Culture, Society, and History in Italy II
ITAL 222
Spring 2019
| Section:
01
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| This course may be repeated for credit. |
This course is the counterpart to ITAL221. Whereas that course addresses specific themes in Italian texts (e.g., of love, death, and the other) from Dante until the end of the 20th century, this course focuses instead on key events in Italian culture and history. Each event narrates a particular moment in Italian history and will be examined from a variety of perspectives and in a variety of genres, including prose fiction, prose nonfiction, poetry, cinema, and history. Combinations of events will change from one academic year to the next, which is why students are allowed to repeat.
Typically, the course will use three to four events as anchors for its teaching units. Some of the possible thematic events that will structure the three or four units making up the course include the return of Marco Polo (1295), the kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara (1858), Marconi invents the radio (1895), the battle of Caporetto (1917), the retreat from the Russian front in World War II, the deportation of the Jews beginning in 1943, introduction of the Fiat 500 (1957), the 1966 flood of the Arno River, the ratification of the divorce law in 1974, the 1977 killing of Francesco Lo Russo by the Bologna police, the 1978 assassination of Aldo Moro by the left-wing terrorist group the Red Brigades, the 1992 Mafia assassinations of Judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, the Tangentopoli corruption scandals of the 1990s, the election of Denny Mendez as Miss Italia (1997), the economic phenomenon of "Made in Italy" in the 1990s and Berlusconi's terms as prime minister in 1994--1995 and again in the 2000s, and the earthquake in Aquila in 2009.
How does each event resonate through the varied genres, and how do the fictional representations treat the facts of the events and the themes that emerge from them? These are two of the questions we will reflect on as we go along. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RLAN |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: ITAL112 |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (ARHA)(ITST)(RMST) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 75% - 89% |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Course Reader
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Examinations and Assignments:
Three papers of increasing length throughout the semester.
30-min oral final conducted during the Final Exam period.
Discussion questions.
Attendance at the weekly incontri with the Teaching Assistant during the course of the semester. These incontri are offered, typically, once in an afternoon after 4 pm (either T or TH) and once in an evening (either T or TH). |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
As the description indicates, the themes of this course may change from one academic year to the next. A change in course content would result, making the course effectively different. Anyone who has previously taken Italian 222 in and thinks s/he/ze may want to take a course at the same level but with different content should contact the instructor to inquire. Italian Studies Majors MAY repeat the course for major credit only a) in very rare circumstances and b) on a petition-only basis and c) only if the course is taken on a graded and not pass/no pass basis. Approval for major credit must be granted in advance by contacting the instructor. |
| Instructor(s): Miglianti,Giovanni Times: .M.W... 01:20PM-02:10PM; .....F. 12:30PM-01:20PM; Location: FISK404; FISK404; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 18 | | SR major: 0 | JR major: 5 | | |
| Seats Available: 10 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 2 | JR non-major: 6 | SO: 3 | FR: 2 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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