English Culture II
A.Y. 2021/2022
Learning objectives
Focusing on the literary and non-literary works, films, art forms, discourses and cultural practices which inform and characterize the current British debate on national and cultural identity against the backdrop of the country's imperial past and with a view to redefine its role in Europe and globally, this course aims to enhance the students' knowledge and understanding of these themes, which are central concerns in the British and European experience of contemporaneity.
This aim is pursued through the methodological and critical tools of cultural studies, which, in line with the main objectives of the Degree Course, favour an understanding of ideological, intercultural and socio-spatial relations, as well as a multicultural and interdisciplinary approach. The course is meant to foster active participation from the students, and, besides advancing their spoken English skills, aims to enhance their ability to make judgements and recognize the differences and connections among divergent forms, genres, and cultures, according to the wider multicultural and intercultural mission of Mediazione Linguistica.
- Knowledge and understanding - Students will gain knowledge and understanding of a variety of cultural practices and productions (visual art, films, writing, performances) and literary texts, primarily in English, presented through the lens of Cultural Studies and against the backgrounds of contemporary British culture, history and society. Attention will be devoted to representations and redefinitions of British identity/ies, multi-culturalism, new ethnicities, the reemergence of nationalism, and current social inequalities and tensions. Cultural production and consumption will also be considered, along with the discourses and practices of consent construction and resistance, and youth cultures.
· Applying knowledge and understanding - Students will the opportunity to apply their acquired knowledge and understanding to close read and analyze cultural productions and literary texts; synthesize and compare relevant information; debate and discuss texts and issues in the class and in groups; produce brief oral or written work, and powerpoint presentations, consistent with the topics of the course.
- Making judgements - Students will acquire the skills relevant to making more informed and autonomous judgements. Thanks to their familiarity with different perspectives of intercultural analysis, they will develop analytical and critical attitudes towards cultural productions and literary texts and draw comparisons and establish connections between the various contexts under scrutiny and their own situated experience.
· Communication skills - The course will enable students to improve their oral skills in English, and, in particular, to discuss given topics, present their own work to an audience of peers; structure group work among peers; use IT technology to support both academic study and networking.
This aim is pursued through the methodological and critical tools of cultural studies, which, in line with the main objectives of the Degree Course, favour an understanding of ideological, intercultural and socio-spatial relations, as well as a multicultural and interdisciplinary approach. The course is meant to foster active participation from the students, and, besides advancing their spoken English skills, aims to enhance their ability to make judgements and recognize the differences and connections among divergent forms, genres, and cultures, according to the wider multicultural and intercultural mission of Mediazione Linguistica.
- Knowledge and understanding - Students will gain knowledge and understanding of a variety of cultural practices and productions (visual art, films, writing, performances) and literary texts, primarily in English, presented through the lens of Cultural Studies and against the backgrounds of contemporary British culture, history and society. Attention will be devoted to representations and redefinitions of British identity/ies, multi-culturalism, new ethnicities, the reemergence of nationalism, and current social inequalities and tensions. Cultural production and consumption will also be considered, along with the discourses and practices of consent construction and resistance, and youth cultures.
· Applying knowledge and understanding - Students will the opportunity to apply their acquired knowledge and understanding to close read and analyze cultural productions and literary texts; synthesize and compare relevant information; debate and discuss texts and issues in the class and in groups; produce brief oral or written work, and powerpoint presentations, consistent with the topics of the course.
- Making judgements - Students will acquire the skills relevant to making more informed and autonomous judgements. Thanks to their familiarity with different perspectives of intercultural analysis, they will develop analytical and critical attitudes towards cultural productions and literary texts and draw comparisons and establish connections between the various contexts under scrutiny and their own situated experience.
· Communication skills - The course will enable students to improve their oral skills in English, and, in particular, to discuss given topics, present their own work to an audience of peers; structure group work among peers; use IT technology to support both academic study and networking.
Expected learning outcomes
Beside consolidating their skills in comprehension, and oral and written English, students will acquire interdisciplinary methodological and cultural tools for discussing and analyzing cultural, political and media discourses and practices, fictional and non-fictional texts, visual culture, documentaries and films. This will be done from a variety of perspectives and using the methodological approaches of Cultural Studies. The acquisition of these skills will be fostered by encouraging active participation and dialogue, and by enabling the students to draw comparisons between the British context and their own situated experience of being Italians and citizens of the world, so as to facilitate forms of analysis and engagement with the issues and challenges of the British present which are consistent with the avowed specialist and intercultural mission of their Degree Course. Through active participation and independent work, students will be invited to develop a higher degree of intellectual curiosity, autonomy, and ability to discriminate; transfer the acquired skills to related fields of analysis; and to apply a methodological approach to future research and activities.
Lesson period: Activity scheduled over several sessions (see Course syllabus and organization section for more detailed information)
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Course syllabus and organization
A-K
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
The course will be delivered partly online and partly in presence and exams procedures will include written assignments and activities in addition to an oral test. These variations will be always fine-tuned to the University's official directions and, further details will be provided when available.
Should it be necessary to shift to emergency teaching due to Covid-19, all lectures would be delivered online. Most of them will be synchronous, in line with the official time-table, and will be accessed through the Microsoft TEAMS platform. Occasionally, and as an exception, asynchronous lessons (video-recordings, audio/video ppt) will be made available on TEAMS and on the ARIEL website of the course. Other teaching materials and suggestions will be provided through the ARIEL platform. Online lessons would be particularly designed to facilitate the achievement of learning objectives. They may be followed by online discussions and interactions. Active involvement will be encouraged.
Testing has been redesigned so as to be equally accurate and effective in the case of classroom teaching and remote teaching (see the official programme).
These temporary provisions are meant not to interfere with the achievement of the intended learning objectives and acquired skills which define this course.
Programmes and teaching materials are the same in the case of classroom and remote teaching.
Information, announces and further changes will be published on TEAMS and on the ARIEl website of the course.
Should it be necessary to shift to emergency teaching due to Covid-19, all lectures would be delivered online. Most of them will be synchronous, in line with the official time-table, and will be accessed through the Microsoft TEAMS platform. Occasionally, and as an exception, asynchronous lessons (video-recordings, audio/video ppt) will be made available on TEAMS and on the ARIEL website of the course. Other teaching materials and suggestions will be provided through the ARIEL platform. Online lessons would be particularly designed to facilitate the achievement of learning objectives. They may be followed by online discussions and interactions. Active involvement will be encouraged.
Testing has been redesigned so as to be equally accurate and effective in the case of classroom teaching and remote teaching (see the official programme).
These temporary provisions are meant not to interfere with the achievement of the intended learning objectives and acquired skills which define this course.
Programmes and teaching materials are the same in the case of classroom and remote teaching.
Information, announces and further changes will be published on TEAMS and on the ARIEl website of the course.
Course syllabus
The programme is the same for attending and non-attending students.
Module 1 - 'Hospitable' Storytelling as a Challenge to the UK 'Hostile Environment'. Walking, Listening and Opening Up a New Language in the Refugee Tales Project
(Prof. Claudia Gualtieri)
Against the framework of the complex and controversial political, social and cultural conjuncture which has characterized last decade in British history - marked by the return to power of the Conservative Party in 2010 and the resurfacing of isolationist attitudes, compounded by an increasing tightening of immigration legislation under the governments of Theresa May and Boris Johnson, module 1 will address the re-emergence of exclusive and nostalgic understandings of British/English national identity. Often fueled by segments of the so-called 'popular' media and by nationalist parties, this misplaced feeling of belonging is at the heart of the anti-immigrant positions lying behind the 2016 vote for Brexit. Against a background characterized by xeno-racism, incremental poverty and precaritization, this module will address literary and non- literary texts that attempt to resist such widespread fears through alternative representations of migrants, asylum-seekers, and 'racialized others'. Attention will be paid, in particular, to the civil action project "Refugee Tales", which aims to denounce and countermand the practice of indefinite immigration detention in the UK. Combining the extraordinary power of storytelling and the empathetic potential of walking in solidarity, "Refugee Tales" attempts to rescue the English language from hate discourse, restore the voices of the migrants, and reconfigure the English landscape as a welcoming space of inclusion and hope.
Module 2 - A Dis-United Kingdom: New Geographies of Social and Cultural Unease and the Return of Border Cultures in Brexit Britain
(Prof. Lidia De Michelis)
In fecund conversation with the previous section, module 2 will throw into sharp focus the economic, socio-cultural and identity contexts which, beside fostering the success of "Vote Leave" in the occasion of Brexit, still continue to sustain the circulation of discourses, narratives and communicative strategies that advocate the return to nostalgic views of "Englishness" as a mythical and "authentic" identity. The analysis, based on a cultural studies approach, will rely on essays and literary works that have contributed to open a platform for debate and understanding of the deep faultlines and ruptures currently characterizing today's polarized national imaginary in the UK. Manipulative public discourse, the division between "the people" and "the elite", the fear of losing one's traditions and cultural references, and the return of "the border" will be approached, in particular, through the dystopian lens of John Lanchester's novel The Wall.
Module 3 - "The Whites Have Become Black!". From Youth Subcultures to the "Underclass" and "British Black Lives Matter"
(Prof. Lidia De Michelis)
After a brief introduction to subcultural studies and some of the most representative British subcultures, this module will investigate a few major protests which have occurred since the 1980s, starting with the Brixton riots. Attention will be paid, then, to the 2011 London Riots, where resistance against racism was just one of the factors, while a major involvement of the so called "underclass", destitute people belonging to multiple ethnicities, including whites, was clearly recorded. The course will address the public denial of racial and social exclusion which characterized the official discourse on the UK riots of 2011 and its overall endorsement by the mainstream media. Concepts such as "feral youth" and the "underclass" helped to de-politicize and oversimplify the crisis into a matter of "sheer criminality" and "moral corruption". Finally, the module will briefly focus on the recent rethinking of violence and discrimination against African-Americans in terms of a "British Black Lives Matter" perspective. A close reading of excerpts from Gillian Slovo's verbatim play The Riots and other literary texts, songs and performances, alongside the viewing of independent documentaries, will help to deconstruct the multiple facets and interpretations of the such events against a wider ideological and discursive backdrop.
Module 1 - 'Hospitable' Storytelling as a Challenge to the UK 'Hostile Environment'. Walking, Listening and Opening Up a New Language in the Refugee Tales Project
(Prof. Claudia Gualtieri)
Against the framework of the complex and controversial political, social and cultural conjuncture which has characterized last decade in British history - marked by the return to power of the Conservative Party in 2010 and the resurfacing of isolationist attitudes, compounded by an increasing tightening of immigration legislation under the governments of Theresa May and Boris Johnson, module 1 will address the re-emergence of exclusive and nostalgic understandings of British/English national identity. Often fueled by segments of the so-called 'popular' media and by nationalist parties, this misplaced feeling of belonging is at the heart of the anti-immigrant positions lying behind the 2016 vote for Brexit. Against a background characterized by xeno-racism, incremental poverty and precaritization, this module will address literary and non- literary texts that attempt to resist such widespread fears through alternative representations of migrants, asylum-seekers, and 'racialized others'. Attention will be paid, in particular, to the civil action project "Refugee Tales", which aims to denounce and countermand the practice of indefinite immigration detention in the UK. Combining the extraordinary power of storytelling and the empathetic potential of walking in solidarity, "Refugee Tales" attempts to rescue the English language from hate discourse, restore the voices of the migrants, and reconfigure the English landscape as a welcoming space of inclusion and hope.
Module 2 - A Dis-United Kingdom: New Geographies of Social and Cultural Unease and the Return of Border Cultures in Brexit Britain
(Prof. Lidia De Michelis)
In fecund conversation with the previous section, module 2 will throw into sharp focus the economic, socio-cultural and identity contexts which, beside fostering the success of "Vote Leave" in the occasion of Brexit, still continue to sustain the circulation of discourses, narratives and communicative strategies that advocate the return to nostalgic views of "Englishness" as a mythical and "authentic" identity. The analysis, based on a cultural studies approach, will rely on essays and literary works that have contributed to open a platform for debate and understanding of the deep faultlines and ruptures currently characterizing today's polarized national imaginary in the UK. Manipulative public discourse, the division between "the people" and "the elite", the fear of losing one's traditions and cultural references, and the return of "the border" will be approached, in particular, through the dystopian lens of John Lanchester's novel The Wall.
Module 3 - "The Whites Have Become Black!". From Youth Subcultures to the "Underclass" and "British Black Lives Matter"
(Prof. Lidia De Michelis)
After a brief introduction to subcultural studies and some of the most representative British subcultures, this module will investigate a few major protests which have occurred since the 1980s, starting with the Brixton riots. Attention will be paid, then, to the 2011 London Riots, where resistance against racism was just one of the factors, while a major involvement of the so called "underclass", destitute people belonging to multiple ethnicities, including whites, was clearly recorded. The course will address the public denial of racial and social exclusion which characterized the official discourse on the UK riots of 2011 and its overall endorsement by the mainstream media. Concepts such as "feral youth" and the "underclass" helped to de-politicize and oversimplify the crisis into a matter of "sheer criminality" and "moral corruption". Finally, the module will briefly focus on the recent rethinking of violence and discrimination against African-Americans in terms of a "British Black Lives Matter" perspective. A close reading of excerpts from Gillian Slovo's verbatim play The Riots and other literary texts, songs and performances, alongside the viewing of independent documentaries, will help to deconstruct the multiple facets and interpretations of the such events against a wider ideological and discursive backdrop.
Prerequisites for admission
Students are expected to have a good command of English, as most of the lessons and texts, audiovisual material and some lectures are in that language. Students have to pass English Culture I before taking English Culture II. Basic Italian is advisable for international students.
Teaching methods
The lectures will be delivered partly online, mostly synchronically, via Microsoft Teams, and partly in presence (booking required), according to the official timetable. They will include internet usage, online material and articles, films, slides, talks by guest speakers moderated by the course lecturers, discussion sessions with the participation of the students. Group work and students' autonomous productions and commentary will be highly encouraged. Occasionally, and by way of exception, asynchronous lessons (video-recordings, audio/video ppt) may be made available on the Teams platform and on the ARIEL website of the course. Online lessons would be particularly designed to facilitate the achievement of learning objectives. They may be followed by online discussions and interactions. Active involvement will be encouraged.
Teaching Resources
Study material and readings are the same for attending and non-attending students.
Module 1 -
Literary texts:
· David Herd, Anna Pincus (eds), Refugee Tales, vol. IV, Comma Press, 2021 [Tales - Fourth volume in the series].
Essays:
· Claudia Gualtieri, "A tale of conversations and encounters"
· David Herd, "Calling for an End to Indefinite Detention: The Spatial Politics of Refugee Tales",
· Lidia De Michelis, "Reclaiming Human Movement, Restor(y)ing Hope",
These essays are included in the dossier edited by Claudia Gualtieri, "Mobility, Immobility and Encounters along the South-North European Route", published in the November issue, n. 5 (2019), of the open access academic journal From the European South (freely available at:
http://europeansouth.postcolonialitalia.it/8-journal-issue/20-5-2019-co…
· Plus: All the files and slides made available on the Ariel website of the Course
Audio readings of the tales in English will be freely available on the project's website at:
https://www.refugeetales.org/28-for-28
It will be possible to view short videos and testimonies at: https://www.refugeetales.org/walking-inquiry
Module 2
Literary texts:
· John Lanchester, The Wall, London, Faber & Faber, 2019 (novel)
Essays:
· Kirsten Sandrock, "Border Temporalities, Climate Mobility, and Shakespeare in John Lanchester's The Wall", Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 43(3), 2020, pp. 163-180.
· Plus: All the files and slides made available on the Ariel website of the course
Module 3
Monograph:
· Roberto Pedretti, Dalla Lambretta allo skateboard 2.0. Sottoculture e nuovi movimenti dagli anni '50 alla globalizzazione, Milano, Unicopli, 2020. A list of the chapters students have to cover for the exam will soon be published on the Ariel website of the course.
Essays:
· Newburn, Tim and Paul Lewis (The Guardian and the London School of Economics), "Reading the Riots: Investigating England's Summer of Disorder", 2011.
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/46297/1/Reading%20the%20riots%28published%29.p…
· Lidia De Michelis, "Challenging Dominant Discourses of Risk and Crisis: Verbatim Drama and the 2011 British Riots", in in Sandten, Cecile, Gualtieri, Claudia, Pedretti, Roberto, Kronshage, Eike (eds.), Crisis, Risks and New Regionalisms in Europe: Emergency Diasporas and Borderlands, Trier, Wissenschaftlicher Verlag, pp. 255-272
Plus 1 more essay to be chosen among the following ones:
· Emma Casey, "'Urban Safaris': Looting, Consumption and Exclusion in London 2011", Sociological Research Online, 18(4)8, 30 Nov 2013, pp. 1-16
· Imogen Tyler, "The Riots of the Underclass?: Stigmatisation, Mediation and the Government of Poverty and Disadvantage in Neoliberal Britain", Sociological Research Online, 2013-11, Vol.18 (4), p.25-35
· Mark Schmitt, "The whites have become black": Plan B's and George Amponsah's Representations of the 2011 English Riots and the Echoes of Stuart Hall's "New Ethnicities", Coils of the Serpent, 3, 2018, pp. 43-61
· Branscome E., "Colston's Travels, or Should We Talk About Statues?", ARENA Journal of Architectural Research, 6 (1), 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/ajar.261
In addition, students will have to watch and discuss the documentary listed below:
· Documentary: Riot from Wrong, Fullyfocussed, (UK, 2012)
(available free at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x10bql8_riot-from-wrong-awarding-winni…)
· All the files and slides made available on the Ariel website of the Course
The syllabus will include three modules of 20 hours each, and will be complemented by audiovisual material, films, and lectures by guest speakers. Further suggestions and material will be found on the ARIEL website of the course when lessons start.
The lectures will primarily rely on: internet usage, online material and articles, films, slides, talks by guest speakers moderated by the course lecturers, discussion sessions with the participation of the students, however, will also be prominent characteristics of the course.
The lectures will be mainly in English, although Italian also will be used, while most texts and audiovisual material will be in English. Students are free to choose whether to take their exam in Italian or English.
Most of the essays included in the syllable can be downloaded freely from the internet or accessed through the Ariel website or the University Digital Library (don't forget to log in!).
This course, which relies mainly on a cultural studies approach, addresses some relevant and controversial moments in the UK's recent history. After a section discussing the toughening of British immigration laws and attempts to countermands them through acts of civil commitment and storytelling, the syllabus will focus on relevant critical voices which have emerged, in different forms and across diverse backgrounds, to question and denounce dominant public discursive constructions of British nationhood. Migrants, asylum-seekers, the young and the working class feature prominently among those who, over the last decades, have managed to crack the consensual veneer of hegemonic discourses on Britishness and to force a wedge into the seeming homogeneity of British national identity. Relying on a multidisciplinary perspective, these issues will be examined not only in their political and discursive expressions, but also through the analysis of their portrayals in literature, films, and art works. They will bring to the fore a polyphony of "other" voices, witnessing to the existence of previously silenced subjectivities now in search of representation and agency.
Module 1 -
Literary texts:
· David Herd, Anna Pincus (eds), Refugee Tales, vol. IV, Comma Press, 2021 [Tales - Fourth volume in the series].
Essays:
· Claudia Gualtieri, "A tale of conversations and encounters"
· David Herd, "Calling for an End to Indefinite Detention: The Spatial Politics of Refugee Tales",
· Lidia De Michelis, "Reclaiming Human Movement, Restor(y)ing Hope",
These essays are included in the dossier edited by Claudia Gualtieri, "Mobility, Immobility and Encounters along the South-North European Route", published in the November issue, n. 5 (2019), of the open access academic journal From the European South (freely available at:
http://europeansouth.postcolonialitalia.it/8-journal-issue/20-5-2019-co…
· Plus: All the files and slides made available on the Ariel website of the Course
Audio readings of the tales in English will be freely available on the project's website at:
https://www.refugeetales.org/28-for-28
It will be possible to view short videos and testimonies at: https://www.refugeetales.org/walking-inquiry
Module 2
Literary texts:
· John Lanchester, The Wall, London, Faber & Faber, 2019 (novel)
Essays:
· Kirsten Sandrock, "Border Temporalities, Climate Mobility, and Shakespeare in John Lanchester's The Wall", Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 43(3), 2020, pp. 163-180.
· Plus: All the files and slides made available on the Ariel website of the course
Module 3
Monograph:
· Roberto Pedretti, Dalla Lambretta allo skateboard 2.0. Sottoculture e nuovi movimenti dagli anni '50 alla globalizzazione, Milano, Unicopli, 2020. A list of the chapters students have to cover for the exam will soon be published on the Ariel website of the course.
Essays:
· Newburn, Tim and Paul Lewis (The Guardian and the London School of Economics), "Reading the Riots: Investigating England's Summer of Disorder", 2011.
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/46297/1/Reading%20the%20riots%28published%29.p…
· Lidia De Michelis, "Challenging Dominant Discourses of Risk and Crisis: Verbatim Drama and the 2011 British Riots", in in Sandten, Cecile, Gualtieri, Claudia, Pedretti, Roberto, Kronshage, Eike (eds.), Crisis, Risks and New Regionalisms in Europe: Emergency Diasporas and Borderlands, Trier, Wissenschaftlicher Verlag, pp. 255-272
Plus 1 more essay to be chosen among the following ones:
· Emma Casey, "'Urban Safaris': Looting, Consumption and Exclusion in London 2011", Sociological Research Online, 18(4)8, 30 Nov 2013, pp. 1-16
· Imogen Tyler, "The Riots of the Underclass?: Stigmatisation, Mediation and the Government of Poverty and Disadvantage in Neoliberal Britain", Sociological Research Online, 2013-11, Vol.18 (4), p.25-35
· Mark Schmitt, "The whites have become black": Plan B's and George Amponsah's Representations of the 2011 English Riots and the Echoes of Stuart Hall's "New Ethnicities", Coils of the Serpent, 3, 2018, pp. 43-61
· Branscome E., "Colston's Travels, or Should We Talk About Statues?", ARENA Journal of Architectural Research, 6 (1), 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/ajar.261
In addition, students will have to watch and discuss the documentary listed below:
· Documentary: Riot from Wrong, Fullyfocussed, (UK, 2012)
(available free at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x10bql8_riot-from-wrong-awarding-winni…)
· All the files and slides made available on the Ariel website of the Course
The syllabus will include three modules of 20 hours each, and will be complemented by audiovisual material, films, and lectures by guest speakers. Further suggestions and material will be found on the ARIEL website of the course when lessons start.
The lectures will primarily rely on: internet usage, online material and articles, films, slides, talks by guest speakers moderated by the course lecturers, discussion sessions with the participation of the students, however, will also be prominent characteristics of the course.
The lectures will be mainly in English, although Italian also will be used, while most texts and audiovisual material will be in English. Students are free to choose whether to take their exam in Italian or English.
Most of the essays included in the syllable can be downloaded freely from the internet or accessed through the Ariel website or the University Digital Library (don't forget to log in!).
This course, which relies mainly on a cultural studies approach, addresses some relevant and controversial moments in the UK's recent history. After a section discussing the toughening of British immigration laws and attempts to countermands them through acts of civil commitment and storytelling, the syllabus will focus on relevant critical voices which have emerged, in different forms and across diverse backgrounds, to question and denounce dominant public discursive constructions of British nationhood. Migrants, asylum-seekers, the young and the working class feature prominently among those who, over the last decades, have managed to crack the consensual veneer of hegemonic discourses on Britishness and to force a wedge into the seeming homogeneity of British national identity. Relying on a multidisciplinary perspective, these issues will be examined not only in their political and discursive expressions, but also through the analysis of their portrayals in literature, films, and art works. They will bring to the fore a polyphony of "other" voices, witnessing to the existence of previously silenced subjectivities now in search of representation and agency.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The final exam will consist of a critical and detailed oral discussion on the texts, presentations, films and files included in the programme. Students are free to take the exam in Italian or in English and are required to demonstrate their full knowledge of the texts and the syllabus, and to be able to analyse them in the light of the analytical tools and cultural studies approach developed during the course. Building on the information and bibliography provided during the course, they must be able, as well, to contextualize notions, issues texts, and cultural products showing an awareness of contemporary British history, culture, and cultural networks.
Students will have the opportunity, if they wish, to take at least 1 or 2 mid-term written tests or assignments: their contents and format will be advertised during the lectures and published in advance on the Microsoft TEAMS platform and the Ariel website of the course. The results will be published on ARIEL. Passing this test will allow students to prepare a shorter programme for the oral exam which will be made known in the early stages of the course. Students will be free, if they prefer, to take the whole exam orally, without taking the mid-term tests.
Excellence will be awarded in the final exam to students who will show deep understanding of the methodological approach, will adopt originality of presentation, and will be able to critically connect events and cultural practices.
Prerequisites and testing are the same as for attending and non-attending students.
Students are welcome to refer to their lecturers for questions and further comment about the contents and programme of the course during office hours, by email and skype.
THIS EXAM COUNTS FOR 9 CREDITS AND ITS PARTS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE AS A 3 CREDITS EXAM
Students will have the opportunity, if they wish, to take at least 1 or 2 mid-term written tests or assignments: their contents and format will be advertised during the lectures and published in advance on the Microsoft TEAMS platform and the Ariel website of the course. The results will be published on ARIEL. Passing this test will allow students to prepare a shorter programme for the oral exam which will be made known in the early stages of the course. Students will be free, if they prefer, to take the whole exam orally, without taking the mid-term tests.
Excellence will be awarded in the final exam to students who will show deep understanding of the methodological approach, will adopt originality of presentation, and will be able to critically connect events and cultural practices.
Prerequisites and testing are the same as for attending and non-attending students.
Students are welcome to refer to their lecturers for questions and further comment about the contents and programme of the course during office hours, by email and skype.
THIS EXAM COUNTS FOR 9 CREDITS AND ITS PARTS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE AS A 3 CREDITS EXAM
L-LIN/10 - ENGLISH LITERATURE - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professors:
De Michelis Lidia Anna, Gualtieri Claudia
L-Z
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
The course will be delivered online and exams procedures will include written assignments and activities in addition to an oral test. Variations will be always fine-tuned to the University's official directions and, further details will be provided when available. In the event of a Covid-19 emergency exams might also take place online, according to official advise.
Most lectures will be synchronous, in line with the official time-table, and will be accessed through the Microsoft TEAMS platform. Occasionally, and as an exception, asynchronous lessons (video-recordings, audio/video ppt) will be made available on TEAMS and on the ARIEL website of the course. Other teaching materials and suggestions will be provided through the ARIEL platform. Online lessons would be particularly designed to facilitate the achievement of learning objectives. They may be followed by online discussions and interactions. Active involvement will be encouraged.
Testing has been redesigned so as to be equally accurate and effective in the case of classroom teaching and remote teaching (see the official programme).
These temporary provisions are meant not to interfere with the achievement of the intended learning objectives and acquired skills which define this course.
Programmes and teaching materials are the same in the case of classroom and remote teaching.
Information, announces and further changes will be published on TEAMS and on the ARIEl website of the course.
Most lectures will be synchronous, in line with the official time-table, and will be accessed through the Microsoft TEAMS platform. Occasionally, and as an exception, asynchronous lessons (video-recordings, audio/video ppt) will be made available on TEAMS and on the ARIEL website of the course. Other teaching materials and suggestions will be provided through the ARIEL platform. Online lessons would be particularly designed to facilitate the achievement of learning objectives. They may be followed by online discussions and interactions. Active involvement will be encouraged.
Testing has been redesigned so as to be equally accurate and effective in the case of classroom teaching and remote teaching (see the official programme).
These temporary provisions are meant not to interfere with the achievement of the intended learning objectives and acquired skills which define this course.
Programmes and teaching materials are the same in the case of classroom and remote teaching.
Information, announces and further changes will be published on TEAMS and on the ARIEl website of the course.
Course syllabus
The programme is the same for attending and non-attending students.
Module 1 - 'Hospitable' Storytelling as a Challenge to the UK 'Hostile Environment'. Walking, Listening and Opening Up a New Language in the Refugee Tales Project
(Prof. ---------)
Against the framework of the complex and controversial political, social and cultural conjuncture which has characterized last decade in British history - marked by the return to power of the Conservative Party in 2010 and the resurfacing of isolationist attitudes, compounded by an increasing tightening of immigration legislation under the governments of Theresa May and Boris Johnson, module 1 will address the re-emergence of exclusive and nostalgic understandings of British/English national identity. Often fueled by segments of the so-called 'popular' media and by nationalist parties, this misplaced feeling of belonging is at the heart of the anti-immigrant positions lying behind the 2016 vote for Brexit. Against a background characterized by xeno-racism, incremental poverty and precaritization, this module will address literary and non- literary texts that attempt to resist such widespread fears through alternative representations of migrants, asylum-seekers, and 'racialized others'. Attention will be paid, in particular, to the civil action project "Refugee Tales", which aims to denounce and countermand the practice of indefinite immigration detention in the UK. Combining the extraordinary power of storytelling and the empathetic potential of walking in solidarity, "Refugee Tales" attempts to rescue the English language from hate discourse, restore the voices of the migrants, and reconfigure the English landscape as a welcoming space of inclusion and hope.
Module 2 - A Dis-United Kingdom: New Geographies of Social and Cultural Unease and the Return of Border Cultures in Brexit Britain
(Prof. Lidia De Michelis)
In fecund conversation with the previous section, module 2 will throw into sharp focus the economic, socio-cultural and identity contexts which, beside fostering the success of "Vote Leave" in the occasion of Brexit, still continue to sustain the circulation of discourses, narratives and communicative strategies that advocate the return to nostalgic views of "Englishness" as a mythical and "authentic" identity. The analysis, based on a cultural studies approach, will rely on essays and literary works that have contributed to open a platform for debate and understanding of the deep faultlines and ruptures currently characterizing today's polarized national imaginary in the UK. Manipulative public discourse, the division between "the people" and "the elite", the fear of losing one's traditions and cultural references, and the return of "the border" will be approached, in particular, through the dystopian lens of John Lanchester's novel The Wall.
Module 3 - "The Whites Have Become Black!". From Youth Subcultures to the "Underclass" and "British Black Lives Matter"
(Prof. -----------------)
After a brief introduction to subcultural studies and some of the most representative British subcultures, this module will investigate a few major protests which have occurred since the 1980s, starting with the Brixton riots. Attention will be paid, then, to the 2011 London Riots, where resistance against racism was just one of the factors, while a major involvement of the so called "underclass", destitute people belonging to multiple ethnicities, including whites, was clearly recorded. The course will address the public denial of racial and social exclusion which characterized the official discourse on the UK riots of 2011 and its overall endorsement by the mainstream media. Concepts such as "feral youth" and the "underclass" helped to de-politicize and oversimplify the crisis into a matter of "sheer criminality" and "moral corruption". Finally, the module will briefly focus on the recent rethinking of violence and discrimination against African-Americans in terms of a "British Black Lives Matter" perspective. A close reading of excerpts from Gillian Slovo's verbatim play The Riots and other literary texts, songs and performances, alongside the viewing of independent documentaries, will help to deconstruct the multiple facets and interpretations of the such events against a wider ideological and discursive backdrop.
Module 1 - 'Hospitable' Storytelling as a Challenge to the UK 'Hostile Environment'. Walking, Listening and Opening Up a New Language in the Refugee Tales Project
(Prof. ---------)
Against the framework of the complex and controversial political, social and cultural conjuncture which has characterized last decade in British history - marked by the return to power of the Conservative Party in 2010 and the resurfacing of isolationist attitudes, compounded by an increasing tightening of immigration legislation under the governments of Theresa May and Boris Johnson, module 1 will address the re-emergence of exclusive and nostalgic understandings of British/English national identity. Often fueled by segments of the so-called 'popular' media and by nationalist parties, this misplaced feeling of belonging is at the heart of the anti-immigrant positions lying behind the 2016 vote for Brexit. Against a background characterized by xeno-racism, incremental poverty and precaritization, this module will address literary and non- literary texts that attempt to resist such widespread fears through alternative representations of migrants, asylum-seekers, and 'racialized others'. Attention will be paid, in particular, to the civil action project "Refugee Tales", which aims to denounce and countermand the practice of indefinite immigration detention in the UK. Combining the extraordinary power of storytelling and the empathetic potential of walking in solidarity, "Refugee Tales" attempts to rescue the English language from hate discourse, restore the voices of the migrants, and reconfigure the English landscape as a welcoming space of inclusion and hope.
Module 2 - A Dis-United Kingdom: New Geographies of Social and Cultural Unease and the Return of Border Cultures in Brexit Britain
(Prof. Lidia De Michelis)
In fecund conversation with the previous section, module 2 will throw into sharp focus the economic, socio-cultural and identity contexts which, beside fostering the success of "Vote Leave" in the occasion of Brexit, still continue to sustain the circulation of discourses, narratives and communicative strategies that advocate the return to nostalgic views of "Englishness" as a mythical and "authentic" identity. The analysis, based on a cultural studies approach, will rely on essays and literary works that have contributed to open a platform for debate and understanding of the deep faultlines and ruptures currently characterizing today's polarized national imaginary in the UK. Manipulative public discourse, the division between "the people" and "the elite", the fear of losing one's traditions and cultural references, and the return of "the border" will be approached, in particular, through the dystopian lens of John Lanchester's novel The Wall.
Module 3 - "The Whites Have Become Black!". From Youth Subcultures to the "Underclass" and "British Black Lives Matter"
(Prof. -----------------)
After a brief introduction to subcultural studies and some of the most representative British subcultures, this module will investigate a few major protests which have occurred since the 1980s, starting with the Brixton riots. Attention will be paid, then, to the 2011 London Riots, where resistance against racism was just one of the factors, while a major involvement of the so called "underclass", destitute people belonging to multiple ethnicities, including whites, was clearly recorded. The course will address the public denial of racial and social exclusion which characterized the official discourse on the UK riots of 2011 and its overall endorsement by the mainstream media. Concepts such as "feral youth" and the "underclass" helped to de-politicize and oversimplify the crisis into a matter of "sheer criminality" and "moral corruption". Finally, the module will briefly focus on the recent rethinking of violence and discrimination against African-Americans in terms of a "British Black Lives Matter" perspective. A close reading of excerpts from Gillian Slovo's verbatim play The Riots and other literary texts, songs and performances, alongside the viewing of independent documentaries, will help to deconstruct the multiple facets and interpretations of the such events against a wider ideological and discursive backdrop.
Prerequisites for admission
Students are expected to have a good command of English, as most of the lessons and texts, audiovisual material and some lectures are in that language. Students have to pass English Culture I before taking English Culture II. Basic Italian is advisable for international students.
Teaching methods
The lectures will be delivered partly online, mostly synchronically, via Microsoft Teams, and partly in presence (booking required), according to the official timetable. They will include internet usage, online material and articles, films, slides, talks by guest speakers moderated by the course lecturers, discussion sessions with the participation of the students. Group work and students' autonomous productions and commentary will be highly encouraged. Occasionally, and by way of exception, asynchronous lessons (video-recordings, audio/video ppt) may be made available on the Teams platform and on the ARIEL website of the course. Online lessons would be particularly designed to facilitate the achievement of learning objectives. They may be followed by online discussions and interactions. Active involvement will be encouraged.
Teaching Resources
Study material and readings are the same for attending and non-attending students.
Module 1 -
Literary texts:
· David Herd, Anna Pincus (eds), Refugee Tales, vol. IV, Comma Press, 2021 [Tales - Fourth volume in the series].
Essays:
· Claudia Gualtieri, "A tale of conversations and encounters"
· David Herd, "Calling for an End to Indefinite Detention: The Spatial Politics of Refugee Tales",
· Lidia De Michelis, "Reclaiming Human Movement, Restor(y)ing Hope",
These essays are included in the dossier edited by Claudia Gualtieri, "Mobility, Immobility and Encounters along the South-North European Route", published in the November issue, n. 5 (2019), of the open access academic journal From the European South (freely available at:
http://europeansouth.postcolonialitalia.it/8-journal-issue/20-5-2019-co…
· Plus: All the files and slides made available on the Ariel website of the Course
Audio readings of the tales in English will be freely available on the project's website at:
https://www.refugeetales.org/28-for-28
It will be possible to view short videos and testimonies at: https://www.refugeetales.org/walking-inquiry
Module 2
Literary texts:
· John Lanchester, The Wall, London, Faber & Faber, 2019 (novel)
Essays:
· Kirsten Sandrock, "Border Temporalities, Climate Mobility, and Shakespeare in John Lanchester's The Wall", Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 43(3), 2020, pp. 163-180.
· Plus: All the files and slides made available on the Ariel website of the course
Module 3
Monograph:
· Roberto Pedretti, Dalla Lambretta allo skateboard 2.0. Sottoculture e nuovi movimenti dagli anni '50 alla globalizzazione, Milano, Unicopli, 2020. A list of the chapters students have to cover for the exam will soon be published on the Ariel website of the course.
Essays:
· Newburn, Tim and Paul Lewis (The Guardian and the London School of Economics), "Reading the Riots: Investigating England's Summer of Disorder", 2011.
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/46297/1/Reading%20the%20riots%28published%29.p…
· Lidia De Michelis, "Challenging Dominant Discourses of Risk and Crisis: Verbatim Drama and the 2011 British Riots", in in Sandten, Cecile, Gualtieri, Claudia, Pedretti, Roberto, Kronshage, Eike (eds.), Crisis, Risks and New Regionalisms in Europe: Emergency Diasporas and Borderlands, Trier, Wissenschaftlicher Verlag, pp. 255-272
Plus 1 more essay to be chosen among the following ones:
· Emma Casey, "'Urban Safaris': Looting, Consumption and Exclusion in London 2011", Sociological Research Online, 18(4)8, 30 Nov 2013, pp. 1-16
· Imogen Tyler, "The Riots of the Underclass?: Stigmatisation, Mediation and the Government of Poverty and Disadvantage in Neoliberal Britain", Sociological Research Online, 2013-11, Vol.18 (4), p.25-35
· Mark Schmitt, "The whites have become black": Plan B's and George Amponsah's Representations of the 2011 English Riots and the Echoes of Stuart Hall's "New Ethnicities", Coils of the Serpent, 3, 2018, pp. 43-61
· Branscome E., "Colston's Travels, or Should We Talk About Statues?", ARENA Journal of Architectural Research, 6 (1), 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/ajar.261
In addition, students will have to watch and discuss the documentary listed below:
· Documentary: Riot from Wrong, Fullyfocussed, (UK, 2012)
(available free at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x10bql8_riot-from-wrong-awarding-winni…)
· All the files and slides made available on the Ariel website of the Course
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE COURSE
The syllabus will include three modules of 20 hours each, and will be complemented by audiovisual material, films, and lectures by guest speakers. Further suggestions and material will be found on the ARIEL website of the course when lessons start.
The lectures will primarily rely on: internet usage, online material and articles, films, slides, talks by guest speakers moderated by the course lecturers, discussion sessions with the participation of the students, however, will also be prominent characteristics of the course.
The lectures will be mainly in English, although Italian also will be used, while most texts and audiovisual material will be in English. Students are free to choose whether to take their exam in Italian or English.
Most of the essays included in the syllable can be downloaded freely from the internet or accessed through the Ariel website or the University Digital Library (don't forget to log in!).
This course, which relies mainly on a cultural studies approach, addresses some relevant and controversial moments in the UK's recent history. After a section discussing the toughening of British immigration laws and attempts to countermands them through acts of civil commitment and storytelling, the syllabus will focus on relevant critical voices which have emerged, in different forms and across diverse backgrounds, to question and denounce dominant public discursive constructions of British nationhood. Migrants, asylum-seekers, the young and the working class feature prominently among those who, over the last decades, have managed to crack the consensual veneer of hegemonic discourses on Britishness and to force a wedge into the seeming homogeneity of British national identity. Relying on a multidisciplinary perspective, these issues will be examined not only in their political and discursive expressions, but also through the analysis of their portrayals in literature, films, and art works. They will bring to the fore a polyphony of "other" voices, witnessing to the existence of previously silenced subjectivities now in search of representation and agency.
Module 1 -
Literary texts:
· David Herd, Anna Pincus (eds), Refugee Tales, vol. IV, Comma Press, 2021 [Tales - Fourth volume in the series].
Essays:
· Claudia Gualtieri, "A tale of conversations and encounters"
· David Herd, "Calling for an End to Indefinite Detention: The Spatial Politics of Refugee Tales",
· Lidia De Michelis, "Reclaiming Human Movement, Restor(y)ing Hope",
These essays are included in the dossier edited by Claudia Gualtieri, "Mobility, Immobility and Encounters along the South-North European Route", published in the November issue, n. 5 (2019), of the open access academic journal From the European South (freely available at:
http://europeansouth.postcolonialitalia.it/8-journal-issue/20-5-2019-co…
· Plus: All the files and slides made available on the Ariel website of the Course
Audio readings of the tales in English will be freely available on the project's website at:
https://www.refugeetales.org/28-for-28
It will be possible to view short videos and testimonies at: https://www.refugeetales.org/walking-inquiry
Module 2
Literary texts:
· John Lanchester, The Wall, London, Faber & Faber, 2019 (novel)
Essays:
· Kirsten Sandrock, "Border Temporalities, Climate Mobility, and Shakespeare in John Lanchester's The Wall", Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 43(3), 2020, pp. 163-180.
· Plus: All the files and slides made available on the Ariel website of the course
Module 3
Monograph:
· Roberto Pedretti, Dalla Lambretta allo skateboard 2.0. Sottoculture e nuovi movimenti dagli anni '50 alla globalizzazione, Milano, Unicopli, 2020. A list of the chapters students have to cover for the exam will soon be published on the Ariel website of the course.
Essays:
· Newburn, Tim and Paul Lewis (The Guardian and the London School of Economics), "Reading the Riots: Investigating England's Summer of Disorder", 2011.
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/46297/1/Reading%20the%20riots%28published%29.p…
· Lidia De Michelis, "Challenging Dominant Discourses of Risk and Crisis: Verbatim Drama and the 2011 British Riots", in in Sandten, Cecile, Gualtieri, Claudia, Pedretti, Roberto, Kronshage, Eike (eds.), Crisis, Risks and New Regionalisms in Europe: Emergency Diasporas and Borderlands, Trier, Wissenschaftlicher Verlag, pp. 255-272
Plus 1 more essay to be chosen among the following ones:
· Emma Casey, "'Urban Safaris': Looting, Consumption and Exclusion in London 2011", Sociological Research Online, 18(4)8, 30 Nov 2013, pp. 1-16
· Imogen Tyler, "The Riots of the Underclass?: Stigmatisation, Mediation and the Government of Poverty and Disadvantage in Neoliberal Britain", Sociological Research Online, 2013-11, Vol.18 (4), p.25-35
· Mark Schmitt, "The whites have become black": Plan B's and George Amponsah's Representations of the 2011 English Riots and the Echoes of Stuart Hall's "New Ethnicities", Coils of the Serpent, 3, 2018, pp. 43-61
· Branscome E., "Colston's Travels, or Should We Talk About Statues?", ARENA Journal of Architectural Research, 6 (1), 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/ajar.261
In addition, students will have to watch and discuss the documentary listed below:
· Documentary: Riot from Wrong, Fullyfocussed, (UK, 2012)
(available free at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x10bql8_riot-from-wrong-awarding-winni…)
· All the files and slides made available on the Ariel website of the Course
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE COURSE
The syllabus will include three modules of 20 hours each, and will be complemented by audiovisual material, films, and lectures by guest speakers. Further suggestions and material will be found on the ARIEL website of the course when lessons start.
The lectures will primarily rely on: internet usage, online material and articles, films, slides, talks by guest speakers moderated by the course lecturers, discussion sessions with the participation of the students, however, will also be prominent characteristics of the course.
The lectures will be mainly in English, although Italian also will be used, while most texts and audiovisual material will be in English. Students are free to choose whether to take their exam in Italian or English.
Most of the essays included in the syllable can be downloaded freely from the internet or accessed through the Ariel website or the University Digital Library (don't forget to log in!).
This course, which relies mainly on a cultural studies approach, addresses some relevant and controversial moments in the UK's recent history. After a section discussing the toughening of British immigration laws and attempts to countermands them through acts of civil commitment and storytelling, the syllabus will focus on relevant critical voices which have emerged, in different forms and across diverse backgrounds, to question and denounce dominant public discursive constructions of British nationhood. Migrants, asylum-seekers, the young and the working class feature prominently among those who, over the last decades, have managed to crack the consensual veneer of hegemonic discourses on Britishness and to force a wedge into the seeming homogeneity of British national identity. Relying on a multidisciplinary perspective, these issues will be examined not only in their political and discursive expressions, but also through the analysis of their portrayals in literature, films, and art works. They will bring to the fore a polyphony of "other" voices, witnessing to the existence of previously silenced subjectivities now in search of representation and agency.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The final exam will consist of a critical and detailed oral discussion on the texts, presentations, films and files included in the programme. Students are free to take the exam in Italian or in English and are required to demonstrate their full knowledge of the texts and the syllabus, and to be able to analyse them in the light of the analytical tools and cultural studies approach developed during the course. Building on the information and bibliography provided during the course, they must be able, as well, to contextualize notions, issues texts, and cultural products showing an awareness of contemporary British history, culture, and cultural networks.
Students will have the opportunity, if they wish, to take at least 1 or 2 mid-term written tests or assignments: their contents and format will be advertised during the lectures and published in advance on the Microsoft TEAMS platform and the Ariel website of the course. The results will be published on ARIEL. Passing this test will allow students to prepare a shorter programme for the oral exam which will be made known in the early stages of the course. Students will be free, if they prefer, to take the whole exam orally, without taking the mid-term tests.
Excellence will be awarded in the final exam to students who will show deep understanding of the methodological approach, will adopt originality of presentation, and will be able to critically connect events and cultural practices.
Prerequisites and testing are the same as for attending and non-attending students.
Students are welcome to refer to their lecturers for questions and further comment about the contents and programme of the course during office hours, by email and skype.
THIS EXAM COUNTS FOR 9 CREDITS AND ITS PARTS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE AS A 3 CREDITS EXAM
Students will have the opportunity, if they wish, to take at least 1 or 2 mid-term written tests or assignments: their contents and format will be advertised during the lectures and published in advance on the Microsoft TEAMS platform and the Ariel website of the course. The results will be published on ARIEL. Passing this test will allow students to prepare a shorter programme for the oral exam which will be made known in the early stages of the course. Students will be free, if they prefer, to take the whole exam orally, without taking the mid-term tests.
Excellence will be awarded in the final exam to students who will show deep understanding of the methodological approach, will adopt originality of presentation, and will be able to critically connect events and cultural practices.
Prerequisites and testing are the same as for attending and non-attending students.
Students are welcome to refer to their lecturers for questions and further comment about the contents and programme of the course during office hours, by email and skype.
THIS EXAM COUNTS FOR 9 CREDITS AND ITS PARTS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE AS A 3 CREDITS EXAM
L-LIN/10 - ENGLISH LITERATURE - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professors:
De Michelis Lidia Anna, Pedretti Roberto Giambattista
Educational website(s)