SOCIETA' E CULTURE DI LINGUA INGLESE

The course, as part of the courses specifically related to the Languages taught in the LCSL degree course, enlarges the knowledge of the linguistic, literary, and cultural heritage of Great Britain by focussing on the main characteristics of its history and its social and political culture, while at the same time further widening, through the reading of texts in the original language, the students’ lexical mastery of the English language.

The course investigates the characteristic features and peculiarities of British history and British social and political culture as they have developed historically over the centuries within the wider context of European and global history. Students will develop their critical capacity for analysis of these phenomena and their awareness of the implied social, scientific, and ethical issues. Through the analysis of the texts on the syllabus, the students’ capacity for critical understanding and judgment – expressed in precise and appropriate language – will be enhanced, also within a broader comparative perspective that incorporates their knowledge and experience of Italian national culture.

Advanced knowledge of oral and written English (≥ C1).

AN ENGLISHMAN, AN IRISHMAN AND A SCOTSMAN… BRITISH COMEDY AND HUMOUR
In this course, we will explore a variety of comedic forms – literary texts, films, TV series, sketches, parodies, songs and jokes – created to make people laugh, smile, and sometimes reflect. We will begin with an overview of theories of comedy and humour, with a specific emphasis on the English cultural tradition(s). Our journey starts with Shakespeare: we will examine how he entertained and made his audience laugh, and how we laugh at/with his work today.
We will then move into the 20th and 21st centuries, starting with ‘classic’ authors such as Oscar Wilde and P. G. Wodehouse. From there, we will explore post-war stars like Monty Python and Mr. Bean, progressing to the geniuses of the new millennium such as Philomena Cunk and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (women at last!). We will also consider postcolonial writers who celebrate multiethnic Britain (Hanif Kureishi, Meena Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Gina Yashere).
Throughout the course, we are going to historicize and discuss various issues: What makes British humour British? How can we understand British humour in comparison with other cultural traditions (American, Italian, etc.)? What are the internal differences (national, regional, ethnic, class-based) within British humour? When and why do other cultures enjoy British humour? When is humour offensive? How does humour function in relation to trauma, and how can it be therapeutic? What is the nexus between humour and gender, and why is the canon so overwhelmingly male?
Let’s prepare to have some fun and to be puzzled, disappointed, and even troubled by some of the material – the important thing is to engage with it critically.
Post Scriptum – King Charles III will also make an appearance.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Noël Carroll, HUMOUR: A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION, Oxford University Press, 2014.

Selected texts by Oscar Wilde, P.G. Wodehouse, Alan Bennett, Howard Jacobson, Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Hanif Kureishi, Zadie Smith, and others (all available on Moodle page)

FILMOGRAPHY

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, dir. Kenneth Branagh
MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN, dir. Terry Jones
FOUR LIONS, dir. Christopher Morris
FLEABAG, Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Selected episodes from MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS, MR. BEAN, GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME, UPSTART CROW, CUNK ON EVERYTHING, FLO & JOAN

The final written exam will consist of ten questions covering all the assigned texts in the bibliography and filmography.

scritto

Students who do not answer more than two questions will fail. Familiarity with the names of authors, titles of texts, and the main themes will be key in the final evaluation. Students are invited to respect the recommended length of the answers.

Lectures, screenings, and class discussion. It will be mandatory for students to watch the assigned films and read the assigned texts before class.

Students who cannot attend lessons should refer to the lecturer for additional set texts and secondary works.

Questo insegnamento tratta argomenti connessi alla macroarea "Povertà e disuguaglianze" e concorre alla realizzazione dei relativi obiettivi ONU dell'Agenda 2030 per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile