B0155 - ITALIAN CULTURE AND INSTITUTIONS

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will know the basic elements (concepts, terms, contents and articulations) of Italian institutions and culture, essential for the understanding of the numerous components of Italian cultural tradition, including recent ones; they will be able to identify and understand the cultural and institutional elements witnessed in literary, non-fictional, dramaturgical, cinematographic, musical works and in the field of contemporary Italian visual art; they will be able to independently elaborate further knowledge and specific skills of higher level and to apply them in the analysis of other cultural and institutional phenomena typical of Italian civilization.

Course contents

BAES students are reminded that the course of Italian Culture and Institutions is offered only at the Forlì Campus and that the language of lectures will be Italian.

 

Images of contemporary Italy

The course aims to offer an overview of the changes experienced by Italy during the twentieth century on a political, economic, social, civil and cultural basis, drawing on a series of different sources, especially literary and cinematographic ones. In this way we will try to offer a "moving image" of contemporary Italy.

Readings/Bibliography

One book chosen from the following:

- Miguel Gotor, L'Italia nel Novecento. Dalla sconfitta di Adua alla vittoria di Amazon, Einaudi 2021 [IN ITALIAN]

- John Foot, Modern Italy, second edition, Pelgrave Macmillan 2014 [IN ENGLISH]

- Christopher Duggan, A Concise History of Italy, Cambridge University Press 2014, pp. 173-306 [IN ENGLISH]

When studying the book of your choice, I recommend focusing on the following topics: the Risorgimento and the Unification of Italy; Italy in the First World War; the fascist dictatorship and the racial laws; Italy in the Second World War and the Resistance; reconstruction; the economic boom; the youth and student protests between '68 and '77; the sexual revolution; violence and political terrorism (black and red) in Italy in the 60s-70s-80s; Tangentopoli and the end of the First Republic; Berlusconism.

Each student will deepen their knowledge of two of the following authors, by reading their books listed below (in an edition of your choice):

- Emilio Lussu, Un anno sull'altipiano

- Giorgio Bassani, Il giardino dei Finzi-Contini

- Luigi Meneghello, Fiori italiani or I piccoli maestri

- Carlo Levi, Cristo si è fermato a Eboli

- Elsa Morante, La Storia

- Renata Viganò, L'Agnese va a morire

- Beppe Fenoglio, La malora

- Leonardo Sciascia, Le parrocchie di Regalpetra or Il contesto or L'affaire Moro

- Italo Calvino, Marcovaldo ovvero le stagioni in città

- Paolo Volponi, Memoriale

- Nanni Balestrini, Vogliamo tutto

- Pier Vittorio Tondelli, Altri libertini

- Enrico Palandri, Boccalone

- Dario Fo, Morte accidentale di un anarchico

In addition to the literary texts indicated above, the lessons will focus on some films presented from time to time by the lecturer.

Non-attending students will privately ensure the viewing of the following films, which will be screened (in whole or in part) and analyzed in class:

- Francesco Rosi, Uomini contro

- Vittorio De Sica, Il giardino dei Finzi Contini

- Daniele Luchetti, I piccoli maestri

- Augusto Genina, Cielo sulla palude

- Elio Petri, La classe operaia va in Paradiso

- Marco Bellocchio, I pugni in tasca

- Mario Monicelli, Vogliamo i colonnelli

- Erik Gandini, Videocracy OR Beppe Cremagnani - Enrico Deaglio, Quando c'era Silvio

Non-attending students will also study one of the following books:

- Guido Formigoni, Storia essenziale dell'Italia repubblicana, il Mulino

- Umberto Gentiloni Silveri, Storia dell'Italia contemporanea (1943-2019), il Mulino

- Paul Ginsborg, Storia d'Italia dal dopoguerra a oggi, Einaudi [available also in English]

- Andrea Di Michele, Storia dell'Italia repubblicana (1948-2008), Garzanti

- Guido Crainz, Il Paese mancato. Dal miracolo economico agli anni ottanta, Donzelli

Teaching methods

Lectures, reading and commenting on texts, use of multimedia products.

Assessment methods

The final exam will consist of a written test (proposal of an open-ended outline - discussion of a topic or "essay" - to be carried out in 90 minutes).

The objectives of the exam will be related to the measurement of the learning outcomes expected from the students; the contents of the exam will cover the topics explained in the course.

There are no intermediate or partial exams.

Assessment method: overall grade out of thirty.

Evaluation grid

30-28: in-depth knowledge of the topics; language that is always exact and precise and of excellent argumentative clarity (the attribution of honors presupposes, in addition to the previous requirements, a marked and original personal reworking);

27-26: in-depth knowledge of the topics; language mostly exact and congruous and of good argumentative clarity;

25-24: fair knowledge of the topics; overall correct language even if characterized by some inaccuracies;

23-21: sufficient knowledge of the topics; language not always correct; presence of excessive simplifications of concepts;

20-18: overall sufficient knowledge, even if sometimes incomplete, of the topics; incorrect language, characterized by generalizations, inconsistencies and/or trivializations of concepts;

exam not passed: serious gaps in the preparation that testify an overall insufficient knowledge of the topics and/or incorrect and inadequate critical language with misunderstandings of concepts.

Office hours

See the website of Roberto Carnero