History

The course provides an introduction to the study of the Holocaust--the term used to describe the killing of the European Jews--and its causes and mechanisms. It also provides a basis for seeking answers to difficult questions, such as why this tragedy occurred. By examining the circumstances and mechanisms leading to genocide, and especially to the Holocaust, students are oriented on the post-war interpretations and debates. The effects of the Holocaust, how the Holocaust has affected post-war political and cultural discourses, and the reasons behind the delayed interest in it are also introduced. The Holocaust is also viewed in the context of other genocides committed both before and after World War II. Related lectures, readings, and seminars provide an overview of the Holocaust through empirical, chronological, theoretical, political, and other perspectives. Assessment is based on two short papers on elective readings related to the course topics and a take-home exam that is discussed at the final class meeting.

This course provides a core of knowledge of Italy's post-Unification history, grounding students in the political, economic, and social development of the country. Commencing with the nation-state's formation, the analysis of issues surrounding Italy's early identity, society, and political structures reveal many of the problems that subsequent regimes have sought to address. After developing a solid grounding in the formation and establishment of the new nation state, the course explores the impact of World War One upon the interwar period of Fascist Italy. After establishing what Fascism was and what it meant for Italian people, consideration turns to the Second World War, the fall of Italian Fascism and its longterm legacy upon the postwar republic. Examination of post-1945 Italy considers the influence of America and the Cold War upon the internal battle for political control between the Left and the Catholic Right. This period also focuses on Italy's economic recovery and re-entry into "normal" diplomatic relations that was rubber-stamped by the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. With the country's foreign relations stabilized, attention turns to the internal crises of insurrection, terrorism, mafia activity, and corruption that led to Tangentopoli, the collapse of the old political order, and the rise of Silvio Berlusconi. The course concludes by examining the rise of the contemporary political phenomenon of the Five Star Movement and the Lega.

This course examines the social, economic, cultural, political, and international dimensions of the history of women and gender relations. It discusses the presence and evolution of patriarchy in different societies, the importance of gender as a factor of inequality, and the theoretical foundations of feminism within western philosophical trends and its contribution to societal evolution. 

This course provides an introduction to the culture and society of contemporary Italy in the post-war period, identifying and challenging traditional stereotypes. In Semester 1, the course identifies the major political, economic, and social changes which have affected Italy since the Second World War. In Semester 2, students consider how we make sense of the process of Italian cultural production in multiple media and across multiple centuries, from the medieval and Renaissance period to the modern era, directing the attention towards the study and interpretation of different kinds of texts (poetic, narrative, and filmic) created in this cultural context.