Courses for Fall 2024
| Title | Instructors | Location | Time | Description | Cross listings | Fulfills | Registration notes | Syllabus | Syllabus URL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIGS 6060-401 | Theory Proseminar: A Critique of Violence | Ian Fleishman | VANP 124 | T 5:15 PM-7:14 PM | This course will examine theories regarding the fraught relationship between violence, justice and the institution of the law across key texts in French, German, Italian and English. Taking the recent centennial of Walter Benjamin鈥檚 鈥淭oward the Critique of Violence鈥 (1921) as its impetus and conceptual center, the class will examine that essay鈥檚 influences (Georges Sorrel, Carl Schmitt) as well as its influence on later thinkers (Giorgio Agamben, Werner Hamacher, Jacques Derrida, Judith Butler). Readings and discussions in English, though students are invited to read in the original wherever possible. | CIMS6060401, COML6060401 | |||||
| FIGS 6301-401 | Historical and Historiographic Approaches: Performance Studies | Mauro P. Calcagno | LERN CONF | W 12:00 PM-2:59 PM | This course focuses on theories and models of historical investigation. It explores the historiographies and methodologies of performance studies, opera/dance studies, and theater/drama studies, in their collisions, collusions, and resonances. The term performance signals 鈥渁 鈥榖road spectrum鈥 or 鈥榗ontinuum鈥 of human actions ranging from ritual, play, life performances . . . to the enactment of social, professional, gender, race, and class roles, and on to healing . . . the media, and the internet鈥 (R. Schechner). We will discuss work by (among others) B. Brecht, R. Wagner, A. Artaud, V. Turner, M. Carlson, W.B. Worthen, J. Ranci猫re, J.L. Austin, J. Butler, R. Schneider, E. Fischer-Lichte, H.-T. Lehmann, G. Didi-Huberman, N. Andr茅, A. Cavarero, K. Thurman, N. Cook, C. Abbate, D. Levin, and S. McClary, dealing with topics such as agency, performativity, time, materiality, technology and mediation, multimodality, spectatorship, voice, embodiment, dance/movement, the 鈥淏aroque,鈥 reconstruction and re-enactment, theatricality, intercultural and postdramatic approaches. Students are expected to elaborate their own critical categories to research performance objects selected not exclusively within the province of opera/dance/theater but also within the range of possibilities investigated by performance studies broadly intended. | ITAL6301401, MUSC6301401 | |||||
| FIGS 6640-401 | Marx and Freud | David L Eng David C Kazanjian |
BENN 322 | T 5:15 PM-8:14 PM | This seminar will be a broad survey of Marx and Freud, with attention to each thinker as well as to how their theories supplement one another. Different instructors may emphasize different aspects of marxism and psychoanalysis, as well as the historical contexts of the two theorists. See English.upenn.edu for full course offerings. | COML7640401, ENGL7640401 | |||||
| FIGS 7770-301 | Francophone, Italian and Germanic Proseminar | Eva Del Soldato | WILL 5 | W 3:30 PM-5:29 PM | This proseminar will introduce first-year FIGS graduate students to doctoral studies in the humanities. It is organized into four parts. Part I, 鈥淪cholarly Habits and Resources,鈥 introduces students to a variety of resources at 桃子视频, discusses the scholarly habits that graduate students should develop, and covers strategies for promoting mental and physical well-being as a graduate student. Part II, 鈥淚ntervening in the Field,鈥 introduces students to the processes of conference participation and article publication. Part III, 鈥淭he Dissertation,鈥 covers the ins-and-outs of writing the dissertation. Part IV, 鈥淎wards, Networking, and Jobs,鈥 addresses the importance of awards and networking as well as the academic and non-academic job markets. While DEI issues are constantly addresses throughout the course, also in the form of assignments, there are also bridge sessions to other courses, especially on pedagogy and recent research trends. In addition to weekly discussions and activities, this course will include a number of guest speakers who will share their expertise and give guidance on the how-tos of the field. Students will be given pre- as well as post-class activities to reflect on each week鈥檚 topic and begin to prepare a dossier for later use in their graduate studies. Much of the information in this proseminar becomes particularly relevant during the final years of coursework and your dissertation writing years, but it is important to be introduced to these topics and to begin to think about them now. This course is designed for PhD students in Francophone, Italian, and Germanic Studies. Many of the topics apply to all three fields; however, students will also have the opportunity to work on areas that are specific to their language for certain topics. They will also be able to add to the course materials for future graduate students in FIGS. |
||||||
| ITAL 0085-401 | Representations of Rome in Film and Literature (1848-present) - First Year Seminar | Filippo Trentin | DRLB 2C6 | TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM | The myth of Rome as 鈥淭he Eternal City鈥 stands as one of the longest enduring narratives in Western cultural history, spanning from the 1st century BC to contemporary times. In this course, students will delve into the historical trajectory of this term, with a specific focus on its literary and cinematic representations over the last two and a half centuries. Throughout the semester, fundamental questions will be explored: When and why did this myth originate? How was it politically and rhetorically wielded by historical figures such as Napoleon and Mussolini? Through engagement with an extensive array of sources, ranging from historical documents to literary and cinematic representations, along with 20th-century poetry, students will develop the critical and theoretical tools for the analysis of historical, literary, and cinematic texts. Simultaneously, they will immerse themselves in the history of one of the world鈥檚 most enduring urban centers. Commencing with an exploration of the historical roots defining Rome鈥檚 designation as 鈥淭he Eternal City,鈥 the course will progress to an examination of the political exploitation of this myth throughout modern history, starting from the mid 18th-century. Key topics addressed will include representations of Rome during the Grand Tour, the city's transformation from the seat of the Catholic Church to the capital of a modern secular democracy, its pivotal role in the development of fascist culture, its significance during the Second World War and the 1968 student protests, culminating in its contemporary multicultural identity. |
CIMS0085401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | ||||
| ITAL 0100-301 | Elementary Italian I | Lorella Prichett | WILL 303 | MTWR 9:00 AM-9:59 AM | A first-semester elementary language course for students who have never studied Italian or who have had very little exposure to the language. Students who have previously studied Italian are required to take the placement test. Class work emphasizes the development of spontaneous discourse skills and interactional competence. Out-of-class homework required. | ||||||
| ITAL 0100-302 | Elementary Italian I | Marcus Jerome Papandrea | WILL 318 | MTWR 10:15 AM-11:14 AM | A first-semester elementary language course for students who have never studied Italian or who have had very little exposure to the language. Students who have previously studied Italian are required to take the placement test. Class work emphasizes the development of spontaneous discourse skills and interactional competence. Out-of-class homework required. | ||||||
| ITAL 0100-303 | Elementary Italian I | Julia Heim | 36MK 109 | MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | A first-semester elementary language course for students who have never studied Italian or who have had very little exposure to the language. Students who have previously studied Italian are required to take the placement test. Class work emphasizes the development of spontaneous discourse skills and interactional competence. Out-of-class homework required. | ||||||
| ITAL 0100-304 | Elementary Italian I | Julia Heim | WILL 216 | MTWR 1:45 PM-2:44 PM | A first-semester elementary language course for students who have never studied Italian or who have had very little exposure to the language. Students who have previously studied Italian are required to take the placement test. Class work emphasizes the development of spontaneous discourse skills and interactional competence. Out-of-class homework required. | ||||||
| ITAL 0100-305 | Elementary Italian I | Juliette C Bellacosa | WILL 321 | MTWR 3:30 PM-4:29 PM | A first-semester elementary language course for students who have never studied Italian or who have had very little exposure to the language. Students who have previously studied Italian are required to take the placement test. Class work emphasizes the development of spontaneous discourse skills and interactional competence. Out-of-class homework required. | ||||||
| ITAL 0120-301 | Accelerated Elementary Italian | Arianna Fognani | WILL 217 36MK 109 |
MW 1:45 PM-2:44 PM TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM |
An intensive two-credit course covering the first and second semester of the elementary year for students who have never studied Italian before but have already fulfilled the language requirement in another modern language, preferably a romance language. Students who have fulfilled the language requirement in a language other than a romance language will be considered on an individual basis. All students must have departmental permission to register. Class work emphasizes the development of spontaneous discourse skills and interactional competence. Out-of-class homework required. | ||||||
| ITAL 0200-301 | Elementary Italian II | Alessandra Fumagalli | 36MK 112 | MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | This course is the continuation of the elementary-level sequence designed to develop functional competence in the four skills. Class work emphasizes the further development of spontaneous discourse skills and interactional competence. Out-of-class homework required. | ||||||
| ITAL 0300-301 | Intermediate Italian I | Lorella Prichett | WILL 318 | MWF 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | Italian 0300 is the first half of a two-semester intermediate sequence designed to help you attain a level of proficiency that will allow you to function comfortably in an Italian-speaking environment. The course will build on your existing skills in Italian, increase your confidence and your ability to read, write, speak and understand the language, and introduce you to more refined lexical items, more complex grammatical structures, and more challenging cultural material. You are expected to have already learned the most basic grammatical structures in elementary Italian and to review these. The course materials will allow you to explore culturally relevant topics and to develop cross-cultural skills through the exploration of similarities and differences between your native culture and the Italian world. | ||||||
| ITAL 0300-302 | Intermediate Italian I | Juliette C Bellacosa | WILL 317 | MWF 1:45 PM-2:44 PM | Italian 0300 is the first half of a two-semester intermediate sequence designed to help you attain a level of proficiency that will allow you to function comfortably in an Italian-speaking environment. The course will build on your existing skills in Italian, increase your confidence and your ability to read, write, speak and understand the language, and introduce you to more refined lexical items, more complex grammatical structures, and more challenging cultural material. You are expected to have already learned the most basic grammatical structures in elementary Italian and to review these. The course materials will allow you to explore culturally relevant topics and to develop cross-cultural skills through the exploration of similarities and differences between your native culture and the Italian world. | ||||||
| ITAL 0300-303 | Intermediate Italian I | Lourdes Contreras | WILL 301 | MWR 3:30 PM-4:29 PM | Italian 0300 is the first half of a two-semester intermediate sequence designed to help you attain a level of proficiency that will allow you to function comfortably in an Italian-speaking environment. The course will build on your existing skills in Italian, increase your confidence and your ability to read, write, speak and understand the language, and introduce you to more refined lexical items, more complex grammatical structures, and more challenging cultural material. You are expected to have already learned the most basic grammatical structures in elementary Italian and to review these. The course materials will allow you to explore culturally relevant topics and to develop cross-cultural skills through the exploration of similarities and differences between your native culture and the Italian world. | ||||||
| ITAL 0340-301 | Accelerated Intermediate Italian | CANCELED | This course is the intensive and accelerated course that combines in one semester the intermediate sequence (0300 and 0400). It will build on your existing skills in Italian, increase your confidence and your ability to read, write, speak and understand the language, and introduce you to more refined lexical items, more complex grammatical structures, and more challenging cultural material. The course will allow you to explore culturally relevant topics and to develop cross-cultural skills through the exploration of similarities and differences between your native culture and the Italian world. | ||||||||
| ITAL 0400-301 | Intermediate Italian II | Rossella Di Rosa | WILL 25 | MWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | This course is the second half of a two-semester intermediate sequence designed to help you attain a level of proficiency that will allow you to function comfortably in an Italian-speaking environment. The course will build on your existing skills in Italian, increase your confidence and your ability to read, write, speak and understand the language, and introduce you to more refined lexical items, more complex grammatical structures, and more challenging cultural material. The course will allow you to explore culturally relevant topics and to develop cross-cultural skills through the exploration of analogies and differences between your native culture and the Italian world. The course will move beyond stereotypical presentations of Italy and its people to concentrate on specific social issues together with cultural topics. | ||||||
| ITAL 0800-301 | Italian Conversation | Massimiliano Lorenzon | WILL 316 | R 5:15 PM-7:14 PM | The course materials and nature of assignments and projects complement the Italian Studies curriculum by supporting the cultural content, linguistic functions, and types of assignments students may have already been exposed to in other Italian courses. This course will serve not only as a gateway to inspire students to take Italian Studies courses in the future, but will also accompany classes they may be taking simultaneously. The learning objectives of the works studied in this course will mirror and support the goals of the Italian Studies Curriculum while paying particular attention to oral expression, communication, and fostering a community of students of Italian both inside and outside the classroom. | ||||||
| ITAL 1000-301 | Advanced Italian I | Deion Dresser | WILL 421 | MW 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course will focus on contemporary Italian culture following its development since the 1960s. Pertinent films, literary texts, articles, as well as material in other media will complement the analysis of films and allow in-depth discussion. The cultural material explored in the course will be also used as a basis for a review of linguistic structures and vocabulary. Audiovisual materials develop students' comprehension and production in Italian and enable them to function in an academic setting. Class work will center primarily on conversation to improve students' fluency, vocabulary, and accuracy in speaking. Homework will consist of research and writing assignments in written Italian. Additionally, students will be required to prepare presentations. Students will write a final essay. | Cross Cultural Analysis | |||||
| ITAL 1211-301 | Business Italian | Massimiliano Lorenzon | WILL 217 | TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM | The course is conducted entirely in Italian and should be taken after completion of Italian 1000 or equivalent. It is designed to enable students to acquire language proficiency in the current Italian business and labor world. Business terminology will be used in specific business situations such as banking, trade, communications, etc. The course will examine Italian business practices, cultural differences such as the attitude towards money, work, leisure and consumerism through websites, newspaper and magazine articles and video clips. Students will learn to read business publications, write and compose business texts, and participate in business-related conversations. Additionally, guest lecturers from the local business world with ties to Italy will provide students with information about internship and job opportunities and the knowledge necessary to navigate international and Italian commercial routes. All reading and lectures in Italian. | ||||||
| ITAL 1890-301 | Best Sellers in Italian Literature | Francesco Marco Aresu | WILL 321 | MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This course surveys the history of Italian literature through its major masterpieces. Beginning with Dante's Divine Comedy, Petrarca's love poems, and Boccaccio's Decameron, we will follow the development of Italian literary tradition through the Renaissance (Machiavelli's political theory and Ariosto's epic poem), and then through Romanticism (Leopardi's lyric poetry and Manzoni's historical novel), up to the 20th century (from D'annunzio's sensual poetry to Calvino's post-modern short stories). The course will provide students with the tools needed for analyzing the texts in terms of both form and content, and for framing them in their historical, cultural, and socio-political context. Classes and readings will be in Italian. ITAL 1890 is mandatory for Majors in Italian Literature and Minors in Italian Literature. If necessary, ITAL 1000 can be taken at the same time as ITAL 1890. Prerequisite: Open to students who have completed ITAL 1000 or equivalent. | Arts & Letters Sector Cross Cultural Analysis |
|||||
| ITAL 1900-401 | Italian History on Screen: How Movies Tell the Story of Italy | Filippo Trentin | 36MK 107 | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | How has our image of Italy arrived to us? Where does the story begin and who has recounted, rewritten, and rearranged it over the centuries? In this course, we will study Italy's rich and complex past and present. We will carefully read literary and historical texts and thoughtfully watch films in order to attain an understanding of Italy that is as varied and multifacted as the country itself. Group work, discussions and readings will allow us to examine the problems and trends in the political, cultural and social history from ancient Rome to today. We will focus on: the Roman Empire, Middle Ages, Renaissance, Unification, Turn of the Century, Fascist era, World War II, post-war and contemporary Italy. Lectures and readings are in English. | CIMS1900401 | Arts & Letters Sector Cross Cultural Analysis |
||||
| ITAL 2550-401 | Michelangelo and the Art of the Italian Renaissance | David Young Kim | CANCELED | An introduction to the work of the Renaissance artist Michelangelo (1475-1564)-his sculptures, paintings, architecture, poetry, and artistic theory-in relation to his patrons, predecessors, and contemporaries, above all Leonardo and Raphael. Topics include artistic creativity and license, religious devotion, the revival of antiquity, observation of nature, art as problem-solving, the public reception and function of artworks, debates about style, artistic rivalry, and traveling artists. Rather than taking the form of a survey, this course selects works as paradigmatic case studies, and will analyze contemporary attitudes toward art of this period through study of primary sources. | ARTH2500401, ARTH6500401, ITAL6500401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | |||||
| ITAL 2620-401 | Italian Scandals | Julia Heim | MCNB 286-7 | TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM | When you think of the term 鈥渟candal,鈥 what comes to mind? Is there something about a society鈥檚 national identity that makes particular scandals resonate and shake the culture more than others? By exploring several Italian scandals that have helped define the cultural fabric of generations of Italians, we will learn to understand the social and political roots behind the what and why of these phenomena. Through cross-mediatic and transnational archival research, we will look at the ways that different media and different nations use these phenomena to represent national belonging, social fear, and cultural expectation. Each crime has its own story, but how do they help us understand how Italy makes sense of itself through tragedy, corruption, murder, and mayhem? How bello is this bel paese after all? Did you ever wonder what鈥檚 behind Italy鈥檚 ever-revolving government? Or why do Italians prefer to use the English word 鈥渟erial killer鈥? This course will be taught in English |
GSWS2620401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | ||||
| ITAL 3220-301 | Italian Translation | Arianna Fognani | WILL 24 | MW 3:30 PM-4:59 PM | Translation is a complex and multifaceted practice that goes beyond simply decoding words from one language to another. It is a creative process that demands a deep understanding of language, culture, and the nuances of human communication. In this course, we will delve into some fundamental principles of translation theory and put them into practice through hands-on exercises and case studies. We will explore the intricacies of translating texts from English into Italian and vice versa, examining a wide range of genres, from advertising and marketing materials to legal, official, and scientific documents. We will also engage with literary narratives, comics, poems, songs, and audiovisual material, gaining insights into the challenges and rewards of translating creative works. Adopting a task-based approach, we will closely examine the specific tasks that translators perform, from understanding the source text to creating an effective target text that reflects the original author's intent and style. We will analyze fundamental differences in registers, rhetorical style, and grammar structure between Italian and English, gaining a deeper understanding of the linguistic and cultural nuances that can impact translation decisions. Throughout the course, we will emphasize the relationship between language and culture, recognizing that translations often extend beyond mere words and convey the essence of a particular culture. Additionally, we will evaluate the role of artificial intelligence and computer programs in translation, assessing their strengths and limitations. The course is conducted in Italian and consists of guided readings and discussions, small group works, presentations, translation tasks, pre and post-task reflections, and a final translation project. Readings are in English and Italian. |
Cross Cultural Analysis | |||||
| ITAL 3323-401 | Baroque Opera from Monteverdi to Gluck | Mauro P. Calcagno | LERN 210 | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | We will explore the history of Baroque opera from the vantage point of its beginning and its end: Claudio Monteverdi鈥檚 Orfeo (1607) and Christoph Willibald Gluck鈥榮 Orfeo ed Euridice (1762), both works setting into music narratives about the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as told by Ovid, Virgil, and others. We will discuss not only the historical documents that survive about these two masterworks (scores, librettos, letters etc.) but also today鈥檚 productions available in video. Why was the myth of Orpheus central to creators and audiences? What do these two operas and their performances tell us about being human in the world, both back then and today? How do we approach and understand this 400-years old multimedia genre, and why do these works still attract worldwide audiences today? We will also investigate works by Sartorio, Lully, Charpentier, Purcell, Telemann, and Handel. These works are based on poetic texts (鈥渓ibrettos鈥) thus we will explore text/music issues, focusing on prosody. Students in ITAL/FIGS are not expected to know music (in technical terms) but will have an opportunity to be exposed to poetic texts (in Italian, French, and German) that, by supporting music, function differently from other texts. | MUSC3323401 | |||||
| ITAL 3513-301 | Italian Science and Philosophy | CANCELED | Taught in Italian. Topics vary. Please check the department's website for a course description at: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/italians/courses | Cross Cultural Analysis | |||||||
| ITAL 5320-401 | After Dante鈥檚 Divine Comedy: Transmission and Material Form, Creative Adaptation and Performance | Francesco Marco Aresu David Wallace |
VANP 627 | T 8:30 AM-11:29 AM | This 5000-level seminar, co-taught by Marco Aresu (Italian) and David Wallace (English, Comparative Literature), considers how Dante and the copyists of his works deployed the tools of scribal culture to shape, signal, or layer meanings beyond those conveyed in his written texts. Medieval texts, uniquely positioned to provide such perspective, are foundational to theoretical understanding of new forms and materials in our media-saturated, contemporary world. In this course, we also read later creative responses to Dante, especially in Irish and English, American and African American contexts, and in poetry and prose, video and film. We will work from a parallel text, paying attention to the Italian but with no prior experience of the language required. | COML5320401, ENGL5320401 | |||||
| ITAL 5840-401 | 20th-Century Italian Fiction and Film | Giovanna Faleschini Lerner | BENN 141 | F 1:45 PM-3:44 PM | Please see department website for current description at: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/italians/graduate/courses | CIMS5840401 | |||||
| ITAL 5990-401 | Teaching and Learning | Claudia Lynn | BENN 20 | W 3:30 PM-5:29 PM | The course focuses on diverse areas of Foreign Language and Second Language Acquisition research and theories and how they apply to foreign language teaching. Students will familiarize themselves with the major foreign language methodologies and approaches, as well as the ACTFL standards and proficiency guidelines for foreign language learning. Similarly, students will analyze the resources and tools for planning instruction in a second language based on Backward Design and the Universal Design for Learning. Furthermore, students will research and discuss the most effective ways to promote diversity, inclusivity, and equity; enhance learning experiences and outcomes through technology; foster engagement and active learning; and build a sense of community in the foreign language classroom | FREN5990401, GRMN5990401 | |||||
| ITAL 6301-401 | Historical and Historiographic Approaches: Performance Studies | Mauro P. Calcagno | LERN CONF | W 12:00 PM-2:59 PM | This course focuses on theories and models of historical investigation. It explores the historiographies and methodologies of performance studies, opera/dance studies, and theater/drama studies, in their collisions, collusions, and resonances. The term performance signals 鈥渁 鈥榖road spectrum鈥 or 鈥榗ontinuum鈥 of human actions ranging from ritual, play, life performances . . . to the enactment of social, professional, gender, race, and class roles, and on to healing . . . the media, and the internet鈥 (R. Schechner). We will discuss work by (among others) B. Brecht, R. Wagner, A. Artaud, V. Turner, M. Carlson, W.B. Worthen, J. Ranci猫re, J.L. Austin, J. Butler, R. Schneider, E. Fischer-Lichte, H.-T. Lehmann, G. Didi-Huberman, N. Andr茅, A. Cavarero, K. Thurman, N. Cook, C. Abbate, D. Levin, and S. McClary, dealing with topics such as agency, performativity, time, materiality, technology and mediation, multimodality, spectatorship, voice, embodiment, dance/movement, the 鈥淏aroque,鈥 reconstruction and re-enactment, theatricality, intercultural and postdramatic approaches. Students are expected to elaborate their own critical categories to research performance objects selected not exclusively within the province of opera/dance/theater but also within the range of possibilities investigated by performance studies broadly intended. | FIGS6301401, MUSC6301401 | |||||
| ITAL 6500-401 | Michelangelo and the Art of the Italian Renaissance | David Young Kim | CANCELED | An introduction to the work of the Renaissance artist Michelangelo (1475-1564)-his sculptures, paintings, architecture, poetry, and artistic theory-in relation to his patrons, predecessors, and contemporaries, above all Leonardo and Raphael. Topics include artistic creativity and license, religious devotion, the revival of antiquity, observation of nature, art as problem-solving, the public reception and function of artworks, debates about style, artistic rivalry, and traveling artists. Rather than taking the form of a survey, this course selects works as paradigmatic case studies, and will analyze contemporary attitudes toward art of this period through study of primary sources. | ARTH2500401, ARTH6500401, ITAL2550401 |