RMST374

Attendance/Participation: 15%

Journal/Study Questions: 15%

Short Reflection Paper 1: 15%

Short Reflection Paper 2: 15%

Media Project: 15% Final Essay: 25%

Total: 100%

Ileana Rodríguez and Mónica Szurmuk. The Cambridge History of Latin American Women’s Literature (2016) - available through the UBC Library
Primary literary texts - available through course Canvas

RMST250

Italian Mafia Movies

The image of the Godfather as embodied by actors Marlon Brando and Al Pacino from the 1972 American movie is iconic in contemporary popular culture. An enduring association of the mafia with Italy permeates Western culture. Both Italians and non-Italians have impassioned responses to this prevailing cultural stereotype. Individual opinions and feelings also exist on different Italian-origin organized crime: the Cosa Nostra, Camorra, ‘Ndrangheta, Banda della Magliana, and others. The mafia is an integral part of Italian culture.

Cinema has fundamentally shaped our knowledge and emotions about the Italy-mafia association. As a cinematic genre, the mafia movie was developed in both American and Italian film industries, and it addresses both the perceived glamor of mafioso bosses and the unsung heroism of anti-mafia activists. Screen culture about the Italian (anti-)mafia is complex and nuanced and open to diverse interpretations.

The guiding question of the course is not whether these filmic representations accurately depict the mafia and their contestations. Rather, we unravel the representational complexities, intentions, and agendas of the movies and of the mafia movie genre. To this end, we will conduct film analysis to understand how a movie works technically and aesthetically. We will also learn to contextualize such a film analysis within the socio-historical and cultural coordinates of the productions or narratives of the films.

The course helps students gradually build up an interpretive capacity for approaching Italian mafia movies. Lectures on contexts, in-class discussions and activities specific to individual movies, improvised oral presentations that relate critical insights to personal stories, and film reviews or essays that formally argue in defense of a standpoint will be pursued progressively. Whether you know much or little about the Italian mafia and its cinematic representations, you will gain sophistication about its wide circulation in popular culture through this course.

Language of instruction: English

Instructor: Dr. Gaoheng Zhang

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

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Film review or essay 1: 20%
Film review or essay 2: 25%
“Mafia Movie Stories” and written reports: 30%

In-class activities: 20%

Class discussions: 5%

Coming soon!

RMST140

Italian Fashion Cultures

In 2022, Italy’s newly-elected, right-wing prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, re-named a previous trade ministry as the “Ministry for Business and Made in Italy,” thereby invoking a key marker of Italian commercial, group, and cultural identity. Since the end of the WWII, the garment and accessories sector has been traditionally recognized as a pillar within the Made in Italy industries.

“Italian Fashion Cultures” examines both the national history of Italian fashion since the post-WWII period and its global dimensions. The course delineates the dynamics among the country’s fashion capitals (Florence, Rome, and Milan), with a focus on the apparel sector’s growth during the 1950s-1970s. We also probe how and why Italian fashion has developed in response to the clothing sector’s exigencies and creative tension with France, the United States, and China.

The course highlights ready-to-wear and fast fashion, the two most significant categories of the fashion world today. Cultural appropriation, decoloniality, and sustainability are examined throughout the course in relation to the course’s primary texts, including fashion journalism, websites, social media, advertising, literature, films, and artworks.

Students are encouraged to consider three central questions:

(1) how clothing is represented in the primary texts to influence the audience’s cognitive and affective knowledge;

(2) how fashion helps forge individual, brand, national, and other cultural identities;

(3) given the ubiquitous presence of fashion branding, how these narratives articulate the Made in Italy cachet to consumers?

The course does not assume student’s prior knowledge of Italy or Italian fashion. Oral presentations and a final project (in the format of a critical essay, a short film, a multimedia project, or creative writing) are the main tools of assessment of learning outcomes. Regular attendance in class lecturing and participation in group discussions and in-class activities are essential for developing critical and analytical skills for these assessment activities.

Language of instruction: English

Instructor: Dr. Gaoheng Zhang

Prerequisites: No prerequisite

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Final project: 25%
Prospectus: 15%
Four “Fashion Stories”: 40%
In-class activities: 20%

Coming soon!

RMST347

Gender and Sexuality in Italian Cinema

The connection between Italy and romantic love has been immortalized in American movies such as the wildly popular romantic comedies Roman Holiday (William Wyler 1953) and Summertime (David Lean 1955). The coupling of North American women and Italian Latin Lovers is a recurring narrative pattern in contemporary popular culture. How did Italian cinema react to this cinematic trope? What gender and sexuality-related discussions did Italian cinema offer?

The course’s three units—“Masculinities,” “Femininities,” and “Stardom”—provides in-depth discussions of a range of tropes of gender and sexuality and their contestations in Italian cinema. The period we focus on is the 1960s and 1970s, when gender and sexual mores in Italian society underwent the decisive transformation under pressure from capitalist consumerism. We also cover a variety of film genres in this course, ranging from neorealist films to spaghetti Westerns, from art house movies to popular cinema, and more.

Students are encouraged to use both gender studies and socio-historical contextualization to enrich their film analysis. All films have English subtitles.

Language of instruction: English

Instructor: Dr. Gaoheng Zhang

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

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Argumentative essay 1: 25%

Argumentative essay 2: 30%

Final oral presentation: 20%

In-class activities and participation: 20%

Class discussions: 5%

Coming soon!

RMST340

Italian Food Cultures

Italy is world-renowned for its food cultures and Italians put great care into food preparation, consumption, and appreciation. It is no wonder that Italian food-related themes permeate the country’s cultural life and beyond. Operating in the field of interpretive humanities, this course examines cultural representations of Italian or Italian-derived foods. We interpret the role that these representations play in articulating larger social issues in contemporary Italy, including regionalism, anti-globalization, family history, gender and sexual identities, Italian American food, tourism in Italy, and immigration to Italy. Through studying primary texts such as films and literature, students are encouraged to form a complex picture of Italy’s relationships with food cultures in a local-global context. Relevant empirical information and socio-historical contexts are often provided in lectures and through students’ readings. But the main task of the students is to interpret what the primary texts articulate about Italian(-style) food and foodways as they interact with the social world. The course assumes no prior knowledge of Italian. But it requires a passion for Italian food and culture! The course is particularly recommended to students at 2^nd year standing or higher.

Language of instruction: English

Instructor: Dr. Gaoheng Zhang

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

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Final project: 25%
Prospectus: 15%
“Culinary Stories” (Four improvised oral presentations and written reports): 40%
In-class activities: 20%

Coming soon!

RMST455

Tending the Renaissance of the World Soul: Byzantium in Italy and the Humanist Dream

Anonymous in Giorgione’s style, Orpheus and Time. Washington, Phillis Memorial Gallery

Early in the fifteenth century it became painfully obvious that the scattered remains of what had once been glorious Byzantium were sitting on the edge of a historical abyss: it was simply a matter of time before the Ottoman Turks would conquer Constantinople and turn it into the capital of their rapidly expanding, increasingly powerful Empire (1453).

This course explores the extraordinary cultural legacy that Byzantium left to the world in and through its waning. We will focus in particular on the area of the Italian peninsula, where many of the most eminent Byzantine delegates to the Council of Ferrara-Florence (1437-39) ended up settling, “trans-lating” with them the heritage of their Classical, Late Antique and Christian cultures.

One of the most powerful Italian families, the Medicis, sponsored the “rebirth” of the ancient wisdom of the Greeks through a painstaking program of translations largely authored by Marsilio Ficino. But the Florentine Academy also gathered poets, philosophers, painters, musicians. Their works quickly spread throughout Italy, and from there to the rest of the Western world.

The invention of the printing press powerfully helped entertain the dream that the (re)birth of an irenic, peaceful, self-aware and holistic society was possible. The dream of such a felicitous Renaissance only lasted a few decades, engulfed as it was by Europe’s political and confessional tragedies. Even so, its legacy never died out completely, and remained the backbone of Western sapiential awareness.

It is the heritage of this “other” Renaissance which we shall try to track down — a heritage grounded in the ancient teachings of the Hermetic wisdom, advocating through the ages the “golden” possibility of achieving a timeless, truly realized human consciousness.

Language of instruction: English

Instructor: Dr. Daniela Boccassini

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

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Coming soon!

Required texts:

There are no required books to buy. Required texts are available online, or will be made available via Canvas.

Primary Texts (either in PDF or available online) include excerpts from:
— Asclepius
— Nicholas of Cusa
— Marsilio Ficino
— Hypnerotomachia Poliphili
— Erasmus

Recommended texts:

TBA, either in PDF or available online

FREN407A

Rebels, Scoundrels and Swindlers: The Criminal Underworld in Medieval French Literature

London, British Library, Add. 49622 (Gorleston Psalter), f° 153r

The Middle Ages are commonly perceived as a rigorous, oppressive and moralizing period. In fact, medieval literature and culture were fascinated by criminals, thieves, cheats and swindlers, in a dual phenomenon of celebrating and condemning the lawless life. This FREN 407 course focuses on characters and authors who lived on the margins of society, with little regard for law or authority.

We will begin with Béroul’s account of the thwarted love of Tristan and Iseut: the star-crossed lovers’ forbidden passion forces them to lie, cheat, and hide in the forest like common brigands. We will then move on to satirical literature, specifically the comic portrayal of low-level crime in 13th-century fabliaux and the animal shenanigans of Renart, the anthropomorphic fox around whom the tales of the anonymous Roman de Renart revolve. We’ll explore the chilling exploits of Eustace the Monk, a pirate and mercenary who sowed terror in the Boulonnais region and across the English Channel in the days of Prince John, before reading the adventures of the noble brigand Fouke FitzWarin, whose life may have inspired the legend of Robin Hood. We’ll conclude the semester with the work of François Villon, who revolutionized late medieval poetry while living the life of an outlaw on the run.

This exploration of medieval French literature through its fascination with the criminal world will allow us to explore the entire period of production, from the 12th to the 15th century. We’ll study Anglo-Norman and Anglo-French texts as well as continental texts, manuscripts and printed works, poetry and narrative, history and fiction.

Language of instruction: French

Instructor: Dr. Patrick Moran

Prerequisite: Either (a) all of FREN 311, FREN 321 or (b) all of FREN 328, FREN 329 and one of FREN 225, FREN 402.

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FREN 407 is typically graded the following way:

Weekly Questions on Reading Assignment (= answer 1 out of a choice of 3 questions/week) – 15% (1.5% per week)
Group Presentation – 30%
Outline of Final Paper – 15%
Final Paper – 40%

Béroul, Tristan et Yseut, Paris, Folio Classique, 2018, ISBN 978-2072775994
Le Roman de Renart (extraits)
Fabliaux (extraits)
Le Roman d’Eustache le Moine (extraits)
Fouke Fitz Warin (extraits)
François Villon, Œuvres complètes, Paris, Folio Classique, 2020, ISBN 978-2072899607

Students need only purchase texts 1 and 6. All other reading material will be made available on Canvas.

RMST420

La Vibe: Francophone Soundscapes from Afrobeats to V-Pop

In this dynamic and immersive course, we’ll explore the rich musical soundscapes of the Francophone world, from the infectious rhythms of Afrobeats, Konpa and Rumba to the stars of la chanson française, Franco-Rap, V-Pop, and more. Through a mix of listening sessions, readings, historical deep dives, and engaging discussions, students will discover how music reflects cultural identity, social movements, and global trends across French-speaking countries. We’ll analyze lyrics (with translations), learn about different genres and their evolution, and hear from Vancouver-based musicians who will share their insights into the Francophone music scene. The course also offers a tour of UBC’s radio station CiTR. For the final assignment, students will learn to create their own radio segment showcasing a theme, genre, or artist of their choice. The best projects will be featured on CiTR’s radio show Kafou Muzik, giving students a chance to have their work broadcasted to a wider audience. Whether you’re a music lover, a culture enthusiast, or just looking to expand your playlist, this course will have you grooving from start to finish!

Language of instruction: English

Instructor: Dr. Antje Ziethen

Prerequisites: Recommended for students in 3rd year or above. Restricted to students with 2nd year standing or above.

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Participation 15%
Presentation 10%
2 Exams 40%
Final Project 35%

Coming soon!

FREN443

Le postcolonial français et l’écocritique

La critique et la théorie postcoloniales ont évolué dans diverses directions depuis les années 1980. L’écocritique, elle, n’existe en soi comme un discours interdisciplinaire où l’on cherche à analyser par exemple les relations entre culture, nature, histoire, économie, et littérature. Dans le cadre de notre séminaire de premier cycle, un appareil théorique viendra éclairer ces problématiques. Enfin, nous nous concentrerons sur les défis mis à jour dans le roman postcolonial en français. Parmi les thèmes prédominants nous aborderons l’impérialisme écologique (introduction de cultures nouvelles au détriment la biodiversité locale), la dégradation des écosystèmes (industries énergies fossiles, essais nucléaires), l’écoféminisme, les rapports entre les imaginaires (collectifs, individuels, postcoloniaux, occidentaux), la métaphore de l’exploitation. Néanmoins, des modes de résistance, ou dits alternatifs, sont apparus, notamment épistémologiques et poétiques. C’est là que le roman joue un rôle éthique en faisant partager des expériences de notre mondialité (pas mondialisation !). Dans notre séminaire, nous ferons un bref tour du monde dit francophone pour analyser la manière dont les auteurs réévaluent la relation entre humains et milieu dans le cadre d’un héritage colonial, pas seulement comme un constat, mais peut-être aussi comme un équilibre entre une position politique et un renouveau esthétique.

Language of instruction: French

Instructor: Dr. Farid Laroussi

Prerequisites: Either (a) all of FREN 311, FREN 321 or (b) all of FREN 328, FREN 329 and one of FREN 225, FREN 402.

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Barème
Participation (+ activités en groupes) 15%
Un compte rendu littéraire (600-700 mots) 20%
Projet (paires) à partir d'un sujet libre, sur Canvas 25%
Devoir (1300-1400 mots) 40%

Ouvrages du cours, par ordre d’étude :

Gabon. Petroleum (2004). Sandrine Bessora
Martinique. Les neuf consciences du Malfini (2010). Patrick Chamoiseau
Tahiti. Mu tismes, E’ore ta vava (2021, réédition). Titaua Peu
Algérie. Rue des perplexes (2021). Mohamed Magani
L’appareil théorique sera annoncé dans le plan du cours.