Anglophone Cultures
A.Y. 2019/2020
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
Course syllabus
"Hi/Storytelling through a postcolonial lens"
The programme will deal with history narratives and the way they intersect the lives of individuals and communities by exploring the relevance of storytelling in the postcolonial present of English-speaking countries, and by underlining how storytelling affects culture. The notions of "history" and "story" and their important relationship will be analysed according to the methodological approaches of Cultural Studies and Postcolonial Studies. The contribution of different disciplines, illustrated by guest speakers, will be useful to better and practically understand the content of the teaching programme. A range of significant oral and written texts will be examined in a postcolonial perspective to interpret our historical moment of global migration and relocation. The programme will be rounded off by a reflection on the art of hi/storytelling that produces precious cultural representations and literary tales with an incisive political function.
Lectures by guest speakers and films will be part of the teaching programme.
Lessons will be in English. However, some lectures may be in Italian.
The material will be provided on the ARIEL website of "Culture anglofone" (MED), except for Fornari's book and the collections of short stories.
Module 1 - 3 credits - Storytelling
This module will include a theoretical and methodological introduction, a presentation of the colonial and postcolonial history of the British Empire, and a discussion of "orality" -- a cultural, political and literary expressive mode -- mainly clustered around South Africa.
Module 2 - 3 credits - Narratives of History
This module will examine the narratives and counter-narratives of history -- the re-writing of colonial history -- by presenting the collection of short stories by Elleke Boehmer La ragazza che parlava zulu e altri racconti. In the process, major issues regarding the theory and practice of postcolonial translation from a cultural perspective will be addressed, introducing students to a rewarding professional tool.
Module 3 - 3 credits - Refugee walks and tales: An interdisciplinary dialogue
This module will aim at creating an interdisciplinary dialogue by focusing on how music, images, objects and places tell their own hi/stories, how these help to interpret today's migration and relocation, and how they contribute to shape processes of identity formation, cultural affiliation and belonging in the present time.
MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS UNABLE TO ATTEND THE CLASSES
In addition to the full programme presented above and to all the materials made available on the ARIEL website "Culture anglofone" (MED) (lectures by guest speakers and films are NOT included), students will be asked to read and critically comment on the collection of stories edited by David Herd and Anna Pincus, Refugee Tales III, Comma Press, 2019.
The programme will deal with history narratives and the way they intersect the lives of individuals and communities by exploring the relevance of storytelling in the postcolonial present of English-speaking countries, and by underlining how storytelling affects culture. The notions of "history" and "story" and their important relationship will be analysed according to the methodological approaches of Cultural Studies and Postcolonial Studies. The contribution of different disciplines, illustrated by guest speakers, will be useful to better and practically understand the content of the teaching programme. A range of significant oral and written texts will be examined in a postcolonial perspective to interpret our historical moment of global migration and relocation. The programme will be rounded off by a reflection on the art of hi/storytelling that produces precious cultural representations and literary tales with an incisive political function.
Lectures by guest speakers and films will be part of the teaching programme.
Lessons will be in English. However, some lectures may be in Italian.
The material will be provided on the ARIEL website of "Culture anglofone" (MED), except for Fornari's book and the collections of short stories.
Module 1 - 3 credits - Storytelling
This module will include a theoretical and methodological introduction, a presentation of the colonial and postcolonial history of the British Empire, and a discussion of "orality" -- a cultural, political and literary expressive mode -- mainly clustered around South Africa.
Module 2 - 3 credits - Narratives of History
This module will examine the narratives and counter-narratives of history -- the re-writing of colonial history -- by presenting the collection of short stories by Elleke Boehmer La ragazza che parlava zulu e altri racconti. In the process, major issues regarding the theory and practice of postcolonial translation from a cultural perspective will be addressed, introducing students to a rewarding professional tool.
Module 3 - 3 credits - Refugee walks and tales: An interdisciplinary dialogue
This module will aim at creating an interdisciplinary dialogue by focusing on how music, images, objects and places tell their own hi/stories, how these help to interpret today's migration and relocation, and how they contribute to shape processes of identity formation, cultural affiliation and belonging in the present time.
MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS UNABLE TO ATTEND THE CLASSES
In addition to the full programme presented above and to all the materials made available on the ARIEL website "Culture anglofone" (MED) (lectures by guest speakers and films are NOT included), students will be asked to read and critically comment on the collection of stories edited by David Herd and Anna Pincus, Refugee Tales III, Comma Press, 2019.
Prerequisites for admission
Exam "Cultura inglese 1". Students should have a good level of English language competence. Basic Italian is advisable for international students.
Teaching methods
Lectures, class discussion and debates. Attendance is recommended, however not compulsory.
Teaching Resources
Module 1 - Storytelling
The following texts will be examined:
Fornari, Emanuela, Linee di confine. Filosofia e Postcolonialismo, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2011, Introduzione e "Parte prima". Fornari's text can be substituted with one of the following options depending on the student's choice: Option (1): Pedretti, Roberto e Itala Vivan, Dalla lambretta allo skateboard: Teoria e storie delle sottoculture giovanili britanniche (1950-2000), Milano, Unicopli, 2009. Introduzione, I. Le origini, II. 'Popular culture' e sottoculture, pp. 1-52; e Parte 1, pp. 55-103. Option (2): Gualtieri, Claudia e Itala Vivan. Dalla English alla Britishness. Discorsi culturali in trasformazione dal canone imperiale alle storie dell'oggi. Roma, Carrocci, 2008. Introduzione e Parte prima, pp. 13-98.
Materials:
Mandela, N., Long Walk to Freedom, Abacus, 1994, pp. 47-50 (about the Xhosa poet Krune Mqhayi).
Abrams, L., "The peculiarities of oral history", in Oral History Theory, Routledge, 2010, pp. 18-32.
Vivan, I. "Oralità e romanzo in Africa". In corso di pubblicazione.
Vivan, I. "Nelson Mandela, un eroe del nostro tempo", in Ho camminato sulla lunga strada per la libertà, Ravenna Festival 2016, pp. 75-77.
Vivan, I e Gualtieri, C., "I poeti salutano Mandela", in Ho camminato sulla lunga strada per la libertà, Ravenna Festival 2016, p. 80.
Wole Soyinka, "'No!', disse", Gcina Mhlophe, "Leader remember", Mak Manaka, "Beyond the grave", in Ho camminato sulla lunga strada per la libertà, Ravenna Festival 2016, pp. 81-83.
Sipho Sepamla, "Civilization Aha", "History Books, Amen!", "The Blues is you in me", in Il Nuovo Sudafrica. Dalle strettorie dell'apartheid alle complessità della democrazia, a cura di Itala Vivan, Firenze, La Nuova Italia, 1996.
Shamiel Adams (Shamiel X) "What is Hip Hop?" / "Cos'è l'Hip Hop?", Afurakan "blaq people rock" / "I neri spaccano di brutto", in I nostri semi - Peo tsa rona. Poeti sudafricani del post-apartheid, a cura di Raphael D'Abdon, Napoli, Michele di Salvo Editore, 2007, pp. 56-65 and pp. 72-77.
Module 2 - Narratives of History
The following texts will be examined:
Boehmer, Elleke, La ragazza che parlava zulu e altri racconti, Roma, Historica, 2019.
King, T., The Inconvenient Indian: A curious account of native people in North America, Canada Broadcasting Corporation, 2013, "Prologue: Warm Toast and Porcupines", pp. ix-xvi, "Forget Columbus", pp. 1-20.
Fornari, Emanuela, Linee di confine. Filosofia e Postcolonialismo, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2011, Introduzione and "Parte seconda". Fornari's text can be substituted with one of the following options depending on the student's choice: Option (1): Pedretti, Roberto e Itala Vivan, Dalla lambretta allo skateboard: Teoria e storie delle sottoculture giovanili britanniche (1950-2000), Milano, Unicopli, 2009. Introduzione, I. Le origini, II. 'Popular culture' e sottoculture, pp. 1-52; and one part among the following: Parte 2, pp. 107-149 and Conclusione, pp. 191-198; OR, Parte 3, pp. 153-198. Option (2): Gualtieri, Claudia e Itala Vivan. Dalla English alla Britishness. Discorsi culturali in trasformazione dal canone imperiale alle storie dell'oggi. Roma, Carrocci, 2008. Introduzione, pp. 13-17, 'Strumenti e metodi', pp.87-98, in Parte seconda, the introductory sections to the speeches at pp. 99-103, 133-134, 167-168, 203, and one speech, on the student's choice, that should be analysed and critically commented on, selected among the ones in Parte seconda.
Module 3 - Refugee walks and tales: An interdisciplinary dialogue
Gualtieri, Claudia, (a cura di), Dossier "Crisis, risks, new regionalisms an im(mobility) in Italy and Europe", From the European South, n. 5, 2019. Open access journal, free to download.
De Genova, N., Mezzadra, S., Pickles, J. eds, "New Keywords: Migration and Borders", Cultural Studies, 29, 1, 2015, pp. 55-87. Available through the University's digital library.
Gualtieri, Claudia, "Cultures in Movement across the Postcolonial Middle Sea", in Migration and the Contemporary Mediterranean. Shifting Cultures in Twenty-First-Century Italy and Beyond, Oxford, Peter Lang, 2018, pp. 5-36.
David Herd and Anna Pincus (eds), "The Volunteer's Tale a told by R", in Refugee Tales III, Comma Press, 2019, pp. 53-69.
COMPULSORY FILMS for students attending the class:
- I am not your Negro. Directed by Raoul Peck. USA & France. 2016.
- Searching for Sugar Man. Directed by Malik Bendjelloul. Sweden, UK & Finland. 2012.
The following texts will be examined:
Fornari, Emanuela, Linee di confine. Filosofia e Postcolonialismo, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2011, Introduzione e "Parte prima". Fornari's text can be substituted with one of the following options depending on the student's choice: Option (1): Pedretti, Roberto e Itala Vivan, Dalla lambretta allo skateboard: Teoria e storie delle sottoculture giovanili britanniche (1950-2000), Milano, Unicopli, 2009. Introduzione, I. Le origini, II. 'Popular culture' e sottoculture, pp. 1-52; e Parte 1, pp. 55-103. Option (2): Gualtieri, Claudia e Itala Vivan. Dalla English alla Britishness. Discorsi culturali in trasformazione dal canone imperiale alle storie dell'oggi. Roma, Carrocci, 2008. Introduzione e Parte prima, pp. 13-98.
Materials:
Mandela, N., Long Walk to Freedom, Abacus, 1994, pp. 47-50 (about the Xhosa poet Krune Mqhayi).
Abrams, L., "The peculiarities of oral history", in Oral History Theory, Routledge, 2010, pp. 18-32.
Vivan, I. "Oralità e romanzo in Africa". In corso di pubblicazione.
Vivan, I. "Nelson Mandela, un eroe del nostro tempo", in Ho camminato sulla lunga strada per la libertà, Ravenna Festival 2016, pp. 75-77.
Vivan, I e Gualtieri, C., "I poeti salutano Mandela", in Ho camminato sulla lunga strada per la libertà, Ravenna Festival 2016, p. 80.
Wole Soyinka, "'No!', disse", Gcina Mhlophe, "Leader remember", Mak Manaka, "Beyond the grave", in Ho camminato sulla lunga strada per la libertà, Ravenna Festival 2016, pp. 81-83.
Sipho Sepamla, "Civilization Aha", "History Books, Amen!", "The Blues is you in me", in Il Nuovo Sudafrica. Dalle strettorie dell'apartheid alle complessità della democrazia, a cura di Itala Vivan, Firenze, La Nuova Italia, 1996.
Shamiel Adams (Shamiel X) "What is Hip Hop?" / "Cos'è l'Hip Hop?", Afurakan "blaq people rock" / "I neri spaccano di brutto", in I nostri semi - Peo tsa rona. Poeti sudafricani del post-apartheid, a cura di Raphael D'Abdon, Napoli, Michele di Salvo Editore, 2007, pp. 56-65 and pp. 72-77.
Module 2 - Narratives of History
The following texts will be examined:
Boehmer, Elleke, La ragazza che parlava zulu e altri racconti, Roma, Historica, 2019.
King, T., The Inconvenient Indian: A curious account of native people in North America, Canada Broadcasting Corporation, 2013, "Prologue: Warm Toast and Porcupines", pp. ix-xvi, "Forget Columbus", pp. 1-20.
Fornari, Emanuela, Linee di confine. Filosofia e Postcolonialismo, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2011, Introduzione and "Parte seconda". Fornari's text can be substituted with one of the following options depending on the student's choice: Option (1): Pedretti, Roberto e Itala Vivan, Dalla lambretta allo skateboard: Teoria e storie delle sottoculture giovanili britanniche (1950-2000), Milano, Unicopli, 2009. Introduzione, I. Le origini, II. 'Popular culture' e sottoculture, pp. 1-52; and one part among the following: Parte 2, pp. 107-149 and Conclusione, pp. 191-198; OR, Parte 3, pp. 153-198. Option (2): Gualtieri, Claudia e Itala Vivan. Dalla English alla Britishness. Discorsi culturali in trasformazione dal canone imperiale alle storie dell'oggi. Roma, Carrocci, 2008. Introduzione, pp. 13-17, 'Strumenti e metodi', pp.87-98, in Parte seconda, the introductory sections to the speeches at pp. 99-103, 133-134, 167-168, 203, and one speech, on the student's choice, that should be analysed and critically commented on, selected among the ones in Parte seconda.
Module 3 - Refugee walks and tales: An interdisciplinary dialogue
Gualtieri, Claudia, (a cura di), Dossier "Crisis, risks, new regionalisms an im(mobility) in Italy and Europe", From the European South, n. 5, 2019. Open access journal, free to download.
De Genova, N., Mezzadra, S., Pickles, J. eds, "New Keywords: Migration and Borders", Cultural Studies, 29, 1, 2015, pp. 55-87. Available through the University's digital library.
Gualtieri, Claudia, "Cultures in Movement across the Postcolonial Middle Sea", in Migration and the Contemporary Mediterranean. Shifting Cultures in Twenty-First-Century Italy and Beyond, Oxford, Peter Lang, 2018, pp. 5-36.
David Herd and Anna Pincus (eds), "The Volunteer's Tale a told by R", in Refugee Tales III, Comma Press, 2019, pp. 53-69.
COMPULSORY FILMS for students attending the class:
- I am not your Negro. Directed by Raoul Peck. USA & France. 2016.
- Searching for Sugar Man. Directed by Malik Bendjelloul. Sweden, UK & Finland. 2012.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Oral test. Mark 30/30. The test may be taken in English or Italian on the student's choice. Students will be tested through an analytical and critical discussion 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, their individual contribution to the lessons will be appreciated.
Students unable to attend the course will be tested through an analytical and critical discussion of the materials specifically indicated in their programme.
For students attending the course, their individual contribution to the lessons will be appreciated.
Students unable to attend the course will be tested through an analytical and critical discussion of the materials specifically indicated in their programme.
Teaching Unit 1
L-LIN/10 - ENGLISH LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Teaching Unit 2
L-LIN/10 - ENGLISH LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Teaching Unit 3
L-LIN/10 - ENGLISH LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)