Cultural overview of Italian language area

obligatory courses

Classroom

The purpose of the course is to describe a selection of topics and cultural aspects (such as literature, artistic culture, pop culture or the media) concerning the reality of the Italian linguistic area, as well as their connections with wider historical and cultural processes.

The course is dedicated to a selection of topics concerning the culture and society of contemporary Italy. It will deal, first of all, with selected aspects of the Italian linguistic area, such as the cultural and dialectal diversification of Italian regions, the historical and cultural circumstances determining Italian national identity and the relationship between the North and South of the country. Subsequent lessons will be focused a number of other topics:

- changes in society, politics and customs in Italy from the second half of the 20th century to the present day;

- industrial development in postwar Italy, the economic boom, consumerism and social well-being;

- Italian society in the 20th and 21st centuries in the works of selected Italian writers and intellectuals (e.g. P.P. Pasolini, U. Eco);

- the reality of contemporary Italy: city vs. province, North vs. South, national community vs. parochialism, modernity vs. tradition;

- Italy's literary and artistic tradition and its role in Italian identity;

- Italian pop culture: television, radio, pop music, press, comics;

- the relationship between popular culture and high culture;

- the important role that the mass media, and TV in particular, had in reinforcing the Italian national and linguistic identity in the second half of the 20th century;

- Italian national and regional sterotypes in the media and in everyday life;

- mass immigration and the challenges posed by multiethnic society in 21st century Italy;

- Italian identity and culture within the wider European context;

- the Italian language outside of Italy: Switzerland. San Marino and more.

1. Calmanti C. e P., Appuntamento a... (Folklore, tradizioni, gastronomia delle regioni italiane), Perugia 2000.

2. Ciofalo G., Infiniti anni Ottanta. TV, cultura e società alle origini del nostro presente, Milano, 2011.

3. Colombo F., Il paese leggero. Gli italiani e i media tra contestazione e riflusso, Roma-Bari 2008.

4. Eco U., Apokaliptycy i dostosowani, Warszawa 2010.

5. Forgacs D., Gundle S., Cultura di massa e società italiana. 1936-1954, Bologna 2010.

6. Menduini E., Televisione e società italiana 1975-2000, Milano 2002.

7. Additional texts and articles, as well as the lecturer's own materials.

The source materials that are not available at the university library will be provided by the lecturer.

- The student has the knowledge and understanding of the multifaceted relations of Italian literature to historic and cultural processes (K_W08)

- The student has the advanced knowledge and understanding of selected events of Italian history, and important aspects and features of Italian culture (K_W09)

- The student can access and gather information independently, and can develop skills with the help of adequate sources (K_U13)

- The student is ready to show respect and care for preserving the Italian cultural heritage (K_K05)

- Attendance check (each student can have up to three absences without leave);

- Diligence and active participation in the course;

- A final test in written form.