ITALIAN CULTURE AND MADE IN ITALY

This course, through the exploration of Italian literature, cinema, art, music, design, and commercial activities, intends to guide students to an in-depth exploration of contemporary Italy. Classes can be taught in English as well as in Italian; most of the excerpts from primary and secondary texts listed below are in English, a few in Italian. However, alternative readings in Italian can be offered upon request.
Songs, videos, film clips, documentaries, and various essays from diverse sources relevant to the topic will also be employed as teaching material.
All materials will be used as a starting point for discussions.

By taking this course, students will also develop the ability to explore the subject matter in an interdisciplinary way, experiencing a holistic approach to academic investigation. By interpreting a recent past and the present, students will be able to understand political, social, and ethical practice not as something detached from everyday life, but as an essential part of it. Through class debates and paper projects, students will expand their skills to organize research and evaluate multifaceted and significant works. Students will always be encouraged to express their points of view, of primary importance to keep the mutual teaching/learning experience thriving.

No prerequisites - although a certain degree of knowledge about European history can result very helpful

This course will provide an analysisi of the relationship between italian culture and “Made in Italy”, from different perspectives: Literature, Art, Cinema, Design and commercial products.

READINGS: EXCERPTS FROM THE FOLLOWING PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TEXTS:

A) PRIMARY:
• Calvino, Italo – Marcovaldo or the seasons in the city
• Fenoglio, Beppe – Johnny the partisan
• Ginzburg Natalia – A dry heart
• Gramsci, Antonio – Letters from the prison
• Lakous, Amara – Clash of civilization for an elevator in Vittorio Square
• Levi, Primo – The truce
• Marinetti – Against traditional Venice
• Pasolini Pier Paolo – A violent life
• Scego Igiaba – Adua
• The futurist manifesto
• The manifesto of anti-fascist intellectuals
• The manifesto of fascist intellectuals
• Volponi, Paolo – The Ducal Curtain

B) SECONDARY

• A concise history of Italy by Duggan, C. Cambridge [England]; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994
• Italian cultural studies: an introduction. Edited by David Forgacs and Robert Lumley. Oxford University Press, 1996: Oxford; New York.
• The Cambridge Companion to Modern Italian Culture. Edited by Zygmunt Baranski and Rebecca J.West. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001
• All other material (hand – outs, articles, books excerpts, newspaper articles) that appear on moodle

USEFUL WEBSITES:

• http://www.runet.edu/~gsantopi/italy.html (all kinds of information on Literature, History and Culture, but also Government, Newspapers and Economy)
• http://www.liberliber.it/biblioteca Concise biographies of Italian authors, e-books.
• http://www.bibliotecaitaliana.it Over 1,000 electronic texts online.

2 SHORT IN-CLASS WRITINGS – about 20 minutes: there will be 2 in class writings during the term. They will address the material covered during the lessons. Please check the dates you will find in this syllabus. These short essays will be graded or content and will contribute to your final grade.

1 GROUP PRESENTATIONS – Students will choose a topic and will present it to the class as a short lesson – 15/20 minutes approx. GROUPS 5 PERSONS MAX

1 IN CLASS FINAL PAPER: MULTIPLE QUESTIONS ON ALL THE MATERIAL COVERED DURING THE COURSE AND ONE SMALL ESSAY RELATED TO ONE OF THE TOPICS COVERED IN CLASS.

Lectures, in-class writings, pop quizzes, class discussions, in-class presentations, essays, independent research, field trips

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Cities, infrastructure and social capital" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development