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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "IT 335 H"
COURSE NAME: "Twentieth Century Italian Women Writers - HONORS (This course carries 4 semester hours of credits. A minimum CUM GPA of 3.5 is required)"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Fall 2022
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Anna Mauceri Trimnell
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 1:30PM 2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: Placement or IT 302 or permission of the instructor
OFFICE HOURS:
by appointment
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will deal with the writings of Italian women writers (Aleramo, Deledda, Morante, Ginzburg, Banti, etc) of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Their contribution has been crucial in the shaping of a recognizable, but still not fully acknowledged, "tradition" of women writers in Italy. Through the particular perspectives of distinguished Italian women writers, the course will explore versions of “feminine writing” and will introduce gender- and genre-related issues. Class discussion and assignments will examine themes such as the construction of female identity and the role played by women’s writings in the context of social and political emancipation for women in Italy. All work will be in Italian.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course will focus on contemporary novels, short stories, plays and poems and examine the ways in which they address cultural, social and political issues in some crucial historical moments. The main topics we will explore include: the relationship between women's writing and the traditional literary canon, the construction of the female identity, the representation of the body and motherhood, and the role of the family and the community.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon completing this course students will gain:
· deeper knowledge of female Italian authors;
· understanding of the idea of ‘feminine writing’;
· enhancement of their writing and critical skills in Italian.
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TEXTBOOK:
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Attendance & Class Participation | Regular attendance is an essential component of the class. As this class will combine both lecture and discussion, students are expected to take an active part in class by joining in discussions and raising questions. | 20% |
| 2 questionnaires | Take-home questionnaires with 4-5 questions on the readings and class discussion. | 20% |
| Exam in class | In-class exam composed by close readings and questions on critical readings | 20% |
| Final Exam | In class exam with 3-4 general questions, 2 critical interpretations of text, one short response paper | 25% |
| final paper | A 5 page paper on one of the books discussed in class, chosen by the student and read in its entirety. Outline including bibliography is due by week 12 | 15% |
| | In order to receive honors in this course, the student will need to write an extra 4-6 page paper on a topic of interest to the student, which will be discussed with the instructor in the first few weeks of class. | |
-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. 94-100 (A) 90-93 (A-)
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.
88-89 (B+) 84-87 (B) 80-83 (B-)
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. 78-79 (C+) 74-77 (C) 70-73 (C-)
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. 68-69 (D+) 64-67 (D) 60-63 (D-)
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. 0-59 (F)
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Regular attendance and active participation are essential component of the learning process.
Each unjustified absence (for whatever reason) beyond the second will incur a 3% penalty in the final-grade calculation.
If you should miss a class, please contact another student to find out what was covered that day so that you will be prepared for the next class.
DURING CLASS, PLEASE DO NOT:
- leave the room as it is distracting to the professor and to your classmates;
- answer your cell phone, read or send text messages;
- use your computer for anything not related to the class (e.g. Facebook)
Make-ups: Individual arrangements for make-ups will be done only for students with medical emergencies or any other valid reasons. The Final Exam cannot be made up without approval from the Dean of Academic Affairs.
Please refer to the university catalog for the attendance and absence policy.
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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.
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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.
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SCHEDULE
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Course Schedule
Please note that the schedule is subject to change at the professor’s discretion.
Weeks 1-2
Introduction to course.
The place of Italian women writers in the Italian society and in the literary canon
Sibilla Aleramo
Weeks 3-4
The representation of woman as a subject in history.
Renata Vigano L’Agnese va a morire
FIRST Questionnaire DUE
Weeks 5-6
Il femminismo degli anni Settanta.
Dacia Maraini Donna in Guerra
Weeks 7-8
The depiction of violence against women.
Melania Mazzucco Un giorno perfetto
Serena Dandini Ferite a morte
EXAM IN CLASS
Weeks 9-10
Different meanings of motherhood.
Alina Marazzi, Baby Blues
Week 11-12-13
Elena Ferrante, L’amore molesto
SECOND Questionnaire DUE
Week 14
Final review
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