ITAL10110

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this module, students will have:
• An awareness of Italy as a country
• Familiarity with cultural elements of Italy
• A new knowledge of certain aspects of historical and modern Italy
• An ability to respond to basic quiz questions on module content
• An ability to prepare a presentation on one or more aspects of Italy touched on during this module

Note that students must not use generative AI in any assignment for any purpose.

Indicative Module Content:

This module covers a wide variety of weekly topics taught by specialist lecturers.
Topics rotate yearly. The 2025-26 programme includes:

● Week 1, Tuesday 20 January. “Introduction to the module and Dante’s Comedy” (Dr Mara Josi and Dr Serena Laiena)

● Week 2, Tuesday 27 January. “Understanding a Cultural Revolution: An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance” (Matilde Icardi)

● Week 3, Tuesday 3 February. “Commedia dell’Arte Masks as Stereotypes in Early Modern Theatre” (Dr Serena Laiena)

● Week 4, Tuesday 10 February. “An Historical Overview: From the Risorgimento to the Present Day” (Dr Mara Josi)

● Week 5, Tuesday 17 February. “The Resistenza - History and Context” (Prof Paolo Acquaviva)

● Week 6, Tuesday 24 February. “The Resistenza - Issues and Legacy” (Prof Paolo Acquaviva)

● Week 7, Tuesday 3 March. “Primo Levi and the Italian Holocaust Literature” (Dr Mara Josi)

Reading weeks, 9-22 March. No class

● Week 8, Tuesday 24 March. “‘Ndrangheta a Local Global History” (Dr Matteo Leta)

● Week 9, Tuesday 31 March. "The Italian Cinema and the Years of the Economic Miracle" (Sofia Tinetti)

● Week 10, Tuesday 7 April. “Introduction to Postcolonial Italian Literature” (Noreen Kane)

● Week 11, Tuesday 14 April. “Italy through Music: The Origins of the Italian Traditional Song” (Dr Carmela Simmarano)

● Week 12, Tuesday 21 April. “Italy through Music: Contemporary Genres and Trends” (Dr Carmela Simmarano)

Student Effort Hours:

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:

This module will be based largely on individual self-study (although students are welcome to discuss in groups).
Teaching strategies will favour lectures, including some interactive discussions and student participation. Readings will be set from one week to the next (see BrightSpace). Through broader bibliographies and online references, students are encouraged to read more deeply into individual topics that might be of interest to them.
As this module is an Elective, it is expected that students are not necessarily students of language, of cultures, of literature, or of Humanities and the Teaching/Learning approaches will reflect this non-specialist awareness.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.

Module Requisites and Incompatibles

Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy

 

Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback will be provided in the form of summative assessment (on quizzes) and also for final e-presentation. Also, individual feedback may be provided at any time during term by agreed appointment to individual students who wish to request an appointment with individual lecturers or with the module coordinator.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.