Each of the main themes of the course will be introduced with lectures, followed by seminar-style group discussion and debate, drawing on students’ reading assignments and research projects. The course will first briefly look at the modern history of the Mezzogiorno, moving on to major themes and questions concerning how the Italian South has developed since the Unification of Italy and especially in recent decades. Issues to be studied include underdevelopment, modernization, social capital and civic spirit or the lack of it, the argument that the South is characterized by “amoral community”, the whys and hows of the great emigration of the last century, the land reforms after World War II, the attempt to overcome the region’s underdevelopment with the Fund for the Mezzogiorno, the issue of clientelist and corrupt politics, organized crime including the Sicilian Mafia, the Neapolitan Camorra, and the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta, the anti-Mafia movement, the recent crisis of waste removal in Naples and its causes, the changing role of women in Southern society and others. Emphasis will be on the often-overlooked attempts of ordinary Southern Italians to find solutions of their own to the problems facing them, from mass emigration abroad in the early twentieth century, to land occupations after World War II, from internal migration to the factories and cities of northern Italy in the 1950s and 1960s to the anti-Mafia movements in Palermo in the 1990s and in Calabria today.

Students are expected to do their assigned readings punctually and to follow developments in Southern Italy by reading newspapers throughout the semester.

On-site classes, guest speakers and videos may be organized to supplement lectures and presentations. They will be announced with reasonable advance.

RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT:

The research assignment makes up 30% of the course grade – 20% for the written paper and 10% for the oral presentation to the class. Students should choose a topic relevant to the course and write 1,500-2,000 words, based on research using at least three academic sources (the textbook, library books, academic web material and supplemented by newspaper articles where relevant). Non-academic internet material is not reliable and should be avoided. (NO wikipedia, please!) If you have doubts about the appropriateness of a source, check with the instructor. All sources must be cited in the text and bibliography following a recognized citation system.

Students should start researching their topic well in advance and must submit an outline to me by June 6 so I can provide feedback. The outline must include: a thesis statement, structure and main points of the essay, preliminary conclusion, bibliography. The deadline for the completed essay is June 19

The oral presentations will take place in the last two weeks of classes. Students will be required to give a 10 minute explanation of the topic of their research paper, explaining its relevance to the course, the methods used to collect information, their main findings and conclusions and a brief discussion of the sources used.

Please consult the scoring rubric provided. This gives indications of the quality expected and the grading criteria used.

Students will acquire detailed knowledge of the social history of Southern Italy from Unification to the present day. They will be able to identify the main events, trends and actors in the political, economic and social development of the Mezzogiorno during that time period.

Based on the required readings and lectures, students will be able to summarize and critically analyze the different theories which have emerged to explain the South’s economic, political and social development.

Students will develop their research and oral presentation skills by carrying out a research project, based on high quality bibliographical research as well as some fieldwork techniques if appropriate, and discussing their findings with the class.

Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C,D, and F.

A:  Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensiveknowledge 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.

B:  This 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.

C:  This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D:  This 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.

F: This 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 is mandatory and, alongside active participation in class, makes up 15% of the final grade.

Please refer to the university catalog for the attendance and absence policy.