What does it mean to be Italian in 2020? How do young adults, the aging, members of the LGBTQ community, second-generation Italians and immigrants negotiate and construct their identities in Italy today? More specifically, what are the personal histories of these individuals and groups in a nation where ideologies of an imagined homogeneity persist, yet day-to-day, lived experiences shore up visions of a “modern,” multifaceted Italy?
Building on these questions, this course will examine the increasing presence, participation, and visibility of traditionally marginalized persons in Italy. Following a historical introduction that gives context to the Unification and subsequent nation-building projects in Italy, the course draws on an archive of interdisciplinary texts of multiple mediums (visual, auditory, etc.) to illustrate conventions, trends, and exceptions of be(com)ing Italian in 2020.
COURSE CALENDAR
INTRODUCTION: THE ITALIAN NOVEL
Week 1: Course Overview
Lesson 1: Course structure, objectives, resources
​
Homework​
-
Set up a Twitter account
-
Class Twitter feed- @ITALIT1
-
-
Sign up to lead class discussions
-
Reading- the Italian novel
​Lesson 2: The Italian novel, literature in translation,
​
Homework​
-
Detective Fiction
-
Almost Blue
-
Discussion Questions
​
**************************************************************************************
​
MODULE 1: DETECTIVE FICTION/ MURDER MYSTERY
Week 2
Lesson 1: Almost Blue
​
Homework​
-
​
Lesson 2: Almost Blue
​
Homework​
-
​
​​
​​
Week 3
Lesson 1: Almost Blue
​
Homework​
-
Look over Course Research Guide, CRAAP Test, Annotated Bibliographies (under Resources tab)
​
Lesson 2: Virtual Library Workshop & Explanation of Twitter Thread Assignments (due 25 Sept. & 9 Oct.)
​
Homework​​
-
Discussion Questions
-
Blog 1 (due by midnight on 13 Sept.)
​
Week 4
Lesson 1: Almost Blue
​
Homework​​
-
​
​
Lesson 2: Almost Blue
​
Homework​
-
​
​
​
**************************************************************************************
​MODULE 2: ORGANIZED CRIME & MAFIA FICTION
​
Week 5
Lesson 1: Piranhas. The Boy Bosses of Naples
​
Homework​
-
​
​
Lesson 2: Piranhas. The Boy Bosses of Naples
​
Homework​
-
Twitter thread 1 (due by midnight 25 Sept.)
​
​
Week 6
Lesson 1: Piranhas. The Boy Bosses of Naples
​
Homework​
-
​
​
Lesson 2: Piranhas. The Boy Bosses of Naples
Explanation of BuzzFeed listicle + annotated bibliography
​
Homework​
-
Blog 2 (due by midnight on 4 Oct.)
​​
​
Week 7
Lesson 1: Piranhas. The Boy Bosses of Naples
​
Homework​
-
​
​
Lesson 2: Film Screening- Piranhas
​
Homework​
-
Twitter thread 2 (due by midnight on 9 Oct.)
​
**************************************************************************************
​MODULE 3: MIGRANT LITERATURE
Week 8
Lesson 1: Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio
​
Homework​​
-
Discussion questions
​
Lesson 2: Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio
​
Homework​​
-
Blog 3 (due by midnight on 25 Oct.)
-
Finish Proposal- BuzzFeed listicle (due by 3pm on 19 October- on Bb & in virtual class session)
​
​
Week 9
Lesson 1: Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio
Proposal- BuzzFeed listicle
​
Homework​
-
​
​
Lesson 2: Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio
​
Homework​
-
​​​
​​
​
Week 10
Lesson 1: Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio
​
Homework​
-
​
​
Lesson 2: Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio
​
Homework​
-
​
​
**************************************************************************************
​
MODULE 4: FEMINIST FICTION
​​
Week 11
Lesson 1: Film Screening- Ferrante Fever
​
Homework​
-
​
​
Lesson 2: The Lying Life of Adults
​
Homework​
-
Finish Draft 1- BuzzFeed listicle (due by 3pm on 12 November on Bb)
​
​
Week 12
Lesson 1: The Lying Life of Adults
​
Homework​
-
Peer Responses on Classmates' Draft 1- BuzzFeed listicles (due by 3pm on 16 November)- email to classmates & me
​
Lesson 2: The Lying Life of Adults
​
Homework​
-
​
​​
​
Week 13
Lesson 1: The Lying Life of Adults
​
Homework​
-
​
​
Lesson 2: ZOOM Conversation
​
Homework​
-
​
​
​​
**************************************************************************************
​
COURSE CONCLUSIONS:
​
Week 14
​
BuzzFeed listicles + annotated bibliography (due by 5pm on 3 December)