Italy

To what extent do stereotypes and prejudices affect the way we read and interpret news? How is wrong or inaccurate information conveyed, and how can we detect and contrast it? Is fake news a novelty of our time? This course examines the characteristics of the contemporary Italian media landscape in the light of some specific cultural traits of the country: attachment to family, distrust of institutional power, the influence (now in decline) of the Catholic Church, and the low propensity to read books and newspapers. The course analyzes historical moments where information, disinformation, and counter-information are closely intertwined, including the rumors after the fire of Rome under Nero; the anonymous epigrams of Pasquino and other "talking statues" in the 16th century as a reaction to papal censorship; the cause célèbre around a child, Edgardo Mortara, stolen in the mid-19th century from his Jewish family by the papal state; and will include moments from the last decades. The topics covered include the era of "Hollywood on the Tiber"; the media coverage of two cases between Italy and the US; the Islamophobia phenomenon; the long silence on the Italian colonial past finally broken thanks to Black Lives Matter protests; the controversies on vaccines; and the memes and the conspiracy theories related to the pandemic. Students research, discuss, and edit and produce texts, images, and audio and video materials on each topic within a simulated newsroom.

The course is designed for upper division students who have completed at least 2 years of studio work in painting or the equivalent. Enrolment is by consent of the instructor. The course offers technical and artistic support aimed at helping students develop their talents and competencies, while at the same time, allowing them to recognize their own limits. The final objective of the course is to help students reach artistic autonomy and gain cognition of their own artistic production from a theoretical point of view, supported by technical competency. At least four main works of art are generally required per semester. The course runs in both the fall and spring semesters; this is the fall semester version of the course. The course includes lectures, seminars, and open critiques of student projects. The course is held in the Accademia di Belle Arti’s painting laboratory and includes presentations and discussions organized on the seminar model. Regular attendance and active participation in the discussions are required. Readings are assigned from the following authors: Gregory Bateson, Ernst Gombrich, James Elkins, Victor Stoichita, Clement Greenberg, and Rosalind Krauss.

In the last twenty years, historians have turned with ever more urgency to food as a key for understanding culture. Italy is particularly interesting in this respect. Food is one of the pillars of modern Italian identities: the result, in part, of a conservative and resilient society and, in part, of the vagaries of Italian community life since the 1850s. Many Italian ‘staples’ from pasta to olive oil, from ice-cream to wine, from pizza to risotto also have instructive back-stories that offer insights into Italian culture and Italian history. The course has two aims: first, to achieve a proper understanding of the last two centuries of Italian (food) history – the period of ‘unity in diversity’ with a particular focus on the pre-Second-World-war period; and second, to get a handle on contemporary food culture. The course will employ both a historical and an ethnographic approach. Most weeks will have one lecture and one seminar and most readings will come from two books: one sociological and one historical. There will be between 500 and 600 pages of reading over the semester. There will be a number of tastings. 

This course considers the unique aspects of Italian media and how it impacts and influences everything from cultural heritage to politics. Students explore Italy's eccentric media characters, from right-wing Matteo Salvini and chauvinistic Silvio Berlusconi to the tweeting, headline-making Pope, and consider how seriously Italians take what they get from the press. This course explores the historical development of Italian media from the "Acta Diurna" bulletins sent from the Roman Forum through phases of Fascism and national terrorism, all the way to the digital age. Students play documentarian by following the media treatment of an Italian news topic of their choice, ranging from culture, fashion, or food to gay rights, climate change, politics, or the economy, in order to fully understand how the media shapes public perception and vice versa. Topics include the media treatment of the Vatican, the Mafia, gender issues and sexism, fashion, food, cultural heritage, and the economy. Students also consider how Italy stacks up against media in the United States and the United Kingdom in terms of press freedom, transparency, and infotainment (the melding of news and entertainment).

The course offers an introduction to Italian culture and history and focuses on both the city of Bologna and Italy as a nation. The course emphasizes basic knowledge of crucial aspects of the Italian cultural heritage across different disciplines and an awareness of the complexities of Italian history and society. The course is interdisciplinary in nature with weekly guest lectures on a variety of topics. The course is graded pass/no pass only.

This course builds on and rapidly expands control of basic grammatical structures and vocabulary. Students consolidate their ability to negotiate basic survival situations in the target language and learn more advanced grammar concepts, especially with attention to the past tenses. They understand sentences and common expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local topography, employment). They complete routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar matters. They describe in simple terms aspects of their background, environment, and matters in areas of immediate need. They talk about their family, living conditions, present or recent, and past work and school activities, and personal experiences. They are able to expand learned phrases through simple re-combinations of their elements. All four abilities (writing, speaking, listening, reading) are developed in the class, also with the support of authentic audiovisual materials such as Italian movies, short videos, tv programs, and songs. The course uses a communication-based approach: students engage in daily role-plays, group activities, games, and class discussions. Out of class activities are designed to take advantage of the opportunities for interaction and language practice, as well as immersion in Italian culture, that the city provides.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale Program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. Strategic Studies is an established field within the International Relations discipline. Specifically, the course covers both theory and practice of war and warfare, with emphasis on the contemporary era. It is subdivided into two sections. The first part, “Strategic Theory,” examines some principal theories of war. The first part provides students with the relevant analytics tools to attend the second part, “the Tools of Warfare,” which is devoted to the application of those theories to modern warfare as well as an examination of the principal military doctrines, the weapons of mass destructions, and irregular warfare (insurgencies, guerrilla, and terrorism).

This course completes the elementary level of Italian, affording the opportunity to expand conversation, writing, and reading skills while consolidating knowledge of more complex grammar structures. Students understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure time, etc. They deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. They learn to produce simple connected texts on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. They describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions, and briefly illustrate opinions and plans. Students expand their Italian vocabulary and improve their mode of expression in the language. They are aware of the significant differences that exist between uses, customs, behaviors, and values of the community in which they live. They also master essential rules of courtesy and etiquette of the hosting country. All four abilities (writing, speaking, listening, reading) are developed in the class, also with the support of authentic audiovisual materials such as Italian movies, short videos, tv programs, and songs. The course uses a communication-based approach: students engage in daily role-plays, group activities, games, and class discussions. Out of class activities are designed to take advantage of the opportunities for interaction and language practice, as well as immersion in Italian culture, that the city provides.

After defining the contexts of the retail sector, the course focuses on the strategic and operational choices related to the configuration and management of distribution channels, and the management of retail companies analyzed with a dynamic-evolutional perspective, and through the completion of a project on distribution innovation. The course is divided into three parts. (1) The key elements of a distribution channel (such as protagonists and flows) as well as its main economic functions are described. The retailers’ key management practices and their offer development process are discussed. (2) Focus on channel management, pointing out the main choices regarding: channel design, multichannel management, and trade marketing. (3) Analysis of the historical evolution of distribution channels and its stages by adopting an international perspective, and insights on emerging trends. These include current innovations in retailing, in particular e-tailing and retail branding. This is a graduate level course only available to graduate students.