English

This course examines the History of the Modern World – the events, people, and long-term developments which, since the end of the Middle Ages, have shaped and reshaped human society – with a focus on the growth of international developments and the creation of today’s globalized world. Throughout the semester, we will also be interrogating the continued tensions between local identities and dynamics, state centralization and the rise of nationalism, the spread of Western notions of universalism, and non-Western societies’ adaptation to or rejection of those dynamics. What role did the Christianization of Latin America play in the imperial project? What did it mean for a sparsely-populated settler-colonial society to declare that all men are created equal? How “anti-colonial” were the Marxist movements of the Global South?

This course examines the connections between different cinemas within East Asia and between East Asia and the rest of the world from a genre perspective. Hong Kong and Korean film noir, Chinese swordplay and Japanese samurai films, horror films from Hong Kong and Japan: all are examples of the transnational circulation of genres, involving processes of both localization and globalization. Students will be invited to explore genre theory, trace complex webs of creative influences, and appreciate the sameness and difference that characterize both genre films and our globalizing world. They will also have a chance to apply this new knowledge in practice, by making a short “genre film” for screening at the end of the term.

This course is designed to introduce incoming exchange students to the history of Denmark from the Viking Age to the present day. The course introduces some of the main events and central themes in Danish history. The focus is on political history, but the course also includes important developments in economic, social, and cultural history. The course equips students to engage in discussions of questions such as: what is "Denmark" and what is "Danish" about Danish history? What are the boundaries of Denmark and how have these changed over time? How is Danish history periodized and what have been the key turning points? How should we understand the impact of events and developments such as the Black Death, the Reformation, absolutism, agriculture or the welfare state? The course also considers Danish history in its different transnational (Scandinavian, European, and global) contexts, with reference to themes such as trade, war, colonialism, European integration, and globalization.

This course focuses on why countries democratize, when democracy consolidates or backslides, and what drives these processes. It considers a variety of challenges to democracy at the national and international levels such as corruption, discontent, economic inequality, globalization, legitimacy, authoritarian contestation, technological change, polarisation or populism. The aims of this course are to introduce key concepts and theories in the study of democracy, to foster an understanding of broader processes such as democratisation, democratic consolidation and backsliding around the world, to develop analytical skills necessary to identify and scrutinize the contemporary challenges to democracy.

This course is designed to acquaint students with the concepts and values underlying the rhetorical traditions in China and the West (esp. rhetorical traditions which affect how native speakers of Chinese and English communicate). Students are expected to better understand the differences and similarities which affect the key concepts and values in rhetorical practice across cultures. Materials that will be studied and discussed include the Analects (Chinese and English bilingual version) by Confucius and Aristotle’s On Rhetoric (English translation), and important literature on comparative rhetoric with a focus on Chinese and Western (mainly Greco-Roman) rhetorical traditions.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. EnrolLment is by permission of the instructor. This course presents to students the stylistic analysis of literature in English. In particular, students are guided through the quantitative and qualitative analysis of literature. This course proposes a mixture of theory and practice with the final aim to teach how to provide close readings of literary texts based on a stylistics approach. The aim of this course is to teach students the importance of style in relation to the meaning of a literature.

This course examines fundamental concepts, theories, and methodologies of sociology. It covers specific aspects of social life, such as families, gender, religion, deviance, and social stratification, and demonstrate how sociological ideas and tools can be applied to better understand our social lives and the social problems we face.

In this course, students delve into the cultural, historical, and economic significance of France’s most iconic culinary staples, analyzing their impact on modes of production, consumer behavior, and France’s national branding in a globalized market. Drawing on anthropology, food studies, and economics, it examines market trends in French food within the context of France’s mythical status as a gastronomic nation par excellence. The course traces the history of the Michelin-star restaurant rating system, ideologies of terroir, and claims to unique French savoir-faire when it comes to food. It also considers contemporary challenges to French food traditions—from the impact of climate change on cheese-making and farming, to how rising food prices are leading to a decline in domestic consumption—and emerging trends relating to the rise of global fast food in the land of the gastronomic meal. Through a variety of case studies the course offers insights into the cultural and economic implications for local producers, businesses, and the wider food industry ecosystem of such events as the recent baguette strikes, international foie gras controversies, the emergence of bean-to-bar chocolate in France, and the growing market for biodynamic wines. The class savors the complexities of France's gastronomic landscape through a variety of site visits which connect in-class discussions of France’s iconic culinary heritage with first-hand observation of diverse locations of contemporary food production and consumption in and around Paris.