Updated: November 2014
Contact Institute of Argumentation, Linguistics and Semiotics Università della Svizzera italiana Via G. Buffi 13 CH-6904 Lugano [email protected]
Personal Data
Family name: Greco (-Morasso) Name: Sara
Date of birth: January 3rd, 1979
Family status: Married, mother of three Websites:
USI: http://search.usi.ch/persone/28e36cfec1c93ec14e5b0879cd5311e1/Greco-Morasso-Sara
Personal: https://sites.google.com/site/saragrecomorasso and: Researchgate.net, Academia.edu Current Position
Assistant Professor of Argumentation, Institute of Argumentation, linguistics and semiotics, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland (http://www.ials.com.usi.ch). Co-director of the LACoPS laboratory for the study of argumentation in the public sphere. Other
o Chercheur associé, Institut de Psychologie et Education, University of Neuchâtel
(http://www2.unine.ch/ipe).
o Since September 2014: Member of the interdisciplinary doctoral program Analyse
des interactions sociales based at the University of Neuchâtel and coordinated by the
Centre de Recherches sur les Interactions Sociales" (CRIS)
o Since October, 2014: Editor, Studies in Communication Sciences, www.scoms.ch o Since 23.12.2013: Abilitazione scientifica nazionale (Italy) as Associate Professor in
General Linguistics. Previous positions
2014 University of Neuchâtel Scientific collaborator
Post-doc researcher, lecturer 2008-2010
and 2012
University of Neuchâtel
Lecturer (courses on children’s argumentation, argumentation and education)
2011-2012 University of Surrey (UK)
Post-doc researcher at the Department of Psychology.
Principal investigator in the “Migrants in transition” project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (PBTIP1-133595).
Participation in the research networks of the interdisciplinary Centre for for Research on Nationalism, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism led by Prof. Martyn Barrett (University of Surrey) and Prof. John Eade (University of Roehampton) as well as in the network of the EU project PIDOP (http://www.fahs.surrey.ac.uk/pidop).
2010-2011 University College London (UK)
Post-doc researcher at the Department of Geography, Migration Research Unit (MRU, http://www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/mru). Principal investigator in the “Migrants in transition” project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (PBTIP1-133595).
2009-2010 Università della Svizzera italiana
Post-doc researcher, teaching and research tasks.
Program coordinator of the international Pro*Doc Argupolis (www.argupolis.net) involving the Università della Svizzera italiana as well as the universities of Neuchâtel, Lausanne and Amsterdam.
2003-2009 Università della Svizzera italiana
Doctoral student and teaching assistant at the Institute for Argumentation, linguistics and semiotics. Research and teaching tasks. Organization Amsterdam-Lugano Colloquium (2004-2008) and other events.
September 2004-July 2008
Project coordinator of the Swiss Virtual Campus eLearning Project Argumentum (www.argumentum.ch).
Co-author of the online modules: Introducing argumentation, Argumentation for financial communication, Argomentazione nelle istituzioni, Argomentazione nei media.
Setting up of an online courseware including 10 courses and used in 5 universities in Switzerland and Italy (2004-2008), responsible for the interface between authors and technicians, extensive experience (2003-2010) in online tutoring of students (forums, chats, e-mails) and
blended tutoring (online and in praesentia), coordination of junior tutors.
Research Projects From January 2015
Co-applicant, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) project:
“Analysing children's implicit argumentation: Reconstruction of procedural and material premises” (Main applicant: A.-N. Perret-Clermont; other applicants: A. Iannaccone, A. Rocci).
September 2010 – February 2012
SNSF-funded project
“Migrants in transition: An argumentative perspective”. Focus on
migrant mothers’ inner argumentation. https://sites.google.com/site/migrantsandmothers/ Financed through a
Fellowship for Prospective researchers.
2004-2009 Doctoral research project on argumentation in dispute mediation.
October 2008-August 2010
SNSF Pro*Doc program Argupolis – Argumentation practices in Context (www.argupolis.net)
Program coordinator. Involved in interdisciplinary research.
2004-present Collaboration to the establishment of a theoretical perspective on argumentation at the Institute of linguistics and semiotics, USI, under the direction of E. Rigotti. Particular attention devoted to argumentation in context and to the study of loci (argument schemes).
Grants and Awards
2010-2012: Awarded a SNSF Fellowship for Prospective Researchers (Grant: PBTIP1-133595, ca CHF 100K, 18 months).
2011 Best Paper Award (3rd place), International Conference on Information
Technologies and Travel & Tourism, Innsbruck, January 26-28, 2011 (with S. De Ascaniis).
June 2009 Awarded a fellowship by the Gender service USI/SUPSI to devote one month full-time to scientific research (ca CHF 3’500).
April 2008 Member of the writing team which submitted the successful proposal for the SNSF Pro*Doc Argupolis I (www.argupolis.net), including training module (Grant: PDAMP1-123089/1, CHF 300K) and Lugano research module (Grant: PDFMP1-123093, CHF 360K).
January
2004 and July 2006
Member of the team that wrote the successful proposal for the Swiss Virtual Campus 3 years project Argumentum (www.argumentum.ch) and for its prolongation for Maintenance (+ 2 further years) – CHF 150K secured.
1999 “Best student of the year” academic scholarship, USI (Lugano, Switzerland)
1998-2002 Fondazione Leonardo Academic Scholarship (Lugano, Switzerland) renewed 4 times.
Research interests
o The potential of argumentation for preventing and resolving conflict. I have devoted
several years to the study of argumentation in dispute mediation (within the Alternative Dispute Resolution practices). I am now turning to consider institutional argumentation and the role of organizations in the prevention of conflicts (especially in the context of Swiss institutions).
o Connections between social argumentation and inner dialogue. Study case:
pragmatic argumentation and inner decision-making in the experience of international migrants (especially women migrants with children)
o Early emergence of children’s argumentation and the study of implicit in children’s
argumentation.
o Argument schemes, loci. Theoretical Development of the Argumentum Model of
Topics (AMT).
o Pragmatic and semantic presuppositions and their role in communication (e.g. in
creating or resolving conflicts).
Key research skills. In my research experience I have always combined theoretical development of concepts of argumentation with careful examination of the contexts in which argumentation occurs (primarily: dispute mediation, international migration and children’s argumentative interactions; but also (less extensively for now): institutional argumentation, journalism.
I have solid experience in the collection, transcription and analysis of textual data. In analysing argumentation, I have always integrated insights from semantics and pragmatics for a better understanding of what happens in conversation.
While developing my research on contexts such as conflict resolution and inner dialogue I understood the importance of interdisciplinary research for a more nuanced understanding of these phenomena. I therefore become progressively involved in research with social and cultural psychologists (at the University of Neuchâtel and University of Surrey in particular), and I started integrating insights from psychology into my own work, albeit always being centred on argumentation theory as my main discipline.
Academic education
2009 PhD in Communication sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana. Dissertation title: “Argumentative and other communicative strategies of the mediation practice”. Jury members: Prof. E. Rigotti (supervisor), Prof. F. H. van Eemeren, Prof. A.-N. Perret-Clermont. Final evaluation: summa cum laude.
2002 Licence (equivalent to BA+MA) in Communication Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, thesis title: “La presupposizione. Aspetti logici, semantici e comunicativi”. Final evaluation: summa cum laude.
2001-2002 Exchange semester at the University of Leipzig (Germany), Faculty of Philosophy.
1998 Classical High School (Liceo classico statale G. Berchet, Milan, Italy). Final evaluation: 60/60.
Professional education (related to research interests)
2011 Professional certificate on civic mediation, Collegio Lombardo Periti Esperti Consulenti, Milan, Italy.
2008 Post-graduate Certificate for Advanced Studies in Mediation and mediation techniques on the workplace, Swiss University of Applied Sciences, Lugano.
Languages
Italian: mother tongue.
English: Excellent oral and written skills. Extensive experience in academic writing and teaching.
French: Very good oral and written skills. Extensive experience in academic teaching and experience in scientific writing.
German: Good oral and written skills. Experience in scientific writing.
Reading skills in Spanish as well as Latin and ancient Greek (all used in research activities).
Academic teaching Doctoral level
October 17-19, 2012: Lecturer within the course “Argument schemes: theory, analysis and evaluation”, doctoral program Argupolis II.
Feburary 29, 2012: Lecturer within the course “From semantic analysis to speech acts
in context”, doctoral program Argupolis II.
June 10, 2011: Lecturer within the course “Analyzing the inferential configuration of arguments in context”, doctoral program Argupolis I.
March 9-11, 2010: Lecturer within the course “Topics: the argument generator”, doctoral program Argupolis I.
BA/MA level
September-December 2014: Lecturer of the course “Argumentation in Public communication”, MA level, Università della Svizzera italiana.
September-December 2014: Lecturer of the course “Comunicazione verbale”, BA level, Università della Svizzera italiana (bachelor in Communication sciences and bachelor in Italian studies).
Since September 2014: collaborates in the seminar course “Grandi Letture” (held by L. Cantoni)
February-March 2014: Lecturer of the course: “La mediazione: un approccio comunicativo alla risoluzione del conflitto”, BA level, Università della Svizzera italiana. Collaboration in supervising BA theses (“Elaborati finali”).
November-December 2013: Teaching assistant (with lecturing tasks) within the courses: “Argomentazione nei media” and “Argumentation pour la communication publique”, MA level, Università della Svizzera italiana.
November-December 2012: Lecturer of the course: “La mediazione: un approccio comunicativo alla risoluzione del conflitto”, BA level, Università della Svizzera italiana. March-December 2012: Teaching assistant and lecturer of single classes for the courses: “Argomentazione”; “Argomentazione nei media”; “Argumentation pour la communication publique” (French), MA level, Università della Svizzera italiana.
March-July 2012: Lecturer of the course “L’argumentation chez les enfants” (French), University of Neuchatel, BA/MA level (with A.-N. Perret-Clermont).
February-July 2009 and 2010: Lecturer of the courses “Argumentation et formation” (French) and “Argumentation et construction des connaissances” (French), University of Neuchâtel (BA/MA level). Development of an experimental learning method based on a “laboratory” of argumentative text analysis. Selected for the “Comité de lecture” of a PhD dissertation.
February-June 2008: Holds the course “Argumentation et formation” (French) with F. Arcidiacono, University of Neuchâtel (BA/MA level).
September 2004-August 2010: Teaching assistant for the courses “Argomentazione nei media” and “Argomentazione istituzionale” (MA level), both given by Prof. E. Rigotti at the Università della Svizzera italiana. Participation to the course design, teacher of single classes. Development of a blended (online-in praesentia) teaching style. I contributed to the supervision of more than 10 BA and MA theses.
September 2004-July 2008: Teaching assistant for the course: “Argumentation skills for financial communication” (English), given by Prof. E. Rigotti at the Università della Svizzera italiana (MA level). Participation to the course design, teacher of single classes. Development of a new evaluation model based on the students’ active participation and “best-practices”.
January 2003 – December 2004: Teaching assistant for the courses: “Comunicazione verbale I” and “Comunicazione verbale II”, given by Prof. E. Rigotti at the Università della Svizzera italiana (BA level). Responsible for online tutoring of all students (about 100) and coordination of junior tutors.
Invited lectures (national and international)
12th December 2014 (forthcoming): Invited plenary lecture within the conference: “Diritto
e linguaggio: il prestito semantico tra le lingue naturali e I diritti vigenti in una prospettiva filosofico-sociologica e informatico-giuridica”. Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze giuridiche “Cesare Beccaria”.
18th March 2014: Invited lecturer within the course “Psychologie culturelle: thèmes choisis” given by Dr. Nathalie Muller Mirza, University of Lausanne.
18th March 2014: Invited doctoral seminar at the Department of Psychology, University of Lausanne (course convenor: Prof. Michèle Grossen).
May 2011, 2012, 2014 (forthcoming): Invited lecturer within the course “Teoria e pragmatica dell’argomentazione” given by Prof. Maria Cristina Gatti, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano.
20th January 2011: Invited lecture within the Migration Research Unit Seminar Series, University College London, UK (course convenor: Dr. Claire Dwyer).
29th September 2006. Invited seminar on the project Argumentum at the Department of Speech Communication, Argumentation Theory and Rhetoric of the University of Amsterdam (invited by the late Dr. Peter Houtlosser).
14th December 2004: Invited lecture within the the Doctoral seminar in applied linguistics and communication languages, Catholic University of Milan (invited by Prof. Giovanni Gobber).
Executive training, seminars and workshops
2011-2013. Intervention and tutoring within “Accademia” – continuing education master for high school teachers organized by “Fondazione per la Sussidiarietà”, Milan, Italy. 2004-2006. Teacher within the Executive Master in Intercultural Communication (MIC), Università della Svizzera italiana, June 2004 (1st edition) and January 2006 (2nd
edition).
1st June 2005. Continuing education seminar on intercultural communication in mediation organized by the Associazione Ticinese per la Mediazione (ATME), Lugano, Centro delle mediazioni.
2003-2004. Teacher within the Executive Master in Education Management (MAGF), USI, October 2003 (1st edition) and February 2004 (2nd edition).
June 2003. Teacher within a Professional course for the Credit Suisse advanced management, Cadro, Switzerland.
Review experience
Reviewer for: Argumentation, Critical Discourse Studies, Journal of Argumentation in Context, Journal of Pragmatics, Studies in Communication Sciences, Pragmatics & Cognition, ISSA Conference, VALS-ASLA Tagung, Giornate della linguistica svizzera, Leverhulme Trust (UK).
Scientific and organizing committees and academic memberships
2012-Present: Pro*Doc Argupolis II (www.argupolis.net), Member of Faculty.
2011-Present: Research fellow, International Learned Institute for Argumentation Studies (ILIAS), University of Amsterdam.
2010-Present: Member of the Maison d'analyse des processus sociaux (MAPS, https://www2.unine.ch/maps/page-11101.html), University of Neuchâtel.
2014: Member of the scientific committee for the annual meeting of the Swiss Association for Applied Linguistics.
2013-present: Member of the Advisory Board of the project “Dialogue-based Exploration of Argument and Mediation Space” based at the University of Dundee (Prof. C. Reed) 2012: Member of the scientific committee for the 7es Journées suisses de la linguistique.
2010: Member of the scientific committee for the International Workshop Argumentation and Education: Psychosocial dimensions of argumentation in natural and social science education, Lausanne, December 8-10, 2010 (Universities of Lausanne, Lyon (FR), Neuchâtel).
2011: Member of the organizing committee of the Conference Communication and Cognition 2011 Manipulation, Persuasion and Deception in Language, University of Neuchâtel, January 26-28 , 2011.
I am a member of the International Society for the Study of Argumentation (ISSA), of the International Association for the Study of Controversies (IASC), and of the Italian Associazione di Pratica e Teoria dell'Argomentazione (ERGO).
Other professional activities related to research interests
Mediation and conflict resolution. 2005-2009: Member of the Committee of the Associazione Ticinese per la Mediazione - ATME www.mediazioneticino.ch). I served as a secretary of the Committee and organized training events for the ATME members (about 100).
Translation and language coaching. 2005-2006: Collaboration with Oxford Outcomes (www.oxfordoutcomes.com) and PharmaQuest LtD (www.pharmaquest-ltd.com) for the translation into Italian (as well as localisation in Switzerland) of English questionnaires. 2006-2007: Collaboration with the Association Suisse pour la Médiation ( www.mediation-svm.ch) for the translation into Italian of the association’s brochure (from German). Language coaching (as a volunteer) in Lugano, Milan and Leipzig.
