THE BALKANS BETWEEN PAST AND PRESENT

The Balkan area between past and present

Eastern Europe: contacts beyond the borders

General aims

The course aims to provide a scientific approach to the knowledge of the non-Slavic Balkan area (Albanian, Greek and Romanian) that shared a political, cultural and (in part) linguistic history over the centuries of the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman domination. Beyond the details of historical and cultural nature, the course aims to present the region as a "unique", beyond today's nation-states, in which for centuries and even today intellectual, economic, religious and political exchanges have been and continue to be a reality still poorly understood in our country. With the support of lectures, bibliography, individual study, this course will offer an analytical perspective of the culture of the non-Slavic Balkan area, from which in recent decades many people immigrated in our country and towards which many Italians chose to migrate for work or business purposes.

The module aims to provide an opportunity for scientific study for those who for professional or study purposes must get in touch with Greeks, Albanians, Romanians and Moldavians.

1. Knowledge and understanding
Knowledge and understanding of the common features of non-Slavic Balkan languages and cultures.
Knowledge of the cultural heritage of the Balkan area.
Knowledge and understanding of the historical dynamics that characterize this geographical area.

2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
Ability to build an overview of the phenomena of continuity and mutual interference affecting the area in question, not only from a linguistic perspective but also from a historical-cultural and literary point of view.
Being able to understand the elements that make up the complexity of the Balkan from an ethnically, socially and culturally point of view.

3. Making judgment
Be able to develop the ability to evaluate the Balkan languages and cultures.
Be able to develop critical skills regarding the historical and cultural phenomena affecting the area in question.

4. Communication skills
Be able to communicate the specificity of the area examined, using an appropriate terminology in the description of the various phenomena.

5. Learning skills
Be able to develop specific methodological tools in the study of the various materials; be able to take notes and share them in a collaborative way; be able to critically consult reference books and references contained therein.

None.

Content

The course is divided into three slots, each of 10 hours, devoted respectively to Albanian language and culture, to Greek language and culture and to Romanian language and culture.

1. Albanian
This section offers an introduction to the Albanian language and culture, with particular reference to the phenomena that have characterized its historical development in the Balkan context and to the various elements - linguistic, social, political and cultural - that are common to the other two cultures of this course: Greek and Romanian. Through the comparison, we will try to analyze the different elements that make up the complexity of the Balkans in terms of ethnicity, social and cultural development and to identify the traits of continuity, beyond the national boundaries of the states.


2. Greek
The section on modern Greek language and literature will face, in general, the following issues: geographical aspect of the Republic of Greece and the short history of the Greek "boundaries"; the ideological dimension of the historical continuity of the Greeks, through the ancient and Byzantine world; the question of the Greek language and its socio-political implications; the relations between ancient, ecclesiastical and modern Greek: a language as "homeland"; the cultural elements common to Greeks, Albanians and Romanians: a few examples.

3. Romanian
This section offers an introduction to the Romanian language and culture with emphasis on their historical evolution in the Balkan area and on the linguistic, social, political, cultural relations with the other non-Slavic Balkans cultures: Albanian and Greek. It also aims to offer a general view of the Balkan literature through the study of the common traits of the oral literature, in verse and prose, of the area examined.

For Albanian section:
Georges Castellan "Storia dei Balcani: 14°-20° secolo", Argo, 2004.
Georges Prévélakis "I Balcani",Il Mulino, Bologna, 1997.
Shaban Demiraj "La lingua albanese: origine, storia e strutture", CELUC, 1997.
"Dal paese delle aquile", a cura di F. Cezzi, Besa, Nardò, 2004.II.

For Greek section:
Richard Clogg, A Concise History of Greece, Cambridge University Press 2013

Movies:
Theo Angelopoulos, "Μία αιωνιότητα και μία μέρα", Eternity and a day,
Gianni Amelio, "Lamerica",
Jules Dassin, "Ποτέ την Κυριακή", Never on Sunday
Novels of:
M. Kumandareas, I. Venezis, Ch. Milionis.

For Romanian section:
"Favole dei Balcani", a cura di Aleksandra Sucur, introduzione di Antonio Faeti, Fabbri 2003.
"Le nozze del Sole. Canti vecchi e colinde romene." a cura di Dan Octavian Cepraga, Carocci 2004.
Georges Castellan, "Storia dei Balcani: 14.-20. secolo", Argo 2004.

The written test involves the drafting of a paper (about 15 pages) on one of the topics covered in class.

The oral exam consists of checking the knowledge acquired during the course.

Lessons, lectures and MOOC.

Italian

The "Minor" is a new educational offering of Ca 'Foscari University for the academic year 2017-2018.

The articulation of the module is shared by Caterina CARPINATO (professor of Modern Greek Language and Literature), Aurora FIRTA (professor of Romanian Language and Literature) and Giuseppina TURANO (professor of Albanian Language and Literature).
The module aims to provide an overview of the historical and cultural reality of three countries (Greece, Romania and Albania), where - beyond the territorial boundaries of the national states - exists a common humus of cultural, historical, economic, religious and political experiences.


The Minor also makes use of online teaching materials (MOOC) "Languages and Cultures of the Mediterranean and the Balkans: an introduction".

written and oral