Italian Cultural Studies

3 semester credits. The focus of this course is contemporary Italian cinema from the 1980s up to the present day. The following films will be studied in particular: Tornatore's Cinema Paradiso, Moretti's Polombella Rossa, and Benigni's La Vita è Bella. All films will be discussed with reference to political, social, and aesthetic issues in contemporary Italy. Please note that film viewing hours are scheduled outside of the regular class times.

3 semester credits. The first part of this course examines each stage of the Italian educational system from nursery school (asilo nido) through the various levels and choices related to secondary and high schools. The examination of Italian schooling will also be approached from a historical standpoint, in particular through the mapping of changes over the last three decades. The following questions will be examined: What is the effect of immigration on schools and how have they adapted to the recent influx of non-European pupils? What is/has been the role of the Catholic Church in state education and how has the increasingly secularized nature of Italian society impacted schooling? How has the role of the teacher changed and how does that role compare to those in other countries? How and why has the curriculum changed? The second part of the course will examine the choices for higher education from technical colleges to universities. Italy boasts the oldest universities in the world - Salerno, Bologna, Padua, and Pavia - and some lectures and discussion will be dedicated to the history of the Italian university and its role in the Renaissance period. The structure, organization, admission procedures, student life, and degree system of the modern university will be examined.

4 semester credits. The first part of this course examines each stage of the Italian educational system from nursery school (asilo nido) through the various levels and choices related to secondary and high schools. The examination of Italian schooling will also be approached from a historical standpoint, in particular through the mapping of changes over the last three decades. The following questions will be examined: What is the effect of immigration on schools and how have they adapted to the recent influx of non-European pupils? What is/has been the role of the Catholic Church in state education and how has the increasingly secularized nature of Italian society impacted schooling? How has the role of the teacher changed and how does that role compare to those in other countries? How and why has the curriculum changed? The second part of the course will examine the choices for higher education from technical colleges to universities. Italy boasts the oldest universities in the world - Salerno, Bologna, Padua, and Pavia - and some lectures and discussion will be dedicated to the history of the Italian university and its role in the Renaissance period. The structure, organization, admission procedures, student life, and degree system of the modern university will be examined. This course includes service learning hours within the local community.

3 semester credits. This course explores the cultural anthropology and sociology of the Italian-American family from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day. Topics will focus on the following themes: stereotypes, gender, religion, politics, social change, and community character and adaptation. Students will analyze newspapers, magazines, and narrative fiction, as well as documentaries, feature films, and popular television programs. Special attention will be paid to the emotional and cultural experience of the return of Italian-Americans to their roots in Italy.

3 semester credits. The purpose of this course is painting a portrait of the Italian people through the colors and shades of the Italian lifestyle. The course will discuss the many points of pride of Italian culture as well as examine the many contradictions that may often baffle the foreign observer. Course topics will provide students with an in-depth analysis of the Italian identity addressed through readings of history, culture, and sociology. This course includes a language component (beginning level), which integrates Italian language through a real-world application and interdisciplinary approach.

Cross-listed from Art History

Cross-listed from Art History

Cross-listed from Sociology

Cross-listed from Sociology

Cross-listed from Sociology

Cross-listed from Sociology

Cross-listed from Sociology

Cross-listed from Sociology

Cross-listed from Sociology