Student guide International Program A.Y. 2005/06

The course will be an introduction to modern Italian politics, society and culture in a historical and comparative perspective. Students will be provided with a basic knowledge of the main events and issues related to the period 1796-2005, i.e. from the process of Nation-Building to the Present. Participants will have the opportunity to develop themes of personal interest defined in agreement with the Professor, through a written paper of no less than 4.500 words. The topic of the paper can range from Literature to Economics, from Religion to Law etc., even though obviously must remain related to issues raised in class and referred to that particular period of Italian History.

Topics may include, among others: geographic diversity and historical processes (mountains, countryside and cities – ideas of "Nature" in Italy – cities as organizing principles of Italian life – the North/South divide); the Catholic Church and education of sentiments (the relationship between mother and son – Protestant versus Catholic Societies – the Catholic Church and the late formation of a Modern State in Italy); the Risorgimento (Italy as the "Land of Art and Beauty" – the idea of "Italy" throughout the Centuries – the role of Literature in the process of Unification); building the Nation-State, 1860-1914 (Parliamentary Monarchy – Liberals, Socialists and Catholics – State and Church relations – the debate on the creation of a national language); The Southern Question, emigration and industrial take-off, 1860-1914 (the "Civil War" in the South - the origins of the Mafia - Italy as a second comer: economy and ideology); First World War, the origins and development of Fascism, 1914-1929 (interventionism and neutralism – D'Annunzio and Fiume – how does a dictatorship rise to power?); Structures and Policies of the "Totalitarian State", 1929-1940 (Italy compared to Germany and Spain – Cultural policies of the Regime – the role of women under Fascism); Second World War, 1940-1945 (Italo-German Relations – Italian Racialism and anti-Semitism – the Resistance – the War in Italian Literature and Collective Memory); the Italian Republic and the Cold War, 1945-1994 (Communists and Christian Democrats – 1968 and after – Political Terrorism - Craxi); the Great Transformation, since 1958 (Economic Miracle – Industrial Districts – changes in society and the physical landscape); Recent trends, since 1994 (further changes in economy and society – Politicians on trial - European Union - debate on Constitutional Reform – Northern Secessionism - Berlusconi).

Structure

unit one: intensive week of lectures and movies
Five lectures of 3 hours each (1 hour and a half + 1 hour and a half) offered for five consecutive days during the Orientation Week.
Lecture one - Risorgimento 1796-1860
Lecture two - Età liberale 1860-1922
Lecture three - Regime fascista 1922-1943
Lecture four - Repubblica 1943-1992
Lecture five - Repubblica 1992-2005
Prior to classes students are expected to have read six articles and written an e-comment on each of them of about ten lines (containing brief description of content, a personal comment and questions). A course pack will be available, containing the above mentioned texts. The pack includes articles by John Davis, Adrian Lyttelton, Paul Corner, Gianfranco Pasquino, Percy Allum and Perry Anderson. They provide a synthesis o XIX and XX Century Italian Social and Political History.
Classes will also deal with cross-period themes such as the specificities of Italian Racialism and Catholicism as a background religion determining family roles and so on.
After class Professor will be available for helping to define topic of written papers.
Five movies related to the themes of the class will be shown in the evening. An introductory note to the movie will be provided to students beforehand.
Movie one- Il Gattopardo - Visconti
Movie two- L'albero degli zoccoli - Olmi
Movie three- Amarcord - Fellini
Movie four- Mimì metallurgico -Wertmuller
Movie five- Palombella rossa - Moretti

unit two: written paper
Students are expected to work on their paper during the first two weeks of the Term after which they are bound to hand in a first draft through e-mail and meet the Professor for revision. After revision, students will have another two weeks to complete the paper.

20% e-comments on readings and participation to class
80% final research paper

Best general book:
- Holmes George (ed.), The Illustrated Oxford History of Italy, Oxford University Press, Oxford-New York 1997

Suggested readings on specific periods:
- Davis John (ed.), Italy in the Nineteenth Century, Oxford University Press, Oxford-New York 2000
- Lyttelton Adrian (ed.), Liberal and Fascist Italy, 1900-1945, Oxford University Press, Oxford-New York 2002
- Paul Ginsborg, A History of Contemporary Italy. Society and Politics 1943-1988, Penguin, Londo etc. 1990
- McCarthy Patrick (ed.), Italy since 1945, Oxford University Press, Oxford-New York 2000