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L'Italia nel 900

Module Code: IT411
Module Name: L'Italia nel 900
Module Credits: 30

When did Italy become a unified nation-state? What are the origins of Italy’s great linguistic and cultural diversity? To what extent can Italy be considered a Catholic society? What changes led to its recent transformation from a country of emigration to one of substantial immigration? These are some of the questions that you will address in this module.

The first part of the module (taught in Italian, with lecture notes provided in advance) will give you an overview of key historical, institutional and political aspects of twentieth-century Italy, especially the problematic consolidation of the Unitarian state, the rise and fall of Italian Fascism, the Italian Resistance and the impact of the student and the feminist movements on Italian post-war society. In the second term we shall tackle specific issues and themes, such as changing family structures, the relationship between the Church and the Italian State, migration phenomena, the enduring North/South divide and the role of the media in contemporary Italian society.

This module encourages in-depth knowledge of the main factors that have shaped Italian society and culture as we know it today, while at the same time enhancing intercultural and linguistic skills.

Assessment

1 essay in Italian, 3,000 words (40% of total mark)

3-hour paper, in Italian or English (60% of total mark)