ITAL303

ITAL303

Shifting Identities and Perceptions in Medieval and Early Modern Italy

Cross-listed with RMST 341

Giotto, Nativity, detail. Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, Italy. The Virgin Mary looks at her newborn child, Jesus, as he looks back at her. We see here the inception of art as expression not just of traditional sacred story, but of human consciousness as experience of a fully embodied identity, a coming together of intelligence, emotions, intuitions and sensations.

This is a course that aims at blending the visual and the literary arts that flourished in the Italian peninsula from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. We will follow a chronological order, moving from Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio to Pico, Machiavelli and Castiglione, from Giotto to Leonardo.

We will also pay attention to where these art forms occurred geographically, as different centers of patronage became prominent at different moments in time. We will therefore look at Palermo and Sicily during the 12th and 13th centuries, Florence and Tuscany from the 13th to the 16th, Milan-Venice in the 15th and 16th; finally, approaching the Rome of the Renaissance will also give us the opportunity to look at her ancient, classical heritage.

We will read excerpts from some of the major texts that were produced in these various areas, and familiarize ourselves with the evolution of the visual arts.

If you are planning a trip to Italy at some point in the future, don’t miss this course! Decisions on where to go, where to stay and which wines to taste will rest on your organizational skills; but, having taken this course, you will know all the ins and outs necessary to plan a culturally exciting journey and decide for yourselves which regions’ cultural identities are closer to your interests.

Required texts:

  • There are no required books to buy. Required texts are available online, or will be made available via Canvas.
  • Selections from the following Primary Texts (either excerpts in PDF or available online):
    • Dante, Vita nuova (book required, see below) +The Divine Comedy.
    • Boccaccio, Decameron.
    • Petrarca, Canzoniere and other works.
    • Pico della Mirandola, On the Dignity of Man.
    • Machiavelli, The Prince.
    • Castiglione, The Courtier.

Recommended texts:

  • Schneider Adams, Laurie. Italian Renaissance Art. Westview Press, 2001.

Prerequisite: No prerequisites

Note: Credit will be granted for only one of ITAL 303 or RMST 341.

Language of Instruction: English

ITAL202

Elementary Italian II

Expansion of fundamental notions and presentation of elaborate structures, present, past and future tenses and different modes. Enriched opportunities to explore Italian culture and develop intercultural skills. Aligned with CEFR level A2 objectives.

Language of instruction: Italian

Recommended pre-requisite: ITAL 201

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Grading Breakdown

PARTECIPAZIONE 25%
PREPARAZIONE 20%
QUIZZES (3) 15%
PROVE ORALI (2) 15%
ESAME FINALE SCRITTO 25%

Readings

M. Naddeo, E. Orlandino, Dieci A2, Lezioni di italiano. Alma Edizioni, Firenze, 2019, ISBN 978-88-6182-633-5

Determine your entry level
Find out which course level to start at given your previous experience with Italian.

ITAL201

Elementary Italian I

Introduction to complex language structures used to communicate in a variety of situations by using different tenses and modes. Enhanced ability to comprehend, interact and express wishes or feelings in common personal and social contexts. Aligned with CEFR level A2 objectives.

Language of instruction: Italian

Recommended pre-requisite: ITAL 102 or successful completion of CEFR Level A1.

Note: One section of ITAL 201 will be offered in Hybrid format, which includes a few asynchronous classes.

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Grading Breakdown

Preparazione 20%
Partecipazione 25%
Quizzes (3) 15%
Prove Orali (2) 15%
Esame Finale Scritto 25%

Readings

M. Naddeo, E. Orlandino, Dieci A2, Lezioni di italiano. Alma Edizioni, Firenze, 2019, ISBN 978-88-6182-633-5

Determine your entry level
Find out which course level to start at given your previous experience with Italian.

ITAL101

Beginners’ Italian I

Benvenuti to Italian 101, the introductory course to Italian language and culture.

ITAL 101 is the first of a series of language and literature courses offered by the FHIS Department that introduces students to the fundamentals of the Italian language and expands on all language skills (i.e., reading, listening, writing and speaking), (inter)cultural knowledge, and communicative capacity. Throughout the semester, learners develop the ability to listen to, discuss, read and write about themselves and their family, their everyday activities and routine, common pastimes and likings, and learn about and compare their own experiences with those of contemporary Italians. A part from discussing some basic structures and lexicon of Italian language during this course we will also explore a number of interesting cultural topics on contemporary Italy and work through the first level of language acquisition, level A1 or ‘Basic user’, as defined by the Common European Framework (CEFR).

This ITAL course is largely based on the flipped model and it includes a number of learning activities that learners are expected to complete before coming to the in-person classes as a way to ‘prepare’ them to learn more effectively and be ready to engage and practice your newly acquired knowledge through a series of individual and small group activities in class. By asking them to engage independently with relevant activities and exercises before joining a session, we want to help our students recall what they may already know, work at their pace and review the material as many times as they need and ultimately, make better use of your time spent in class.

Each unit is introduced and reviewed through interactive video lessons (10 to 12 video) which present or review the main topics of each unit; other videos instead, focus on grammar points or on communicative functions and are followed by short practice exercises to check students’ progress and strengthen their learning. The course is designed for prospective minors as well as for those simply seeking a first exposure to the language.

Language of instruction: Italian

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Notes:

  • Hybrid course: One of the sections of ITAL 101 is hybrid and combines mandatory in-person and 6 to 8 online, asynchronous learning activities that learners are expected to complete independently and in due times. This hybrid course is particularly suited to well organized and independent learners, who understand and appreciate the importance of following closely the clearly structured activities on the course Canvas site, the course schedule and expectations and do the required homework before joining the in-person classes.
  • Course sequence: Italian 101 is the first part of the full sequence of Italian language and culture courses. The level A1 will be achieved upon successful completion of the follow up course, ITAL 102 which is normally offered in the summer and/or in term 2 of each academic year.
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Grading Breakdown

20% Preparation
25% Participation
15% Quizzes (3)
15% Oral Assignments
25% Final Written Exam

2% Extra credits*

Readings

Required Textbook:

C.M. Naddeo & E. Orlandino, DIECI A1 (Alma Edizioni)

Choose one of the following formats:

  • Print book + interactive eBook: ISBN 978-88-6182-676-2
  • eBook only: ISBN 978-88-6182-677-9

Students who choose the eBook-only version will soon receive a special code to purchase it at a discounted price through BlinkLearning.

More information: https://www.almaedizioni.it/en/product/dieci-a1

Determine your entry level
Find out which course level to start at given your previous experience with Italian.

 

FREN520B

Écrire l’utopie en France (18e-19e siècles)

Instructor: Joël Castonguay-Bélanger
Language of instruction: French

Construction imaginaire d’une alternative face aux limites et aux vices du présent, description d’un espace idéal qui se serait développé dans les marges de l’histoire, l’utopie participe à la fois de la quête d’un monde meilleur et de la critique de l’ordre existant. Parce qu’elle se présente comme l’expression d’une réalité affranchie de la vérité historique, parce que ses auteurs la situent le plus généralement quelque part entre ailleurs et nulle part, l’utopie se retrouve souvent rangée sur le même rayon que celui des œuvres d’imagination.

Depuis le début du XVIe siècle, moment où Thomas More forge le mot, son écriture emprunte les artifices de la fiction. Elle donnera lieu à une riche tradition littéraire qui se déclinera sous différentes formes : récit de voyage fantaisiste, traité politique, législation imaginaire, roman d’anticipation, etc. Si le discours utopique se donne à lire comme la projection d’un imaginaire politique et social enviable, mais le plus souvent irréalisable, celui-ci reste toutefois toujours en prise avec le réel qu’il entend réformer. Nous interroger sur ce statut ambigu de l’imaginaire utopique, tel qu’il se donne à lire sous la plume de quelques auteurs des 18e et 19e siècles, est l’objectif de ce séminaire.

Une sélection de textes et d’extraits de:
Montesquieu
Étienne-Gabriel Morelly
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Denis Diderot
Condorcet
Louis Sébastien Mercier
Saint-Simon
Charles Fourier
Étienne Cabet

Note: FREN 520 may be taken twice, with different content, for a maximum of 6 credits.

FREN521A

Les littératures du monde francophone

Ce cours invite les étudiants à découvrir l’univers des littératures d’expression française afin de se familiariser avec les histoires, géographies et sociétés dont elles émanent. Notre itinéraire, autant transocéanique que transcontinental, nous amène au Québec/Liban, en Algérie, en Haïti, au Libéria et en Corée du Sud. L’étude détaillée du corpus se fait à la lumière d’écrits sur le postcolonialisme et la théorie littéraire. L’objectif est d’encourager une réflexion critique et nuancée sur l’écriture en français dans un contexte global ainsi que d’apprécier la beauté et la diversité des textes façonnés dans cette langue.

Language of instruction: French

Instructor: Antje Ziethen

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Grading Breakdown

Participation 20%
Compte rendu critique 10%
Présentation 25%
Travail de recherche 45%

Readings

  • Wajdi Mouawad. Incendies
  • Amin Maalouf. Les Identités meurtrières
  • Assia Djebar. Femmes d’Alger dans leur appartement
  • Edward Saïd. Orientalism
  • Marie Vieux-Chauvet. Amour
  • Frantz Fanon. Les Damnés de la terre et Peau noire, masques blancs
  • Ahmadou Kourouma. Allah n’est pas obligé
  • Elisa Shua. Dusapin Hiver à Sokcho

SPAN495

Gender and Sexuality in the Early Modern Stage

Cross-listed with SPAN505B

Commedia dell'arte troupe by unknown artist, c. 1580; in the Musée Carnavalet, Paris.

Expect to read some of the most outstanding theatrical plays of the early modern period from a comparative perspective, bringing together texts from various literary traditions. In this course students will explore both the common themes and diverging practices of the Spanish, French, Italian, English and Novohispanic stages. The seminar will examine baroque theatricality, meta-theatricality, stagecraft and the distinct treatment of women in the performance space, while paying particular attention to the varied ways that gender, sex and sexuality are represented. Readings might include plays by Shakespeare, Cervantes, Racine and Calderón; Caro Mallén de Soto, Sor Juana and Aphra Behn; Marlowe, Molière, Machiavelli and Tirso; Lope de Vega, Corneille, Ruiz de Alarcón and Middleton, among other.

Language of instruction: Spanish

Recommended prerequisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish

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Grading Breakdown

Participation and Preparation 10%
Weekly Posts 15%
Response Papers (1. 10%, 2. 15%) 25%
Critical Pres. & Disc. 15%
Leading Discussion 10%
Final Comparative Essay 25%

Readings

  • Ignacio Arellano, Historia del teatro español del siglo XVII. Madrid: Cátedra, 2008.
  • Ignacio Arellano and José Antonio Rodríguez Garrido, El teatro en la Hispanoamérica colonial. Madrid: Iberoamericana, 2008.
  • Francisco Ruiz Ramón, Historia del teatro español (desde sus orígenes hasta 1900). Madrid: Cátedra, 2011.
  • Malveena McKendrick, Theatre in Spain, 1490-1700. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1989.
  • Teresa Scott Soufas, Dramas of Distinction: Plays by Golden Age Women. Lexington: The U of Kentucky P, 1997.
  • Daniel Gerould, ed. Theatre/Theory/Theatre. Wisconsin: Hal Leonard Corp., 2000.
  • Henry Bial and Sara Brady, eds. The Performance Studies Reader. New York: Routledge, 2016.

SPAN470A

Literatura y derechos humanos en América Latina

Este curso se propone examinar la compleja relación entre literatura y derechos humanos en América Latina, desde la llegada de los europeos al Nuevo Mundo hasta hoy en día. Con un enfoque particular en las letras coloniales, nos preguntaremos cuál ha sido el impacto de los abusos y/o la defensa de los derechos humanos en la literatura latinoamericana y, viceversa, cuál es la contribución de la literatura a los debates sobre los derechos humanos. Más específicamente, discutiremos nociones cruciales, como el trauma, el afecto, la resistencia y la descolonización mediante análisis textuales y la lectura crítica de obras secundarias relevantes en torno a los desafíos y limitaciones de la teoría de los derechos humanos (Galeano, Quijano, Sousa Santos, Zavala, Žižek, etc.). Asimismo, recibiremos la visita de miembros de organizaciones no gubernamentales que se dedican a la implementación de los derechos humanos en las Américas.

Lecturas obligatorias:

Las siguientes lecturas estarán disponibles en Canvas:

Ayala, Guamán Poma de. El primer nueva corónica y buen gobierno (pasajes)

Barrioso, Mariano, dir. En el tiempo de las mariposas (película)

Casas, Bartolomé de las. Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias (pasajes)

Cruz, Sor Juana Inés de la. Loa al Cetro de José

Dorfman, Ariel. La muerte y la doncella

León-Portilla, Miguel, ed. Visión de los vencidos (pasajes)

Menchú, Rigoberta (y Elisabeth Burgos-Debray, ed.). Me llamo Rigoberta Menchú y así me nació la conciencia (pasajes)

Múltiples autores. “43 poetas por Ayotzinapa” (pasajes)

Partnoy, Alicia. La escuelita 

Sepúlveda, Juan Ginés de. Demócrates segundo o De las justas causas de la guerra contra los indios (pasajes)

Viscardo y Guzmán, Juan Pablo. Carta a los españoles americanos

Yupanqui, Titu Cusi. Instrucción (pasajes)

Prerequisite: SPAN 221 and SPAN 302

Note:
SPAN 470 may be taken twice for credit, with different content, to a maximum of 6 credits.

Language of Instruction: Spanish

Course Registration

SPAN406

Breaking the Mold: Gender Representation(s) in Hispanic Literature and Culture

El curso es una introducción al papel de la mujer en España desde el siglo XVIII hasta nuestros días. El énfasis, sin embargo, se pondrá en las aportaciones al discurso feminista español de algunas de estas artistas, escritoras y directoras, sin perder de vista el contexto histórico, político, social, económico y cultural español y europeo en el que se insertan.

Algunas de las preguntas que se plantearán en el curso son: ¿Qué implica ser una escritora, artista o directora de cine en el contexto social y político en el que produce su obra? ¿Cómo se enfrenta la artista a ello y cómo se posiciona en referencia a entidades como la nación y cuestiones como el nacionalismo? ¿Qué problemática específica se le plantea al sujeto femenino en situaciones de colonialismo? ¿En qué manera las mujeres transforman la literatura y el arte de la tradición? ¿Cómo se construye y reinventa el sujeto femenino? ¿Cómo se plantea la cuestión de la identidad sexual y el cuerpo?

OBJETIVOS:

El curso tiene cuatro objetivos centrales:

1) que el estudiante adquiera un visión general e introductoria de la historia de las

mujeres en España durante los siglos XVIII, XIX y XX, en el marco de la historia de las mujeres en Occidente.

2) que el estudiante adquiera una visión introductoria y general de la producción cultural femenina—artística, literaria y fílmica—en España durante esos mismos siglos.

3) que el estudiante explore en detalle la obra de alguna de las directoras de cine o escritoras más destacadas o relevantes de la cultura española:

4) que, en función de todo lo anterior, el estudiante reflexione sobre una diversidad de temas en referencia a la relación entre cultura y mujer, y principalmente desde el punto de vista de las mujeres mismas

Language of instruction: Spanish

Instructor: Dr. María Soledad Fernández Utrera

Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

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Grading Breakdown

Coming soon!

Readings

Coming soon!

SPAN405F

From Text to Palate: Literature, Food and Society in Spain and Latin America

I took the little book from the angel’s hand, ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey utters John in the Bible. The ancient link between food and books is particularly significant in the Hispanic World where eating has always been essential in defining individuals, groups, cultures, and societies. Through an interdisciplinary approach to Hispanic texts and voices from a wide range of time periods (Don Juan Manuel, Lope de Rueda, Cervantes, Josep Plá, Manuel Vicent, Cabeza de Vaca, Ricardo Palma, Laura Esquivel, Martín Caparrós), this course studies food (everything ingested including liquids and medicines) as a cultural product concocted by forces such as ritualization, colonization, technology, travelling or globalization. We will pay particular attention to the intersections of food with economy, religion, social class, gender, health, and language. IN SPANISH

Prerequisite: SPAN 221 and SPAN 302

Note:
SPAN 405 may be taken twice for credit, with different content, to a maximum of 6 credits.

Language of Instruction: Spanish

Course registration