Santa Reparata International School of Art. Course Syllabus

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1 Course Title: History of Modern Italy Course Number: EUH 3431 Santa Reparata International School of Art COPYRIGHT 2010 All rights reserved Course Syllabus 1. COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will study the history of Modern Italy from the Risorgimento and continue on through the development and decline of the liberal Italian state; Mussolini and Italian Fascism; World War II; and post World War II Italy; up through recent historical events. Introduction to major literary, cinematographic and artistic movements are covered as well as social aspects of Italian life including topics such as the Italian political system; the development of the Italian educational system; the roots and influence of the Italian Mafia; and the changing role of the woman in Italian society. 2. CONTENT INTRODUCTION: This course introduces students to the history and politics of modern Italy from the time of its political Unification to the present. The major topics covered throughout the course include the process of political unification in the mid-late 1800s; the birth and growth of Fascism in Italy ( ); the Second World War ( ); the workings of governing institutions in the post-war period ( ); the role of the Church; political parties and movements; the process of massive industrialization ( s); political terrorist events ( s); as well as political corruption and political conspiracy. There will also be an in-depth analysis of the political crisis and transformation of the Italian democratic system in the early 1990s. 3. COURSE RATIONALE : The course is particularly recommended to all those students that want to gain an in-depth knowledge of the contemporary social and political history of Italy. 4. PREREQUISITES: As this course is an introduction to modern and contemporary Italian history, there are no special requirements to attend it. 5. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: This course is intended to provide students whether they are majors in History, Political Science or whether they have taken only an introductory course with specific answers to the question "what is Italy?". It is intended to stimulate discussion and critical thinking about representations and idealizations of the concept of Italy, its role during the 20 th century in particular, as well as its current significance. Students will develop their awareness and understanding of the major historical and political issues that characterize modern Italy, and they will be able to trace them through the history of the past two centuries. They will also be able to identify the main regional cultural traits and differences. Students should gain a command not only of the "facts" of modern Italian political history; the dates of key events; the importance of major personalities and such, but also come to 1

2 understand the dynamics involved such as the basic trends of continuity and change; and the cause and effect and the role and influence of regional, national and international events in the Italian historical and political scenario. 6. REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS: Textbook necessary for this course are: Course Booklet and DUGGAN, Ch., A Concise History of Italy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000 (several copies are available at the school library). In alternative, the students can read CLARK, M., Modern Italy, , Longman1996. Aprox.cost of the booklet: 15 Furthermore, it is required the reading of one of the following books 1) BLACK, Ch., Early Modern Italy: a Social History, Routledge, New York-London ) BOSWORTH, R.J.B., Mussolini s Italy. Life Under the Fascist Deictatorship, , Penguin ) CLARK, M., Modern Italy, 1871 to the Present, Longman 2008 (2rd edition). 4) DE GRAND, A. Italian Fascism. Its Origins and Development, Third Edition, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, ) DOUMANIS, N., Inventing the Nation Italy, London, Arnold, ) FORGACS, D. and LUMLEY, R. (eds.), Italian Cultural Studies An Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ) GINSBORG, P., A History of Contemporary Italy Society and Politics , London: Penguin, ) GINSBORG, P., Italy and Its Discontents Family, Civil Society, State , London: Penguin ) HAYCRAFT, J., Italian Labyrinth, London, Penguin, ) MCCARTHY, P., The Crisis of the Italian State. From the Origins of the Cold War to the Fall of Berlusconi & Beyond, London: Macmillan, ) SASSOON, D. Contemporary Italy Politics, Economy & Society since 1945, London: Longman, NOTE: 1. Not all of these books are available at the school s library. Handouts will be given by the instructor at the beginning of class when necessary. 2. Further readings will be required and indicated by the professor in class. 3. A booklet with texts of prominent Italian politicians, writers, poets etc. will be given in class. 7. GRADING POLICY AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES: 20 % Attendance 20 % Class participation 20 % Mid-term test 20% Final Paper 20 % Final exam Following grading system will be observed: A Excellent 4.0 (95% -100%) A- 3.7, (90% to 94%) B+ 3.3 (87% to 89%) B Above Average 3.0 (83% to 86%) B- 2.7 (80% to 82%) C+ 2.3 (77% to 79%) 2

3 C Average 2.0 (73% to 76%) C- 1.7 (70% to 72%) D Below Average 1.0 (60% to 69%) F Failure 0.0 (59% and below) W Withdrawal EXAMS There is a Mid-term Test and a Final Exam for this course. No make-ups are allowed for the exams and the dates of the exams CANNOT be changed for any reason. If a student misses the Final exam, the final grade will be an F. Mid-term Test (20% of final grade) The exam will last one hour. It will consist of 10 specific essay questions about the assigned readings and the lectures. Final Exam (20 % of final grade) The exam will last one hour. It will consist of 10 specific essay questions about the assigned readings and the lectures. If you need to consult with the instructor on any academic question, it is possible to do so by appointment this should be set up the week before. Guidelines for Final Paper (20% of final grade) The length of the paper should be a minimum of 8 pages and a maximum of 12. A full bibliography must be included at the end of the paper. Web sites consulted should also be cited. All direct quotations from published sources should be acknowledged in your text immediately following the quotation. This is to avoid any inadvertent plagiarism. All papers should be handed personally to the instructor before the final exam review session. If you need to consult with the instructor on anything relating to the final papers (or indeed on any academic question) it is possible to do so by appointment this should be set up the week before. In the week preceding exams both mid-term and finals Office Hours will be held at a time and place to be announced. 9.ATTENDANCE AND BEHAVIOR POLICY: Students may miss up to 2 classes with no penalty to their grade. If you are absent 6 or more times you will receive an F on your transcript. Tardiness: After 10 minutes into class time, students are considered absent. Students who leave 10 minutes before class time ends will be considered absent. Excused absences require a doctor s note or a written note from the Director. Arriving in class unprepared to work is considered an unexcused absence. The use of cellular phones is prohibited during class time. Students are expected to participate in class, act responsibly, and behave properly while on the school premises. Classrooms are to be left in order and clean. Students must take care of equipment and materials and promptly report any damage and/or loss. No eating or drinking in class. 10. COURSE CALENDAR: Week 1 Introduction What will this course be about? Italy: a Nation? Geography of Italy: not an easy deal Italy and the Italians: not the same thing Week 2 The Risorgimento and the Creation of the Nation State Ch. Duggan (Chapter 4: The emergence of the national question ). 3

4 D. Forgacs, Italian Cultural Studies, pp The Liberal State. What is the political meaning of liberal, and what the social implication of this conception? Ch. Duggan (Chapter 6: The Liberal State and the Social Question ). Week 3 The first challenge: World War I. The Risorgimento accomplished, at least? M. Clark, Ch. Duggan N. Doumanis (Chapter 5: Inventing the Italian nation: from the Risorgimento to the Great War ). The Rise of Fascism, the birth of Fascisms Ch. Duggan, (Chapter 8: Fascism). Week 4 The Fascist State and the conception of totalitarian State: an Italian invention Europe to the Catastrophe: World War II M. Clark P. Ginsborg, A History of Contemporary Italy, pp (Italy at War). Week 5 Resistance Movement and Liberation: a second Risorgimento? Ch Duggan (Chapter 9: The Republic ) P. Ginsborg The Post War Settlement: Peace Treaty and the New Constitution. Mediterranean Europe and the USA M. Clark P. Ginsborg (The Post-war settlement) D. Sassoon ( Economic Reconstruction, ) Week 6 More on the collapse of Fascism, WWII and the Italian Republic. Class discussion Screening of the film: The Night of the Shooting Stars (1987) or other film on WWII, Resistance Movement or Liberation of Italy. Week 7 Mid-term Review Mid-term Exam Week 8 BREAK Week 9 Parties and Politics: The 1948 Elections. The first Suffragio universale in Italy P. Furlong, Modern Italy, pp (Chapter 3: The constitutional framework ) 4

5 N. Doumanis, Italy, pp ( Nationhood without nationalism:italy since 1943 ) The Italian Political Scenario of the late 1940 s From the rural society to the new urban structure. Shots from the Italian Neorealismo. Week 10 The Economic Miracle and the Great Migration: the baby boom M. Clark (The Economy and Society under the Republic ). Ch. Duggan D. Sassoon (The Politics of Development, ). The opening to the Left Ch. Duggan D. Sassoon, Contemporary Italy, pp (Chapters 3 and 4: From miracle to crisis and From the hot autumn to interdependence ) Week 11 The Sessantotto and the protests The Revolt and a new generation s dream Duggan Readings from the booklet: Z.G. Baranski-R.J. West, Modern Italian Culture, pp Wed. April, 1 st More on the Sessantotto: its consequences on the Italian society Readings in class: some passages from original diaries Week 12 The Seventies, Anni di Piombo. Italy faces a new terrorism The Brigate Rosse and the red terrorism vs the new-fascists movements The Affair Moro, a National tragedy. Readings in class of the letters written by Aldo Moro in captivity. P. Ginsborg, A History of Contemporary Italy, pp and Ch. Duggan ( Recession, Terrorism and the Historical Compromise, ). Week 13 The Italian Mafia, its origin, its first developments P. Ginsborg, Italy and Its Discontents, pp ( ) J. Haycraft, Italian Labyrinth, pp (Chapter 6: Broader Families) More on the Mafia. What is the Italian Mafia? It should be better to talk about Mafie, using the noun to the plural Week 14 The 80 s and the rise of Berlusconi: Media, Mafia, Power and Politics M. Clark, Modern Italy, pp (Chapter 20: The Collapse of the First Republic? ) P. Ginsborg, Italy and Its Discontents, pp (From Berlusconi to Berlusconi) The 90 s: The collapse of the old political system. From the Prima to the Seconda Repubblica 5

6 Week 15 Italy today: why the most powerful European Communist Party disappeared, and where did its votes go? Understanding Modern Italy: it is not an easy operation. Let s try to do it together. Now we know something more on it. Week 16 Mon. Final Review Wed. FINAL EXAM 11. LITERATURE AND CINEMA Books as optional readings The students are required to read at least one of the following books according to their individual interests. Each book is considered to be a masterpiece of Italian literature and is strictly joined to Italian history. All the books are available in English and can be easily found in the Florentine libraries. For who wants to buy the books, they can be bought in the English bookstores in Florence (at the beginning of the course you will be provided with all the necessary information): Suggested editions, SL=copy available in the School Library ESL=excerpts available in the School Library The other books can be easily found in the city libraries and city English book stores (information will be provided in class). 1) Cesare Beccaria, On crimes and punishments, edit. and transl. G. Newman-P. Morongiu, Transaction Publishers 2009 (ESL). 2) Silvio Pellico, My prisons: Memoirs Of Silvio Pellico, edit. E. Sargent, Kessinger Publishing, 2008 (ESL). 3) Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, The Leopard, transl. A. Colquhoun, introduction by David Gilmour, Everyman s Library 1991 (SL). 4) Giovanni Verga, I Malavoglia. The House by the Medlar Tree, transl. J. Landry, Dedalus 2008 (SL). 5) Giuseppe Ungaretti, Selected Poems: A Bilingual Edition, edit. A. Frisardi, Farrar 2004 (ESL). 6) Dino Campana, Orphic songs, edit. C. Wright, Oberlin College Press 1984 (ESL). 7) Carlo Sgorlon, Army of the Lost Rivers, transl. J. Bright, Italica Press, New York 1998 (SL). 8) Primo Levi, If this is a man The truce, transl. S. Woolf, Abacus, 2008 (SL). 9) Cesare Pavese, The moon and the bonfires, edit. R.W. Flint, and Mark Rudman, NYRB Classics, New York 2002 (SL). 10) Carlo Levi, Christ stopped at Eboli, ed. M. Rotella, Farrar, New York 2006 (SL). 11) Alberto Moravia, Time of indifference, transl. T. Calliope, Zoland books ) Alberto Moravia, The Boredom, edit. Angus Davidson-William Weaver, NYRB Classics, New York ) Elio Vittorini, Conversations in Sicily, transl. A. Salierno Mason, New Directions Publishing Corporation ) Elio Vittorini, Men and not men, transl. S. Henry, Marlboro Press ) Pier Paolo Pasolini, The ragazzi, Carcanet Press Ltd

7 16) Pier Paolo Pasolini, Petrolio: A novel, Pantheon ) Leonardo Sciascia, The day of the Owl, NYRB Classics, New York 2003 (SL). 18) Roberto Saviano, Gomorrah: A Personal Journey into the Violent International Empire of Naples' Organized Crime System, transl. V. Jewiss, Picador repr (SL). Another funny, and illuminating reading, if you want, is Luigi Barzini, The Italians, Penguin Ask the professor for a copy of the book. Movies on schedule: 1) Il Gattopardo, direct. by Luchino Visconti, Italia 1963 A beautiful picture of Southern Italy during the Risorgimento 2) L albero degli zoccoli, direct. by Ermanno Olmi, Italia 1978 The strong, hard and fierce portrait of rural Italy just after the Unification 3) La Grande Guerra, direct. by Mario Monicelli, Italia 1979 Ironic, moving description of human relationships during WW1 4) Una giornata particolare, direct. by Ettore Scola, Italia 1977 The story of two persons, with their emotions, feeling, fears, in the framework of Fascist Italy 5) Cristo si è fermato a Eboli, direct. by Francesco Rosi, Italia 1979 Hard and honest portrait of Fascist Italy in the countyside, from the famous Novel of Carlo Levi (see recommended readings) 6) Novecento, part. 1, direct. by Bernardo Bertolucci, Italia 1976 Epic portrait of the first half of 2oth century Italy, form 1900 to the end of WW2, with the social struggles and the rise of a new conscience that will change Italy for ever or not? 7) Amarcord, direct. by Federico Fellini, Italia 1973 Fellini s masterpiece perfectly traces the main features of Fascist Italy describing his town, Rimini in the 1930 s. 8) Roma città aperta, direct. by Roberto Rossellini, Italia 1945 The great masterpiece of Italian Neorealismo, shot in 1945, right after the Liberation of Rome from the Nazis, perfectly reconstructs the atmosphere of a devastated country, destroyed by the war. 9) La notte di San Lorenzo, direct. by Vittorio e Paolo Taviani, Italia 1982 Generous fable on the end of the war and the tragedy of a Tuscan family, trying to escape from the occupied lands and reach the territories liberated by the Allies. 10) Tutti a casa!, direct. by Luigi Comencini, Italia 1960 Sept. 8th 1943: Italy sings the Armistice with the Anglo-American Armies. War is over, or not? From this moment it start the catastrophe for Italy, occupied by the Nazis from the North and not yet liberated by the Allies, landed in Sicily but still over there projecting the liberation plan. The Italian soldiers don t know who is the enemy now, It is the Civil War 7

8 11) Ladri di biciclette, direct. by Vittorio De Sica, Italia 1948 Nothing to say about the greatest masterpiece of the Italian Neorealismo. Best Italian picture known abroad, more than 20 international prizes ect. JUST WATCH IT! 12) C eravamo tanto amati, direct. by Ettore Scola, Italia 1974 Bitter reconstruction of the Italian Economic boom between the 1950 s and the following decade. A deep reflection on the radical change in Italy after WW2.ù 13) Il giorno della civetta, direct. by Damiano Damiani, Italia 1968 First attempt to bring Mafia on the big screen. Faithful historical reconstruction of the Sicilian atmosphere in the 1960 s when it was impossible to talk about Mafia, and even to say the word. Based on the Novel of Leonardo Sciascia (see recommended readings) 14) La meglio gioventù, direct. by Marco Tullio Giordana, Italia 2003 Italian last 40 years reconstructed through the story of an average, normal family. Beautiful movie, deep and sad, joyful and bitter. 15) I cento passi, direct. by Marco Tullio Giordana, Italia 2001 The real story of Peppino Impastato, a Sicilian guy killed by the Mafia in may 1978 because did not accept the mentality of his village, the penetration of Mafia everywhere, even in his family. Strong, bitter, unforgettable! 16) Gomorra, direct. by Matteo Garrone, Italia 2008 Maybe the best European movie of the In Italy Mafia is not just a criminal organization. Let s try to be serious immediately if we want to understand something about this country: Mafia is a way of thinking. Mafia is not only in Sicily. Mafia is everywhere, but in Italy there exists Mafie (plural) and not only a Mafia. The Camorra, the Neapolitan Mafia, is not well known abroad, but it is now, the most powerful and wide-penetrated criminal SYSTEM in Europe. The movie gives perfectly the idea of what is Mafia nowadays in Italy. Simply a great movie, based on the bestseller book by Roberto Saviano Gomorra, translated into over 30 languages. The title in English is Gomorrah and wide excerpts of the book will be read and discussed in class. All the movies will be introduced in class but we will watch just a part of them as we won t have enough time to watch them fully. The students can ask the professor for a copy of the movie to watch it individually. It s optional, of course. 11. DISCLAIMER: This Syllabus may be amended as the course proceeds. You will be notified if changes are made. 8