Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "IT 317"
COURSE NAME: "Roots of Italian Identities"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2023

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Federica Capoferri
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 6:00 PM 7:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisites: IT 302 or permission of the instructor
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course aims to give an insight into the linguistic, cultural and sociological complexity of the ‘notion of Italy.’ The topics studied, based primarily on literary texts, include some of the major themes of Italian culture as well as examples of the various ‘identities’ that Italy offers today: the question of political and cultural unity and the long-lasting question of a common national language; the role played by Italian intellectuals in the construction of Italy as a nation; the Mafia and the institution of family-based structures; the Italian literary canon and the contemporary ideas of culture and literature. The course is in Italian.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course will explore some of the major themes of Italian literary and cultural tradition such as the question of language, the engagment of literature into political discourses, the role of intellectuals in shaping the 'Notion of Italy'. Some of the key Italian literary authors such as Dante, Petrarca, Machiavelli, and Pasolini will be studied to understand the historical paradigms that supported the construction of the Italian literary culture. Latest literary works and multidisciplinary materials addressing topics such as gender, post-colonial Italy, and intermediality will counterbalance the hegemonic discourse on Italy providing students with a critical awareness of the several cultural, social, and historical factors involved in the dominant artistic representations of Italy and Italianity.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Upon completing this course, students will possess the ability to:

- Analyze language and structures of literary texts

- Identify main ideas in relationship to the historical and cultural context in which they arose

- Identify broad ideological frames of current received ideas on certain aspects of Italian culture

- Discuss the relevance of such ideas in connection with other information about topics in question

- Critically discuss Italian cultural heritage in today's world with interdisciplinary methodologies

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
Contro l'identità italiana	Christian Raimo	Einaudi	9788806241612

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number
Scritti corsari	Pier Paolo Pasolini	Garzanti	9788811688372
Una nazione di carta Tradizione letteraria e identità italiana	Matteo Di Gesù	Carocci	9788843071616
Futuro interiore	Michela Murgia	Einaudi	9788806218928

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
2 critical essays	two papers, 4 pages (space 1.5) on a topic previously approved by the Instructor. Students are required to reflect on the materials presented in class and use at least 3 additional sources, NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS	20%
Midterm exam	In-class exam composed of short questions and a critical essay	25%
Class Participation	Students are expected to come to class with all the assigned reading done, to engage themselves in class discussions, to pay attention to the Instructors' lectures, take notes, and ask questions.	10%
Oral Presentation	15 minutes presentation on a topic previously discussed with the Instructor.	15%
Final Exam	A CUMULATIVE exam composed by short questions and a critical essay.	30%
NUMERICAL SCALE FOR GRADES	A Excellent 94-100 A- 90-93 B+ 87-89 B Good 84-86 B- 80-83 C+ 77-79 C Satisfactory 74-76 C- 70-73 D+ 67-69 D Poor but Passing 64-68 D- 60-63 F Failing Below 60 INC Incomplete P Passing (C or higher) NP Not Passing (C- or lower) W Withdrawal

-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:

Students are allowed 3 absences. Additional absence will result in -2pts in the FINAL GRADE for each class missed

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

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INSTRUCTOR MIGHT NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE SCHEDULE

WEEK 1:

Lesson 1: Introduction to the course.

Readings:

Christian Raimo, Contro l'identità italiana, chap 1: "Italiano per forza".

Rossana Carlassana, Una nazione di carta. Una tesi provocatoria di Franco Brevini

Lesson 2: Class Discussion. Introduction to Unit I: The Question of Language.

Readings:

Dante, De Vulgari Eloquentia, Libro I

WEEK 2:

UNIT : The Question of Language. I

Lesson 1: Dante's De Vulgari Eloquentia, Libro I.

Readings:

Excerpts from Pietro Bembo, Prose della Volgar Lingua; Francesco Petrarca's Rerum vulgarium fragmenta, examples of Petrarchismo.

Lesson 2: Italian Renaissance and Pietro Bembo’s codification of Tuscan as the 'Italian' literary language.

Readings:

Alessandro Manzoni, Della lingua italiana (https://www.alessandromanzoni.org/opere/83);

Enciclopedia Treccani, La questione della lingua italiana nell'Otttocento:

https://www.treccani.it/export/sites/default/scuola/lezioni/lingua_e_letteratura/QUESTIONE_LINGUA_OTTOCENTO

Lesson 3 (make up class): The Question of Language during the Risorgimento.

Readings:

Christian Raimo, Contro l'identità italiana, Chap. 3: "La rivincita del neonazionalismo".

WEEK 3:

Lesson 1: Dialectal Poetry:Carlo Porta, Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli

Readings:

Individual research on Giuseppe Verdi

Lesson 2: Use and Misuse of Giuseppe Verdi's works in contemporary Italy. The choice of the National Anthem

Essay I: topic and sources due

Readings:

Dante, Divina Commedia: Inferno, Canto VI, vv. 58-75; Purgatorio, Canto VI, vvi. 223-228.

Individual introductory research on the "canti politici" in the Divine Comedy

WEEK 4:

UNIT: Literature and (as?) Politics.

Lesson I. Dante Alighieri, Divina Commedia: i “canti politici”.

Readings:

Matteo Di Gesù, Una nazione di carta, chapter Archetipi danteschi (quasi un prologo)

Lesson 2: Class Discussion. Introduction to the topos of Italia mia

Readings:

Francesco Petrarca, Italia mia; N. Machiavelli, Il Principe, chapter XXVI

Matteo Di Gesù, Una nazione di carta, Chapter: «Italia mia»: genealogia di una tradizione.

WEEK 5:

UNIT 2- Continue

Lesson I Discussion on Petrarca, Italia mia and Machiavelli'sIl Principe, chapter XXVI.

Readings:

Giacomo Leopardi, All'Italia

Lesson 2: Questioning the topos of the Patria

Readings:

Matteo Di Gesù, Una nazione di carta, chapter: Il carattere degli Italiani. Un'invenzione letteraria moderna

Daniele Comberiati, ‘Scrivere’ la Nazione, Riflessioni su identità, stato nazionale e rappresentazione letteraria. Recensione di: Matteo Di Gesù, Una nazione di carta. Tradizione letteraria e identità italiana, Incontri. Rivista Europea di Studi Italiani, Anno 29, 2014 / Fascicolo 2 - Website: www.rivista-incontri.nl

Essay I due

WEEK 6:

Lesson 1: Discussion on readings.

Readings: Pier Paolo Pasolini, Alla mia nazione

Lesson 2: Questioning the Topos of the Patria: Pier Paolo Pasolini, Alla mia nazione.

WEEK 7:

Lesson I: Review for Midterm

Lesson 2: MIDTERM EXAM

Readings:

Luca La Rovere, Gli intellettuali italiani e il problema nella transizione al postfascismo. Laboratoire Italien, 12/2012 in

https://journals.openedition.org/laboratoireitalien/641?lang=it

WEEK 8:

UNIT: Italian Intellectuals.

Lesson I: Class Discussion on readings

Readings:

Pier Paolo Pasolini, Scritti corsari, Chapters: “Sviluppo e progresso”, “Acculturazione e acculturazione”.

Lesson 2: Introduction to Pier Paolo Pasolini's criticism against Italy and Italians of his times.

Home screening: Pier Paolo Pasolini, Comizi d’amore.

Readings:

Pier Paolo Pasolini, Scritti corsari, chapter “Il romanzo delle stragi”; Roberto Saviano, Gomorra, pp. 231-240.

WEEK 9:

UNIT 3- Continue.

Lesson I: Pasolini's legacy

Readings:

Review of Pier Paolo Antonello, Dimenticare Pasolini in https://www.leparoleelecose.it/?p=10801

Lesson 2: screening: Alina Marazzi, Vogliamo anche le rose (2007)

Readings:

Christian Raimo, Contro l'identità italiana, chapt. 4: "Il virilismo dell'identità italiana"

WEEK 10:

UNIT 3. Continue.

Lesson I: Class Discussion on the new materials

Readings:

Igiaba Scego, Dismatria (in Pecore nere)

Lesson 2: UNIT: Questioning the Italian Literary Tradition from Gender and Postcolonial Perspectives.

Readings:

Igiaba Scego, Roma negata (Library), excerpts

Christian Raimo, Contro l’identità italiana, chapter 5: "Un'identità italiana alternativa".

Essay 2: topic due

WEEK 11:

Lesson I: Class Discussion on readings

Readings:

Michela Murgia, Futuro interiore, excerpts

Lesson 2: Contemporary Italian Women Writers

WEEK 12:

ESSAY 2 due

Lesson 1: Oral Presentation

Lesson 2: Screening: Italy. Love it or leave it (G. Hofer, L. Ragazzi, 2014)

WEEK 13:

Lesson 1: Class discussion

Readings:

Christian Raimo, Contro l'identità italiana, chap 6: "Contro l'identità"

WEEK 14:

Lesson 1: Conclusions

Lesson 2: Review for Final Exam