Anglophone Cultures
A.Y. 2020/2021
Learning objectives
The course "Culture anglofone" pursues the general and specific objectives presented in the "Manifesto degli studi 2018-2019" of Language Mediation and Intercultural Communication (L-12). Here follows the modulation of the objectives as developed within the framework of the course.
- Knowledge and understanding
Students will gain knowledge and understanding of
· the approaches of Cultural Studies on contemporary issues and contexts mainly in English-speaking countries
· the basics of Postcolonial Theory
· the historical process of colonisation and decolonisation mainly in the British empire
· the notions of empire, post-empire, postcolonialism, and the language(s) of the empire
· the notions of power, ideology, hegemony and the ways they are reflected in cultures
· the issues of indigeneity, identity, alterity, difference, hybridity
· the conditions of cultural production
· the discourses and practices of dissent and resistance
· a range of cultural practices, productions (visual art, films, writing, music and performances), and literary texts, primarily in English
Applying knowledge and understanding
Students will apply their acquired knowledge and understanding to
· close read and analyse cultural productions and literary texts
· select and synthesise relevant information
· debate and discuss relevant texts and issues in the class and in groups
· produce brief oral or written work consistent with the topics of the course
Making judgements
Students will acquire the following skills relevant to making judgements:
· adopt intercultural and plural perspectives of analysis
· develop analytical and critical attitudes towards cultural productions and literary texts
· draw comparisons and establish connections between the various contexts under scrutiny and the personal situated experience
Communication skills
The course will enable students to
· present their own work to an audience of peers
· organise and structure group work among peers
· use IT technology to support both academic work and networking
Learning skills
Through active participation and independent work, students will be able to
· undertake further study with a higher degree of intellectual curiosity, autonomy, and ability to discriminate
· transfer the acquired skills to related fields of analysis
· apply a methodological approach to future research.
- Knowledge and understanding
Students will gain knowledge and understanding of
· the approaches of Cultural Studies on contemporary issues and contexts mainly in English-speaking countries
· the basics of Postcolonial Theory
· the historical process of colonisation and decolonisation mainly in the British empire
· the notions of empire, post-empire, postcolonialism, and the language(s) of the empire
· the notions of power, ideology, hegemony and the ways they are reflected in cultures
· the issues of indigeneity, identity, alterity, difference, hybridity
· the conditions of cultural production
· the discourses and practices of dissent and resistance
· a range of cultural practices, productions (visual art, films, writing, music and performances), and literary texts, primarily in English
Applying knowledge and understanding
Students will apply their acquired knowledge and understanding to
· close read and analyse cultural productions and literary texts
· select and synthesise relevant information
· debate and discuss relevant texts and issues in the class and in groups
· produce brief oral or written work consistent with the topics of the course
Making judgements
Students will acquire the following skills relevant to making judgements:
· adopt intercultural and plural perspectives of analysis
· develop analytical and critical attitudes towards cultural productions and literary texts
· draw comparisons and establish connections between the various contexts under scrutiny and the personal situated experience
Communication skills
The course will enable students to
· present their own work to an audience of peers
· organise and structure group work among peers
· use IT technology to support both academic work and networking
Learning skills
Through active participation and independent work, students will be able to
· undertake further study with a higher degree of intellectual curiosity, autonomy, and ability to discriminate
· transfer the acquired skills to related fields of analysis
· apply a methodological approach to future research.
Expected learning outcomes
Acquired knowledge and skills will match the objectives of the course by allowing students to select, contextualise, critically analyse, and discuss the cultural practices and productions of English-speaking countries. This will be done from a variety of perspectives and using the methodological approach of Cultural Studies.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Covid-19 emergency
Due to the spread of Covid-19, the course of Anglophone Cultures 2020-2021 will be delivered online and exams procedures will include written assignments in addition to an oral test. These variations will be applied only during the first term of the academic year 2020-2021 and will not affect the general objectives of the course. The programme and teaching materials are the same in the case of classroom and remote teaching.
Due to the spread of Covid-19, the course of Anglophone Cultures 2020-2021 will be delivered online and exams procedures will include written assignments in addition to an oral test. These variations will be applied only during the first term of the academic year 2020-2021 and will not affect the general objectives of the course. The programme and teaching materials are the same in the case of classroom and remote teaching.
Course syllabus
Course Syllabus
The course is particularly interesting for students who wish to know more of the cultures of English-speaking countries. The programme will offer an overview of the history of the British Empire and its colonies in the nineteenth century and will discuss the struggles for liberation, the dynamics of resistance, the formation of national and cultural identities, and the articulation of postcolonial practices and cultures. According to the methodology of Postcolonial Studies, the course will present some important postcolonial notions that have become particularly relevant form the Sixties onwards, i.e. difference, alterity, resistance, subalternity, history, stories, power, borders and movement. As case studies, special focus will be on the notions of "apartheid" and "indigeneity", in the contexts of South Africa and Canada, and of "race". Significant texts will be examined in order to interpret our historical moment of global migration and the relocation of identities from a political perspective.
Module 1 - 3 credits - "Na you de ask? Na me de tell de tori, no be you?". Colonial history and postcolonial stories: The British Empire and the Postcolony
Module 2 - 3 credits - Postcolonial Studies: Some selected keywords
Module 3 - 3 credits - Two key notions for "difference/race" from a postcolonial perspective: "apartheid" and "indigeneity" with reference to South Africa and Canada
The course is particularly interesting for students who wish to know more of the cultures of English-speaking countries. The programme will offer an overview of the history of the British Empire and its colonies in the nineteenth century and will discuss the struggles for liberation, the dynamics of resistance, the formation of national and cultural identities, and the articulation of postcolonial practices and cultures. According to the methodology of Postcolonial Studies, the course will present some important postcolonial notions that have become particularly relevant form the Sixties onwards, i.e. difference, alterity, resistance, subalternity, history, stories, power, borders and movement. As case studies, special focus will be on the notions of "apartheid" and "indigeneity", in the contexts of South Africa and Canada, and of "race". Significant texts will be examined in order to interpret our historical moment of global migration and the relocation of identities from a political perspective.
Module 1 - 3 credits - "Na you de ask? Na me de tell de tori, no be you?". Colonial history and postcolonial stories: The British Empire and the Postcolony
Module 2 - 3 credits - Postcolonial Studies: Some selected keywords
Module 3 - 3 credits - Two key notions for "difference/race" from a postcolonial perspective: "apartheid" and "indigeneity" with reference to South Africa and Canada
Prerequisites for admission
Prerequisites for admission
Students must have passed the exam "Cultura inglese I". They should have a good level of English language competence. Basic Italian is advisable for international students.
Students must have passed the exam "Cultura inglese I". They should have a good level of English language competence. Basic Italian is advisable for international students.
Teaching methods
Teaching methods
Lectures will be delivered online on Microsoft Teams platform. They will be synchronous according to the official timetable. Class discussion and debates are welcome. Classes will be recorded and made available on Teams Stream. They will not be downloadable. The course programme and materials will be available on the ARIEL website of the course. Students will be promptly informed of any changes during classes. Attendance is highly recommended, however not compulsory. Classes will be almost entirely in English, with very few exceptions.
Lectures will be delivered online on Microsoft Teams platform. They will be synchronous according to the official timetable. Class discussion and debates are welcome. Classes will be recorded and made available on Teams Stream. They will not be downloadable. The course programme and materials will be available on the ARIEL website of the course. Students will be promptly informed of any changes during classes. Attendance is highly recommended, however not compulsory. Classes will be almost entirely in English, with very few exceptions.
Teaching Resources
Study materials and readings:
Methodology (choose one):
· Gualtieri, Claudia e Itala Vivan. Dalla Englishness alla Britishness, 1950-2000. Discorsi culturali in trasformazione dal canone imperiale alle storie dell'oggi. Roma, Carocci, 2008. A selection of passages will be indicated during the course.
Alternatively for foreign students and students who prefer textbooks in English:
· Young, Robert J. C. Postcolonialism. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford, OUP, 2003.
Literature (Choose one):
· Boehmer, Elleke, La ragazza che parlava zulu e altri racconti, Roma, Historica, 2019. To be read: Introduzione, Epilogo and the following short stories: La stanza della domestica, Il padre antenna, Bianco sporco, La corsa nei sacchi di fagioli, Ginger, Per amore, Robben Island, La ragazza che parlava zulu, Come in un attacco con il gas lacrimogeno. The book can be bought on the publisher's website: https://www.historicaedizioni.com/libri/la-ragazza-che-parlava-zulu-e-altri-racconti/ (avoid other providers).
Alternatively for foreign students and students who prefer textbooks in English:
· Coetzee, J. M., "The Narrative of Jacobus Coetzee", in Dusklands, any edition.
Literature (to be listened to):
· David Herd, Anna Pincus (eds), Refugee Tales, Comma Press, 2016 [Volume 1 in the series]. Listen to the "Prologue", "The Lorry Driver's Tale" e "The Arriver's Tale" in: https://www.28for28.org/.
The choice must be consistent according to the language, namely, both texts in English or both in Italian.
Essays (all of them):
· Reinhard, Wolfgang, "Colonisation and Colonialism, History of", 2015. Available on the ARIEL website of the course.
· De Genova, N., Mezzadra, S., Pickles, J. eds, "New Keywords: Migration and Borders", Cultural Studies 29, 1, 2015, pp. 55-87. Available in the university digital library.
· Mbembe, Achille, "The Universal Right to Breathe." Critical Inquiry Blog, April 13, 2020. Free accesso at: https://critinq.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/the-universal-right-to-breathe/
· Gualtieri, Claudia, Dossier "Mobility, Immobility and Encounters along the South-North European Route", From the European South 5 (2019). Essays by Gualtieri, Herd, De Michelis and creative writing by Farabegoli. Free access at: http://europeansouth.postcolonialitalia.it/8-journal-issue/20-5-2019-contents
Websites (choose and analise 3 - the item "Galanin" includes two links))
· The Respect to Bill Reid Pole
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/virtual-exhibits/exhibit/the-respect-to-bill-reid-pole/
· Beat Nation: Hip hop as indigenous culture
http://www.beatnation.org/
· Nicholas Galanin, Tsu Heidei Shugaxtutaan Part 1 and 2, 2008, Vancouver Art Gallery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue30aKV1LF8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg2c1jtm59o
· Sacred Clown by Skeens Reece
https://vimeo.com/17194273
· Michelle Latimer, Choke, 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLMssWFJD7A
· Walking with our sisters
http://walkingwithoursisters.ca/
Study materials, readings and exam procedures are the same for attending and non-attending students.
Methodology (choose one):
· Gualtieri, Claudia e Itala Vivan. Dalla Englishness alla Britishness, 1950-2000. Discorsi culturali in trasformazione dal canone imperiale alle storie dell'oggi. Roma, Carocci, 2008. A selection of passages will be indicated during the course.
Alternatively for foreign students and students who prefer textbooks in English:
· Young, Robert J. C. Postcolonialism. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford, OUP, 2003.
Literature (Choose one):
· Boehmer, Elleke, La ragazza che parlava zulu e altri racconti, Roma, Historica, 2019. To be read: Introduzione, Epilogo and the following short stories: La stanza della domestica, Il padre antenna, Bianco sporco, La corsa nei sacchi di fagioli, Ginger, Per amore, Robben Island, La ragazza che parlava zulu, Come in un attacco con il gas lacrimogeno. The book can be bought on the publisher's website: https://www.historicaedizioni.com/libri/la-ragazza-che-parlava-zulu-e-altri-racconti/ (avoid other providers).
Alternatively for foreign students and students who prefer textbooks in English:
· Coetzee, J. M., "The Narrative of Jacobus Coetzee", in Dusklands, any edition.
Literature (to be listened to):
· David Herd, Anna Pincus (eds), Refugee Tales, Comma Press, 2016 [Volume 1 in the series]. Listen to the "Prologue", "The Lorry Driver's Tale" e "The Arriver's Tale" in: https://www.28for28.org/.
The choice must be consistent according to the language, namely, both texts in English or both in Italian.
Essays (all of them):
· Reinhard, Wolfgang, "Colonisation and Colonialism, History of", 2015. Available on the ARIEL website of the course.
· De Genova, N., Mezzadra, S., Pickles, J. eds, "New Keywords: Migration and Borders", Cultural Studies 29, 1, 2015, pp. 55-87. Available in the university digital library.
· Mbembe, Achille, "The Universal Right to Breathe." Critical Inquiry Blog, April 13, 2020. Free accesso at: https://critinq.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/the-universal-right-to-breathe/
· Gualtieri, Claudia, Dossier "Mobility, Immobility and Encounters along the South-North European Route", From the European South 5 (2019). Essays by Gualtieri, Herd, De Michelis and creative writing by Farabegoli. Free access at: http://europeansouth.postcolonialitalia.it/8-journal-issue/20-5-2019-contents
Websites (choose and analise 3 - the item "Galanin" includes two links))
· The Respect to Bill Reid Pole
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/virtual-exhibits/exhibit/the-respect-to-bill-reid-pole/
· Beat Nation: Hip hop as indigenous culture
http://www.beatnation.org/
· Nicholas Galanin, Tsu Heidei Shugaxtutaan Part 1 and 2, 2008, Vancouver Art Gallery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue30aKV1LF8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg2c1jtm59o
· Sacred Clown by Skeens Reece
https://vimeo.com/17194273
· Michelle Latimer, Choke, 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLMssWFJD7A
· Walking with our sisters
http://walkingwithoursisters.ca/
Study materials, readings and exam procedures are the same for attending and non-attending students.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Assessment methods and criteria
As anticipated in the session "Covid-19 emergency", students will be given the opportunity to write two assignments during the course. In this case, the material of the oral test will be substantially reduced. The marks of the written home assignments will contribute to the final evaluation, together with an oral test. Alternatively, students may choose to take the oral test on the whole course programme and no written assignments. The oral test will take place on Teams, if the Covid-19 emergency is confirmed, otherwise it will regularly take place in presence. Marks will be 30/30. At Written assignments should be uploaded on the portfolio section in the ARIEL website of the course within the dates indicated during the course. At the beginning of the course, students will receive detailed information on assessment procedures and criteria. The tests (written and oral) may be taken in English or Italian depending on the student's choice.
Students will be tested through analytical and critical discussions of the materials in the programme. Marks and excellence will be awarded for coherent organization of comments, proficient and accurate language use, critical depth in reading the materials, original thinking in the presentation, capacity of establishing accurate and creative connections between theory and practice, correct historical and cultural contextualization of the examined texts, events, and practices. For students attending the course, individual contributions to the lessons will be appreciated.
As anticipated in the session "Covid-19 emergency", students will be given the opportunity to write two assignments during the course. In this case, the material of the oral test will be substantially reduced. The marks of the written home assignments will contribute to the final evaluation, together with an oral test. Alternatively, students may choose to take the oral test on the whole course programme and no written assignments. The oral test will take place on Teams, if the Covid-19 emergency is confirmed, otherwise it will regularly take place in presence. Marks will be 30/30. At Written assignments should be uploaded on the portfolio section in the ARIEL website of the course within the dates indicated during the course. At the beginning of the course, students will receive detailed information on assessment procedures and criteria. The tests (written and oral) may be taken in English or Italian depending on the student's choice.
Students will be tested through analytical and critical discussions of the materials in the programme. Marks and excellence will be awarded for coherent organization of comments, proficient and accurate language use, critical depth in reading the materials, original thinking in the presentation, capacity of establishing accurate and creative connections between theory and practice, correct historical and cultural contextualization of the examined texts, events, and practices. For students attending the course, individual contributions to the lessons will be appreciated.
L-LIN/10 - ENGLISH LITERATURE - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor:
Gualtieri Claudia
Professor(s)