Italian Cultural Studies

3 semester credits. This course is focused on contemporary Italian cinema from the 1980s to the present day. All films will be discussed with reference to the political, social, and aesthetic issues in contemporary Italy. Please note that film viewing hours are scheduled outside of regular class times. Prerequisites: Three semesters of Italian language or equivalent.

3 semester credits. The focus of this course is contemporary Italian cinema from the 1980s up to the present day. The following films will be studied in particular: Tornatore's Cinema Paradiso, Moretti's Polombella Rossa, and Benigni's La Vita è Bella. All films will be discussed with reference to political, social, and aesthetic issues in contemporary Italy. Please note that film viewing hours are scheduled outside of the regular class times.

3 semester credits. The first part of this course examines each stage of the Italian educational system from nursery school (asilo nido) through the various levels and choices related to secondary and high schools. The examination of Italian schooling will also be approached from a historical standpoint, in particular through the mapping of changes over the last three decades. The following questions will be examined: What is the effect of immigration on schools and how have they adapted to the recent influx of non-European pupils? What is/has been the role of the Catholic Church in state education and how has the increasingly secularized nature of Italian society impacted schooling? How has the role of the teacher changed and how does that role compare to those in other countries? How and why has the curriculum changed? The second part of the course will examine the choices for higher education from technical colleges to universities. Italy boasts the oldest universities in the world - Salerno, Bologna, Padua, and Pavia - and some lectures and discussion will be dedicated to the history of the Italian university and its role in the Renaissance period. The structure, organization, admission procedures, student life, and degree system of the modern university will be examined.

4 semester credits. The first part of this course examines each stage of the Italian educational system from nursery school (asilo nido) through the various levels and choices related to secondary and high schools. The examination of Italian schooling will also be approached from a historical standpoint, in particular through the mapping of changes over the last three decades. The following questions will be examined: What is the effect of immigration on schools and how have they adapted to the recent influx of non-European pupils? What is/has been the role of the Catholic Church in state education and how has the increasingly secularized nature of Italian society impacted schooling? How has the role of the teacher changed and how does that role compare to those in other countries? How and why has the curriculum changed? The second part of the course will examine the choices for higher education from technical colleges to universities. Italy boasts the oldest universities in the world - Salerno, Bologna, Padua, and Pavia - and some lectures and discussion will be dedicated to the history of the Italian university and its role in the Renaissance period. The structure, organization, admission procedures, student life, and degree system of the modern university will be examined. This course includes service learning hours within the Florentine Community. Service learning is a method that incorporates intentional learning with service to the community, in which the service component functions as a reflection on classroom learning for all tasks performed. In addition to regular class hours, students will be involved in a volunteer project for the entire session that integrates them in the local community in order to remove barriers and gain a sense of social responsibility. The acquisition of new skills and knowledge obtained in the service learning environment outside the classroom will enrich the learning experience and contribute to personal and emotional growth, as well as cultural consciousness, to develop a greater sense of a global citizenship and sensitivity to the needs of others. Students are guided through the experience by the non-profit association supervisor and the service learning coordinator to enhance outcomes both inside and outside the classroom. The contribution to the association is not only crucial to a deeper understanding of course topics but also allows for a greater sense of belonging in the community, allowing for students to acquire a heightened awareness of emotional intelligence that enhances the classroom learning experience.

3 semester credits. This course offers an innovative way to learn the Italian language and develop environmental consciousness while exploring Florence and its surroundings. Through the study of the relationship between humans and nature, the human role in ecology, and the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources, students will learn basic Italian vocabulary and usage in the form of experiential learning. The course aims to develop four basic Italian language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking), while providing experiences and on-site lessons aimed at expanding the connection between individuals and the natural world and developing sustainable lifestyles. Each topic, excursion, and experience will be supported by a structured class of Italian language, providing a great opportunity to explore Florence, its parks, its people, and its traditions from a new perspective while learning and practicing the Italian language. This course includes an Italian language component for beginning-level students. SLC (Studies with a Language Component) represents an engaging approach to learning that embraces a multi-disciplinary application of cultural education methods. This stimulating approach broadens students’ understanding of their studies and creates a link between their academic careers and the local cultural environment which surrounds them. Through SLC courses, students learn notions of Italian language and terminology as a bridge to better understand and appreciate Italy’s modern, multifaceted society. By being exposed to the Italian language, Students discover different elements of Italian communication and culture and learn the linguistic fundamentals that enable them to engage in simple, everyday conversation. While doing so, they examine the sociological and pedagogical aspects of Italy such as society, politics, education, family, geography, and the environment. SLC is a learning methodology that integrates theory with practice: students learn the culture and language of Italy in class, then experience what they have learned through interaction with the local communities within the city of Florence and its neighborhoods. Diverse student populations benefit from this educational approach.

3 semester credits. This course explores the cultural anthropology and sociology of the Italian-American family from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day. Topics will focus on the following themes: stereotypes, gender, religion, politics, social change, and community character and adaptation. Students will analyze newspapers, magazines, and narrative fiction, as well as documentaries, feature films, and popular television programs. Special attention will be paid to the emotional and cultural experience of the return of Italian-Americans to their roots in Italy.

3 semester credits. This course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to discover Italian language through its culture. Course topics will expose students to contemporary Italian culture and society and its many components pertaining to society, politics, education, cultural influences, culinary traditions, and lifestyle. During each lesson, students will be asked to engage actively in the lectures and explore, under the guidance of their instructor, the many components of life in Italy in order to identify the common traits of a contemporary Italian identity. Students will also address linguistic components relative to the topics discussed to highlight the many connections between spoken language, vocabulary, and idioms in order to disclose the many ways through which language has become a contemporary means to convey Italian culture. This course includes an Italian language component for beginning-level students. SLC (Studies with a Language Component) represents an engaging approach to learning that embraces a multi-disciplinary application of cultural education methods. This stimulating approach broadens students’ understanding of their studies and creates a link between their academic careers and the local cultural environment which surrounds them. Through SLC courses, students learn notions of Italian language and terminology as a bridge to better understand and appreciate Italy’s modern, multifaceted society. By being exposed to the Italian language, Students discover different elements of Italian communication and culture and learn the linguistic fundamentals that enable them to engage in simple, everyday conversation. While doing so, they examine the sociological and pedagogical aspects of Italy such as society, politics, education, family, geography, and the environment. SLC is a learning methodology that integrates theory with practice: students learn the culture and language of Italy in class, then experience what they have learned through interaction with the local communities within the city of Florence and its neighborhoods. Diverse student populations benefit from this educational approach.

This course will take students into a literary and cinematographic journey of Italy through the words and images of great historical personalities who – with their novels and films – helped to create a well-established link between Italy and romantic love. Through an exploration that goes beyond all stereotypes, students will become familiar with Italian places that inspired writers and directors as the perfect settings for beautiful, intense, and sometimes dramatic love stories. Texts and films from different historical periods (focusing on the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century) will be read and viewed, analyzed, and discussed so that students will be able to create their own personal map of the sites that contributed to the collective imagination of Italy as the “land of love.”

3 semester credits. The purpose of this course is paint a portrait of the Italian people through the colors and shades of the Italian lifestyle. The course will discuss the many points of pride of Italian culture as well as examine the many contradictions that may often baffle the foreign observer. Course topics will provide students with an in-depth analysis of the Italian identity addressed through readings of history, culture, and sociology. This course includes an Italian language component for beginning-level students. SLC (Studies with a Language Component) represents an engaging approach to learning that embraces a multi-disciplinary application of cultural education methods. This stimulating approach broadens students’ understanding of their studies and creates a link between their academic careers and the local cultural environment which surrounds them. Through SLC courses, students learn notions of Italian language and terminology as a bridge to better understand and appreciate Italy’s modern, multifaceted society. By being exposed to the Italian language, Students discover different elements of Italian communication and culture and learn the linguistic fundamentals that enable them to engage in simple, everyday conversation. While doing so, they examine the sociological and pedagogical aspects of Italy such as society, politics, education, family, geography, and the environment. SLC is a learning methodology that integrates theory with practice: students learn the culture and language of Italy in class, then experience what they have learned through interaction with the local communities within the city of Florence and its neighborhoods. Diverse student populations benefit from this educational approach.