Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "CMS/ITS 322"
COURSE NAME: "Italian Media and Popular Culture"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2020

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Paolo Prato
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 4:30-5:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will introduce students to contemporary Italian media and popular cultures. The course has a thematic approach and applies the analytical theories of critical cultural studies. Students will be exposed to development of various media forms as they have been shaped by and their impact on Italian culture and society. The press, film, radio, television, popular music, comics and graphic arts, sports and digital networks will be investigated from a variety of angles with particular attention on the media’s role in the construction of collective identities, the role of power and capital in shaping national identity, media use by social movements, the question of representation, popular protest and subcultural and subaltern expressions within the national space. Italy’s role within the global media economy will also be investigated.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

The course provides an interdisciplinary approach to the culture(s) of Italy. Crisscrossing the historical, the course introduces students to the most salient cultural, social and political configurations of contemporary Italy and the many identities these have produced. Students will be introduced to a variety of texts and popular cultural expressions and their mediation through media technologies and the resultant discursive construction of Italian identities. A strong emphasis will be placed on investigating the present historical moment through a critical engagement with the past. The course will be articulated through film screenings, listening sessions, reading assignments, lectures and discussions.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of the course students will be:

1 Familiar with the analytic and theoretical perspectives of cultural studies and cultural analysis

2 Able to conduct a critical analysis of a wide range of texts and cultural artefacts, identifying their principal characteristics and placing them in a social and historical context.

3 Able to demonstrate knowledge of Italy’s post-war cultural history and contemporary expressions as they relate to the development of the media and popular culture.

4 Able to recognize various trends in the cultural and artistic production of Italy, be familiar with a number of artists and performers that have characterized specific historical moments and identify social movements and political groups active during the post-war years.

5 Able to confront expressions of Italian popular culture in a comparative way with similar ones coming from the USA and elsewhere.

The course contributes to the following learning outcomes of the Major in Italian Studies:

LOS 2: Identify, interpret and explain the major developments and forces shaping Italian social, political and cultural history.
LOS 3: Distinguish, discuss and evaluate the role of key trends and works in Italian literature, cinema, music and other forms of cultural production.
LOS 4: Demonstrate extensive knowledge of contemporary Italian culture and society and the ability to function effectively within it.
LOS 5: Engage with the principles of relevant literary, cultural and social theory, with an awareness of the particular perspectives and relative strengths and weaknesses of each approach, and apply these in their own critical analyses of the material studied
LOS 6: Apply appropriate methodological strategies and information literacy skills to identify, use and document primary and secondary materials in full respect of academic integrity and ethical standards.
LOS 7: Communicate information and analytical interpretations clearly and effectively in written and spoken English.

TEXTBOOK:

NONE

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Mid-term Exam	Students’ performance in the course will be assessed on the basis of a mid-term and a final exam. A final research/analysis paper will also be required. The mid-term and final exams will be indicative of the level of engagement with the raw materials of the course while the final paper will demonstrate how those raw materials will have been put to use. An in-class presentation is also required, as much as weekly readings are mandatory. A formal assignment for both final paper and presentation will be handed out in class.	20%
Final Exam		25%
Final Paper		25%
Presentation		10%
Readings		10%
Attendance and Participation		10%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Week 1: January 17^th – 19^th

Course overview and introduction to some key concepts: culture and popular culture; national vs transnational/transcultural products; media and behaviors; consumption and taste. Italian media and popular culture studies. Basic information about Italian history from Unification to date, in order to better understand the development of the entertainment industries and the way they have been assimilated.

Readings:

Peppino Ortoleva, A Geography of the Media since 1945, in D. Forgacs & R. Lumley, Italian Cultural Studies: an Introduction (see reference list)

Week 2: January 24^th – 26^th

Digital Italy: features of the digital era and their impact on traditional media. The coming of new media and their penetration in Italy. Rewriting youth culture: social networks, video and computer games. Smartphones: redefining personal and collective identities. Italians and the use of new technologies.

Readings:

Emanuela Patti, Popular Culture in The Digital Age, in in The Last Forty Years of Italian Popular Culture (see reference list)

Matthew Hibberd, Moving towards digital Italian media in the new millennium, from The Media in Italy (see reference list)

Week 3: January 31^st – February 2^nd

Music: The Sanremo song Festival and Italian identity. Who are the best-selling artists in Italy and who has made it abroad. Popular music: indigenous drives and foreign influences (rock, rap, canzone, hip hop, etc). The globalization of an Italian trademark: opera, bel canto, Neapolitan song. Case study: Maneskin.

Readings:

Dario Martinelli, Lasciatemi cantare and Other Diseases: Italian Popular Music as Represented Abroad, in Made in Italy. Studies in Popular Music (see reference list)

Paolo Prato, Selling Italy by the Sound: Cross-Cultural Interchanges through Cover Records (1920s-to date), in POPULAR MUSIC 26: 3, 2007.

Week 4: February 7^th – 9^th

Television: local and global formats. History of Italian television. The Americanization of the Italian small screen. From paleo to neo-TV: the changing habits of family watching. The close relationship between TV and politics. Case studies: Gomorra (the series), Renzo Arbore, a man for all seasons.

Readings:

Giancarlo Lombardi, Rethinking Italian Television Studies, in THE ITALIANIST, 34. 2, 260–262, June 2014

Week 5: February 11^th (Make-up day for Monday, April 18) – 14^th

Cinema, gender and stardom: the industrialization of the imaginary and the rise of a society of the spectacle. Italians’ contribution to world cinema: from silent movies to Neo Realism. Hollywood’s impact and some Italian ways to tell domestic stories. The average Italian as portrayed by Totò, Alberto Sordi and Fantozzi. Stardom, beauty and trend setters, from Sofia Loren to Ennio Morricone.

Readings

Laura Ruberto & Kristi Wilson, Italian Neorealism. Quotidian Storytelling and Transnational Horizons, in A Companion to Italian Cinema (see reference list)

Rèka Buckley, Italian Female Stars and their Fans in the 1950s and 1960s, in A Companion to Italian Cinema (see reference list)

Week 6: February 16^th – 18^th (Make-up day for Monday, April 25)

Radio and print: history of radio in Italy, from propaganda to mobile listening, from state monopoly to free radios. Case studies: I cento passi (One Hundred Steps); Il nome della rosa (U.Eco). The press: journalism in Italy from its heydays to DYT information. The destiny of books and the mutations of publishing industry in a world market. Written and oral culture in the digital age, from blogs to web radios.

Readings

Umberto Eco, Indipendent Radio In Italy, in Apocalypse Postponed (see reference list)

David Forgacs and Stephen Gundle, Publishing. Books, Magazines and Comics, in Mass Culture and Italian Society (see reference list)

Week 7: February 21^st – 23^rd

Course review and mid-term exam

Week 8: February 28^th – March 2^nd

Revolt, countercultures and subcultures: social movements and cultural resistance. The Long ’68. The alternative press and the birth of a counter-information. From no-logo to no-global movement. Classic subcultures: mods, hippies and punk vs contemporary subcultures: hip hop, ravers, skaters. Labelling the new generations. Case study: Re Nudo pop festivals.

Readings

Extract from: Robert Lumley, States of Emergency (see reference list)

Week 9: March 7^th – 9^th

Holiday culture: travelling, trains, cars: mobility and modernity. Beach culture and its representation on big screen. Mythologies of Italy: from the Grand Tour to mass tourism. Autogrill, package tours, holiday villages and amusement parks: the rise of pseudo-places. A clash between tradition and modernity: Christmas in Italy.

Readings

Löfgren, Orvar, and Orvar Lofgren. The Mediterranean in the Age of the Package Tour, in On Holiday: A History of Vacationing, University of California Press, 1999

Paolo Prato, Santa Claus is Coming to Italy: updating the Debate on Americanization, in The Last Forty Years of Italian Popular Culture (see reference list)

Week 10: March 14^th – 16^th

Italian trademarks: food, fashion, design: food TV shows and the rise of a cooking awareness. Food and national identity: hunger and the myth of a rural country. The invention of regional cooking. Gender in the kitchen. Fast vs slow food: ways of approaching the table. Espresso and coffee culture. Fashion and the easy life (Dolce vita) in the Sixties. Icons and brands: Armani, Ferrari, Vespa, Espresso, Martini.

Readings

Extracts from: John Dickie, Delizia. The Epic History of Italians and their Food (see reference list); M. Montanari, Italian Identity in the Kitchen, or Food and the Nation, Columbia University Press: NY, 2013

Eugenia Paulicelli, Rome: Eternal City of Fashion and Film, from Italian Style (see reference list)

Week 11: March 28^th – 30^th

Consumption styles: shopping and advertising: from village and neighbourhood markets to round-the corner outlets, from supermarkets to shopping centers, the lure of things and the art of displaying them. Pseudo (non) places and new ways of wasting time. Objects as promoters of symbolic consumption. Carosello and the fictionalization of advertising. The myth of America in Italian TV commercials.

Readings:

Richard Kaplan, Blackface in Italy. Cultural Power Among Nations in the Era of Globalization, in (ed. by) Diana Crane, Nobuko Kavashima, Ken’ ichi Kawasaki, Global Culture. Media, Arts, Policy and Globalization, London: Routledge, 2002.

Stephen Gundle, Fame Fashion and Style, in Forgacs-Lumley, Italian Cultural Studies (see reference list)

Week 12: April, 4^th – 6^th

Church and the media - Queer cultures: Pope Francis, Twitter and CTV (Centro Televisivo Vaticano). Fatal attraction: John Paul II and the Papa boys. How the church has assimilated the media, from cinema to radio, from TV to social networks. The murder of Pasolini: the first media event to focus on gay culture. Queer cinema, TV, and music. The rise of a homosexual movement in the Seventies. The spread of LGBT culture.

Readings:

Miriam Diez Bosch, Typing my Religion Digital use of religious webs and apps by adolescents and youth for religious and interreligious dialogue, in CHURCH, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE, 2017 VOL. 2, NO. 2.

Paolo Prato, Pop Goes the Pope: Religion and Popular Music in Italy, in CHURCH, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE, 2021 VOL. 6, NO. 2.

Week 13: April, 11^th – 13^th

Divas: from cinema to television, from theatre to sport, the role and image of woman in contemporary Italy. Female subcultures and movements, from mondine (riceweeders) to feminism. Case studies: Mina, Raffaella Carrà.

Readings:

Katharine Mitchell & Clorinda Donato, The Diva in Modern Italian Culture, in “Italian Studies” vol.70 no.3 2015

Rachel Haworth, Mina as Transnational Artist, in “Modern Language Open” (2019)

Week 14: April, 20^th – 27^th

In class presentations - Course final review

Readings will be assigned on a weekly base. What follows is a list of books that can be useful for the final paper and have been in part included in the schedule.

Reference list:

Allen, Beverly and Mary J. Russo. Revisioning Italy. National Identity and Global Culture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1997.

Burke, Frank (ed. by), A Companion to Italian Cinema, Chichester: Wiley Blackwell, 2017.

Eco, Umberto. Apocalypse Postponed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2000.

Dickie, John. Delizia! The Epic History of Italians and Their Food. London: Sceptre, 2007

Fabbri, Franco and Plastino, Goffredo (eds.). Made in Italy. Studies in Popular Music. London: Routledge, 2014.

Forgacs, D. and Gundle. S. Mass Culture and Italian Society from Fascism to the Cold War. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2008

Forgacs, D. and Lumley, R. Italian Cultural Studies. An Introduction. Oxford University Press, 1996.

Hebdige Dick. Hiding in the Light: on Images and Things. London: Comedia, 1988.

Hibberd, Matthew. The Media in Italy: Press, Cinema and Broadcasting from Unification to Digital. Open University Press, 2008

Lumley, Robert. States of Emergency: Cultures of Revolt in Italy from 1968 to 1978. Verso, 1990.

Minardi, E. – Desogu, P. (ed. by). The Last Forty Years of Italian Popular Culture, Cambridge Un. Press, 2020.

Paulicelli, Eugenia. Italian Style. Film and Fashion from the Early Cinema to the Digital Age. New York: Bloomsbury, 2016.

Sassoon, Donald. The Culture of the Europeans. From 1800 to the Present. London: Harper Collins, 2006.