Literary Culture and Media Studies
A.Y. 2021/2022
Learning objectives
Unit 1 course aims to explain some fundamental aspects of modern Mass-media Society, focusing on its evolution and on some basic dynamics. In particular, we will focus on very different categories, even if apparently overlapping, such as Mass Culture, Cultural Industry, Mainstream. Unit 2 has the objective of developing a critical awareness of the profound changes generated by a reality today perceived as obvious: that of the Network, and more specifically of the so-called Web 2.0. Some fundamental phenomena will be studied, in order to perceive how the Web offers at the same time great opportunities and equally great risks.
Expected learning outcomes
The student shall be capable to understand and explain the basic dynamics of the most important Mass-media, and of the network society, both from a socio-economic point of view and from the point of view of the communication modes.
Lesson period: Second 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
Second semester
Teaching in presence is foreseen, and possibly teaching in mixed mode if the numbers do not allow a 100% presence.
Course syllabus
Mass Media and New Media. The cinematographic Language
The Course aims to study the reality of contemporary media, investigating moreover the relation-ships between general communication dynamics and communication technologies, from one side, and, from the other side, the artistic production and especially the cinema. The Module 1 focuses on the social and technological processes who gave birth to the mass-media society and then to the "net-work society", studying in deep some characteristics of the communication in the digital age and of the new configurations of the dynamics of power and counterpower, studying after the landscape of the contemporary mass culture. The Module 2 aims to give a basic knowledge of the audiovisual lan-guage. Starting from some capital cinematic works, the course will especially study the evolution of style and expression in the cinematic language, related with contemporary artistic tendencies.
The Course aims to study the reality of contemporary media, investigating moreover the relation-ships between general communication dynamics and communication technologies, from one side, and, from the other side, the artistic production and especially the cinema. The Module 1 focuses on the social and technological processes who gave birth to the mass-media society and then to the "net-work society", studying in deep some characteristics of the communication in the digital age and of the new configurations of the dynamics of power and counterpower, studying after the landscape of the contemporary mass culture. The Module 2 aims to give a basic knowledge of the audiovisual lan-guage. Starting from some capital cinematic works, the course will especially study the evolution of style and expression in the cinematic language, related with contemporary artistic tendencies.
Prerequisites for admission
Basic knowledge of History and Sociology of Culture. Basic knowledge of the main types of websites.
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons
Teaching Resources
Module 1 From Mass-Media to Network Society
Bibliography and other teaching materials for attending students.
Attending students will have to prepare:
Two items from the following lists, one from Section 1 and one from Section 2.
Section 1:
1) Walter Benjamin, L'opera d'arte nell'epoca della sua riproducibilità tecnica, Piccola storia della fotografia, Eduard Fuchs, il collezionista e lo storico, in Id., L'opera d'arte nell'epoca della sua riproducibilità tecnica, Torino, Einaudi, pp. 16-123, e Marshall McLuhan, Gli strumenti del comunicare, PRIMA PARTE, Milano, il Saggiatore, pp. 23-84 [both must be prepared for those who choose this item];
2) Umberto Eco, Apocalittici e integrati, Milano, Bompiani, pp. 1-272;
3) Frédéric Martel, Mainstream, Milano, Feltrinelli;
4) Henry Jenkins, Cultura convergente, Milano, Apogeo.
Section 2:
1) Manuel Castells, Comunicazione e Potere, Milano, Università Bocconi Editore, pp. XVII-XXVIII, 1-239;
2) Fausto Colombo, Il potere socievole. Storia e critica dei social media, Bruno Mondadori;
3) Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, Kenneth Cukier, Big Data. Una rivoluzione che trasformerà il nostro modo di vivere - e già minaccia la nostra libertà, Garzanti;
4) Giovanni Ziccardi, Internet, controllo e libertà. Trasparenza, sorveglianza e segreto nell'era tecnologica, Milano, Raffaello Cortina Editore;
5) Siva Vaidhyanathan, La grande G. Come Google domina il mondo e perché dovremmo preoccuparci, Milano, Garzanti.
Module 1 From Mass-Media to Network Society
Bibliography and other teaching materials for non attending students.
Non attending students will have to prepare the following texts:
Three items from the following lists, one from Section 1 and one from Section 2.
Section 1:
1) Walter Benjamin, L'opera d'arte nell'epoca della sua riproducibilità tecnica, Piccola storia della fotografia, Eduard Fuchs, il collezionista e lo storico, in Id., L'opera d'arte nell'epoca della sua riproducibilità tecnica, Torino, Einaudi, pp. 16-123, e Marshall McLuhan, Gli strumenti del comunicare, PRIMA PARTE, Milano, il Saggiatore, pp. 23-84 [both must be prepared for those who choose this item];
2) Umberto Eco, Apocalittici e integrati, Milano, Bompiani, pp. 1-272;
3) Frédéric Martel, Mainstream, Milano, Feltrinelli;
4) Henry Jenkins, Cultura convergente, Milano, Apogeo.
Section 2:
1) Manuel Castells, Comunicazione e Potere, Milano, Università Bocconi Editore, pp. XVII-XXVIII, 1-239;
2) Fausto Colombo, Il potere socievole. Storia e critica dei social media, Bruno Mondadori;
3) Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, Kenneth Cukier, Big Data. Una rivoluzione che trasformerà il nostro modo di vivere - e già minaccia la nostra libertà, Garzanti;
4) Giovanni Ziccardi, Internet, controllo e libertà. Trasparenza, sorveglianza e segreto nell'era tecnologica, Milano, Raffaello Cortina Editore;
5) Siva Vaidhyanathan, La grande G. Come Google domina il mondo e perché dovremmo preoccuparci, Milano, Garzanti.
Module 2: Theory and Techniques of the Audiovisual Language
Bibliography and other teaching materials for attending students.
Attending students will have to prepare the following texts:
A dossier with essays and interviews relating to the films on the program, available at the library of the LUMI cooperative, piazza Indro Montanelli 16 (Sesto San Giovanni).
Gianni Rondolino, Dario Tomasi, Manuale del film, Torino, UTET: Sceneggiatura e racconto (Cap. I), L'inquadratura (Cap. II), Il montaggio (Cap. III).
Filmography
The vision and analysis of four chosen from the following films is an integral part of the examination:
Jean-Luc Godard, Il disprezzo (1963) French version with subtitles in Italian;
Pier Paolo Pasolini, Comizi d'amore (1964) + La ricotta (1963)
Michelangelo Antonioni, Blow up (1966, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Lars von Trier, Idioti (1998);
Jean-Pierre e Luc Dardenne, Rosetta (1999, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Lars von Trier, Dancer in the Dark (2000, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Michael Moore, Bowling for Columbine (2002);
Gus Van Sant, Elephant (2003, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Steve McQueen, Hunger (2008);
Michael Haneke, Amour (2012, Palma d'oro al festival di Cannes).
Module 2: Theory and Techniques of the Audiovisual Language
Bibliography and other teaching materials for non attending students.
Non attending students will have to prepare the following texts:
A dossier with essays and interviews relating to the films on the program, available at the library of the LUMI cooperative, piazza Indro Montanelli 16 (Sesto San Giovanni).
Gianni Rondolino, Dario Tomasi, Manuale del film, Torino, UTET: Sceneggiatura e racconto (Cap. I), L'inquadratura (Cap. II), Il montaggio (Cap. III).
In addition, one chosen from the following texts:
David Bordwell, Kristin Thompson, Cinema come arte. Teoria e prassi del film, Milano, Editrice Il Castoro, Parte quarta. Lo stile filmico;
André Bazin, Che cosa è il cinema?, Milano, Garzanti: Parte Prima - Ontologia e linguaggio;
Francis Vanoye, La sceneggiatura. forme, dispositivi, modelli, Torino, Lindau.
Filmography
The vision and analysis of four chosen from the following films is an integral part of the examination:
Jean-Luc Godard, Il disprezzo (1963) French version with subtitles in Italian;
Pier Paolo Pasolini, Comizi d'amore (1964) + La ricotta (1963)
Michelangelo Antonioni, Blow up (1966, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Lars von Trier, Idioti (1998);
Jean-Pierre e Luc Dardenne, Rosetta (1999, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Lars von Trier, Dancer in the Dark (2000, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Michael Moore, Bowling for Columbine (2002);
Gus Van Sant, Elephant (2003, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Steve McQueen, Hunger (2008);
Michael Haneke, Amour (2012, Palma d'oro al festival di Cannes).
Bibliography and other teaching materials for attending students.
Attending students will have to prepare:
Two items from the following lists, one from Section 1 and one from Section 2.
Section 1:
1) Walter Benjamin, L'opera d'arte nell'epoca della sua riproducibilità tecnica, Piccola storia della fotografia, Eduard Fuchs, il collezionista e lo storico, in Id., L'opera d'arte nell'epoca della sua riproducibilità tecnica, Torino, Einaudi, pp. 16-123, e Marshall McLuhan, Gli strumenti del comunicare, PRIMA PARTE, Milano, il Saggiatore, pp. 23-84 [both must be prepared for those who choose this item];
2) Umberto Eco, Apocalittici e integrati, Milano, Bompiani, pp. 1-272;
3) Frédéric Martel, Mainstream, Milano, Feltrinelli;
4) Henry Jenkins, Cultura convergente, Milano, Apogeo.
Section 2:
1) Manuel Castells, Comunicazione e Potere, Milano, Università Bocconi Editore, pp. XVII-XXVIII, 1-239;
2) Fausto Colombo, Il potere socievole. Storia e critica dei social media, Bruno Mondadori;
3) Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, Kenneth Cukier, Big Data. Una rivoluzione che trasformerà il nostro modo di vivere - e già minaccia la nostra libertà, Garzanti;
4) Giovanni Ziccardi, Internet, controllo e libertà. Trasparenza, sorveglianza e segreto nell'era tecnologica, Milano, Raffaello Cortina Editore;
5) Siva Vaidhyanathan, La grande G. Come Google domina il mondo e perché dovremmo preoccuparci, Milano, Garzanti.
Module 1 From Mass-Media to Network Society
Bibliography and other teaching materials for non attending students.
Non attending students will have to prepare the following texts:
Three items from the following lists, one from Section 1 and one from Section 2.
Section 1:
1) Walter Benjamin, L'opera d'arte nell'epoca della sua riproducibilità tecnica, Piccola storia della fotografia, Eduard Fuchs, il collezionista e lo storico, in Id., L'opera d'arte nell'epoca della sua riproducibilità tecnica, Torino, Einaudi, pp. 16-123, e Marshall McLuhan, Gli strumenti del comunicare, PRIMA PARTE, Milano, il Saggiatore, pp. 23-84 [both must be prepared for those who choose this item];
2) Umberto Eco, Apocalittici e integrati, Milano, Bompiani, pp. 1-272;
3) Frédéric Martel, Mainstream, Milano, Feltrinelli;
4) Henry Jenkins, Cultura convergente, Milano, Apogeo.
Section 2:
1) Manuel Castells, Comunicazione e Potere, Milano, Università Bocconi Editore, pp. XVII-XXVIII, 1-239;
2) Fausto Colombo, Il potere socievole. Storia e critica dei social media, Bruno Mondadori;
3) Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, Kenneth Cukier, Big Data. Una rivoluzione che trasformerà il nostro modo di vivere - e già minaccia la nostra libertà, Garzanti;
4) Giovanni Ziccardi, Internet, controllo e libertà. Trasparenza, sorveglianza e segreto nell'era tecnologica, Milano, Raffaello Cortina Editore;
5) Siva Vaidhyanathan, La grande G. Come Google domina il mondo e perché dovremmo preoccuparci, Milano, Garzanti.
Module 2: Theory and Techniques of the Audiovisual Language
Bibliography and other teaching materials for attending students.
Attending students will have to prepare the following texts:
A dossier with essays and interviews relating to the films on the program, available at the library of the LUMI cooperative, piazza Indro Montanelli 16 (Sesto San Giovanni).
Gianni Rondolino, Dario Tomasi, Manuale del film, Torino, UTET: Sceneggiatura e racconto (Cap. I), L'inquadratura (Cap. II), Il montaggio (Cap. III).
Filmography
The vision and analysis of four chosen from the following films is an integral part of the examination:
Jean-Luc Godard, Il disprezzo (1963) French version with subtitles in Italian;
Pier Paolo Pasolini, Comizi d'amore (1964) + La ricotta (1963)
Michelangelo Antonioni, Blow up (1966, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Lars von Trier, Idioti (1998);
Jean-Pierre e Luc Dardenne, Rosetta (1999, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Lars von Trier, Dancer in the Dark (2000, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Michael Moore, Bowling for Columbine (2002);
Gus Van Sant, Elephant (2003, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Steve McQueen, Hunger (2008);
Michael Haneke, Amour (2012, Palma d'oro al festival di Cannes).
Module 2: Theory and Techniques of the Audiovisual Language
Bibliography and other teaching materials for non attending students.
Non attending students will have to prepare the following texts:
A dossier with essays and interviews relating to the films on the program, available at the library of the LUMI cooperative, piazza Indro Montanelli 16 (Sesto San Giovanni).
Gianni Rondolino, Dario Tomasi, Manuale del film, Torino, UTET: Sceneggiatura e racconto (Cap. I), L'inquadratura (Cap. II), Il montaggio (Cap. III).
In addition, one chosen from the following texts:
David Bordwell, Kristin Thompson, Cinema come arte. Teoria e prassi del film, Milano, Editrice Il Castoro, Parte quarta. Lo stile filmico;
André Bazin, Che cosa è il cinema?, Milano, Garzanti: Parte Prima - Ontologia e linguaggio;
Francis Vanoye, La sceneggiatura. forme, dispositivi, modelli, Torino, Lindau.
Filmography
The vision and analysis of four chosen from the following films is an integral part of the examination:
Jean-Luc Godard, Il disprezzo (1963) French version with subtitles in Italian;
Pier Paolo Pasolini, Comizi d'amore (1964) + La ricotta (1963)
Michelangelo Antonioni, Blow up (1966, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Lars von Trier, Idioti (1998);
Jean-Pierre e Luc Dardenne, Rosetta (1999, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Lars von Trier, Dancer in the Dark (2000, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Michael Moore, Bowling for Columbine (2002);
Gus Van Sant, Elephant (2003, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival);
Steve McQueen, Hunger (2008);
Michael Haneke, Amour (2012, Palma d'oro al festival di Cannes).
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of an oral interview on the topics of the program, aimed at ascertaining the knowledge of the main topics and in particular the acquisition of basic methodological tools respectively for the interpretation of the dynamics of the media system and the mass culture (module 1), cinematographic texts (module 2). Attendance at lessons is strongly recommended for better exam preparation. However, the program already includes additions for students who could not attend.
There are no intermediate tests, nor exams with partial programs: students must present both modules (6 ECTS exam) or one of their choice (3 ECTS exam) for the exam. Students must register through the appropriate links on the University website: only in this case the exams can be regularly registered.
There are no intermediate tests, nor exams with partial programs: students must present both modules (6 ECTS exam) or one of their choice (3 ECTS exam) for the exam. Students must register through the appropriate links on the University website: only in this case the exams can be regularly registered.
L-FIL-LET/11 - CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professors:
Porcelli Assunta Lucia Adriana, Turchetta Giovanni
Professor(s)