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CS92PROD
Crises and Emergencies in Modern Italy
ITAL 246
Fall 2022
Section: 01  

The COVID-19 pandemic revived a longstanding concern in Italian theory about the relationship between rule of law and state of exception. This course draws upon biopolitics and cultural studies to investigate the relevance and ramifications of the emergency management paradigm in modern Italy. It also provocatively questions an established trend in public discourse, namely the rhetoric of the crisis: "crisi di governo," "crisi di valori," but also "emergenza migratoria," "emergenza ambientale," and so on. Why is Italy constantly in crisis? By relying on various genres of literature and on a wide range of media including films, songs, and social media, we will analyze artistic representations of these crises and emergencies, as well as the state responses to them. The critical exploration of case studies from four interconnected thematic areas revolving around issues of public health, power, body, and space will often unveil diverging narratives, allowing for reflections on the tension between safety and freedom, vulnerability and resistance, individual and collective memory, and truth and fiction.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA RLAN
Course Format: SeminarGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: ITAL222
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (ITST)(RMST)
Past Enrollment Probability: 90% or above

Last Updated on MAR-29-2024
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