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.
Reflection Paper
INSTRUCTIONS
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Semisonic’s “Closing Time” ends with the following quote by Seneca: “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” As this semester draws to a close, I’d like to thank each of you for your thoughtful reflections and contributions to this course. Thanks, especially, for continuing to be present and discuss timely issues that impact Italy, Italian cinema, and our global society during a period of uncertainty. I hope that ITA 375 has motivated you to think critically about [Italian] cinema and to be open to new visions of masculinity, community, and belonging. More importantly, I hope this course has helped you to refine skills that will be useful for your “new beginnings.”
For this reflection paper, please respond to the questions below in 250 words or less. Please reference specific films, readings, class discussions, and assignments.
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How has your perspective on topics/ themes we’ve studied in class deepened or changed over this semester?
2. Describe an impact of this class that your professor and
classmates are unlikely to know about. For example: Did any of the course topics/ themes influence a conversation outside of class? Were any ideas or skills learned/ refined in this course applied in other academic courses? What about non-academic situations?