various thematic areas. The doctoral research projects active in the Department are as follows:  Philology; Mind, Gender and Language; Philosophical ciences; Historical, Archaeological and Historical-artistic Sciences

Research output (2011-2013)

Data on the research output of the Department are extracted from the 2011-2013 Research activities Review (SUA-RD)

Staff

Data on the Department Staff is taken from the institutional website of the Italian Ministry of University and Research

Research projects

NATIONAL PROJECTS - PRIN

FIRB (National Research Projects)

PON (Public-Private national programmes)

EUROPEAN PROJECTS

Other typologies of projects

Libraries, labs and facilities

Libraries

  • Humanities Library - BRAU - The  Humanities Library (BRAU) was opened to the public on 26th January, 2009, with the aim of offering resources to carry out scientific work and research work for the lecturers, research assistants and students from the University of Naples, Federico II. It is situated near the Complex of Sant'Antoniello at Port'Alba and includes an extremely rich patrimony of monographs and a huge collection of paper periodicals. It offers the chance to use there - through the University SireLib portal - specialistized instruments such as databanks, e-books, electronic periodicals which are all part of what the BRAU has to offer.

Laboratories

  • IT Laboratory - The IT Laboratory of the Humanities Department came into being in December  2013. The Laboratory has its headquarters on the second floor of staircase C - level IV of staircase D at 1 Porta di Massa.
  • Artificial Intelligence Laboratory NAC  - NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL COGNITION LAB. The laboratory is in the building of 1 Porta di Massa, Staircase  B, 2nd Floor, level IV.
  • Incoparde Laboratory  -  Intercultural Community Participatory Development. The laboratory was set up in December 2008 and its aim is to carry out research and interventions to affirm  rights and citizenship by overcoming differences in genre, race and power.
  • LEPE - Epistemology and Practices in Upbringing Laboratory. The Epistemology and Practices in Upbringing Laboratory was set up by an inter-disciplinary research team which work within the field of social and general pedagogy, developing methods and instruments with pedagogic research, both theoretical and empirical.
  • DGF - Inter-disciplinary Laboratory for Studies and Research on Women, Genre and Formation. The Inter-disciplinary Laboratory for Studies on Women, Genre and Formation (DGF) was set up in  January 2010 by the "Gustavo Iacono" Department of Relational Sciences at the University of Naples, Federico II. The research group works in the field of critical feminist pedagogy, developing methods and instruments within pedagogic research, both theoretical and experimental.
  • Didactic Laboratory of Methodologies and Psychological Techniques - The building is in the complex of 1 via Porta di Massa, Staircase B, 2nd Floor, level IV, Room A04. It offers 8 places.
  • Language Laboratories - The  language laboratory of the ex-Department of Modern Philology (staircase C, Level IV)  has IT  structures which help individual language learning. The students are also offered the support of the University Language Centre - CLA (information on it can be found on the site  www.cla.unina.it).
  • Photographic Laboratory (and archive) - The laboratory and the archive are in the complex of 1 via Porta di Massa, Staircase A - C, upper colonnade, level III.
  • Historical Cartography Laboratory and GIS - The Historical Cartography Laboratory and GIS has carried out now for various  years scientific and didactic activity in the field of the application of new technologies for historical research. Among the current projects are the electoral Atlas in the Italian Republic, based on the use of dynamic cartography and, in particular, the Geographic Information System for the definition of new exploring and explanatory models for the territorial distribution of the political votes, and the digital edition of the geographic Atlas  of the Kingdom of Naples by Giovanni Antonio Rizzi Zannoni. Its  headquarters are at 33 via Nuova Marina, 9th floor.
  • Cultural Material Laboratory - The laboratory is based on the study and cataloguing of furniture exhibits coming from archaeological research carried out by the University of Naples, Federico II in Italy and abroad. The research activities are, in particular, dedicated  to research on ceramic production in the ancient Mediterranean, also through more recent  archaeometric approaches. The Laboratory offers also a didactic-formation support for its curricular apprenticeships for students, PH.D. students and  specializing students.

Further activities as regards formation and applied research are undertaken by the School Specializing in Archaeological Heritage and by the Inter-departmental Centre for Studies on the Magna Graecia.

Third mission

The Department of Humanistic Studies (DHS), through its scientific and structural vocation, is open to the direct interaction with the civilian world, with the aim of promoting the growth of the territory referred to. Scientific knowledge becomes instrumental for the development of a series of activities in the cultural patrimony sector, of continuous formation, of different activities involving Public Engagement. In particular, the DHS promotes the opening up of competencies and knowledge towards the outside world, promoting the innovation and the production of knowledge, relating science to society, putting value on the territory referred to and consolidating the network  of actors who operate in that territory. Besides, the DHS realizes, through a series of specific activities, an important link between the world of university formation and the scholastic one. Thus on the plain of the Third cultural and social mission  the DHS offers the results of its own scientific competencies  in terms of products and services which aim at improving the territory, the social context, the formation process.

  • Promotional activities of literary and philosophical studies - Didactics in the scholastic institutions of the territory referred to, directing students, meetings and presentations, taking part in Certamina commissions for classical languages, spreading research programmes which are already taking place,
  • Promotional activities for psychological studies - The action, in social and territorial contexts as referred to, developed dealing with problematics such as, for example, genre culture, the contrast  to violence on women and domestic violence, looking after our health, etc., but it also involved meetings to spread this news, protests to make people more aware, spreading this information through various forms of the media, the publishing trade.
  • Promotional activities for the historical, archaeological and historical-artistic studies - There are various meeting-up and interaction events as regards the territory, through museum initiatives, organizing exhibitions, meetings, round tables, presenting books spreading news on the publishing trade, periodical journals, blogs, internet sites, television shows.
  • Programmes showing the importance of archaeological digs - The archaeological activities, through excavations in Italy and abroad, develop synergies on the territory and help the institutions in safeguarding and giving value to the archaeological and cultural patrimony. Other initiatives have the goal of attracting the  intention of interesting the non-specialized public with the help of events like visits to digs which are taking place at that time, conferences, etc.
  • International Centre for Studies on the Herculaneum Papyrs (CISPE) - The  research centre operates hand in mouth with the V. Emanuele III National Library in Naples, where there is the headquarters of the Office of the Papyri (Officina dei Papiri), while promoting  a particular  research activity, linked to the papyri coming from the ruins at Herculaneum.
  • Inter-departmental Centre for Studies on the Magna Graecia - The research centre, from 1957, is responsible for promotional activities and as an on-looker, as regards archaeological sciences, works  in collaboration with Ministries and local institutions, through shows, exhibitions, activities which help spread the word, publishing trade activities, etc.
  • Promotional activities for activities linked to the show business disciplines - Evaluating the resources of the activities, in this field, has led to the development of various initiatives linked to the theatre and musicology, and  besides there has been the birth of the "Centre for Studies on Neapolitan Songs", with the Roberto  Murolo Foundation, which promotes the knowledge of this patrimony, and so it is closely linked to the territory referred to.