Venice: Resistance and Representation
Venice: Resistance and Representation
This residential module will take place in Venice.
Who is this module open to?
Credit bearing:
This is an optional module for the BA Liberal Arts, and for the GSD BASc Global Sustainable Development degrees; it is open to all current intermediate level (second year) students at Warwick, but students from SCFS will have priority.
Open to students from partner institutions
- IP317-15 - Finalist, taken in intermediate year for 15 CATS credit to final year (2025/26)
Key dates
This module will take place 30 June - 18 July 2025.
- Prep week: 30 June - 4 July 2025
- Teaching (in Venice): 7-18 July 2025
- Final assessment deadline: w/c 6 October 2025
Costs
Students would be required to fund their travel to, and living expenses (accommodation and subsistence) in Venice for this module.
Students may wish to purchase one or two of the books that will be recommended for reading, but costs for these will be kept below £30 total per student, and books will all be available via the Warwick library.
Warwick students may be eligible to apply for Turing funding if taking two WIISP modules back-to-back in Venice and residing for at least 28 days.
Location
This is a residential module and will be taught in Venice, Italy.
What's special about our modules?
This programme will challenge your thinking, develop your confidence and open up a world of new opportunities. You’ll consider new ideas, apply theory to real world issues working in teams and individually, and develop new networks, connections and friendships. This will provide you strong analytical and research methods skills which also enhance your employability profile for a globalised world of work, derived from a transformative blend of online learning and intercultural engagement.
Access to Intercultural Training will provide further enhancement of your skills.
The intensive nature of our programme lets you focus purely on your chosen modules.
You should expect around two weeks of daily face-to-face sessions (on location) and possibly one week of preparatory online activities. The aim is to work in groups consisting of incoming students (from partner institutions) and Warwick students during the module. Assessments will consist of a mix of group and individual activities.
There are no additional programme fees for Warwick students to take our modules.
Where will you be taught?
Our intensive modules are taught in various ways: mostly face-to-face (combing some online learning and face-to-face teaching). Modules will be based at Warwick central campus, or our overseas residentials will be based at selected European locations relevant to module content. Our modules are designed to be taught in an intensive way, combining physical teaching, and online activities.
All participants will be expected to attend all lectures and group work activities in real time; this might include some online activities in the prep week (where listed in Key dates). As modules are intensive there is not expected to be free time during the teaching period for you to undertake other activities; there will be limited time available during the teaching period to explore the surrounding area.
Students are responsible for checking their own visa requirements and all associated applications and costs.
For overseas modules students are responsible for identifying and booking their own accommodation.
Dr Bryan Brazeau
Bryan Brazeau is Associate Professor and Head of Liberal Arts at the University of Warwick, where he teaches classes on Truth and Misinformation, Underworlds, Paradises, Quests, Heroism and its Discontents, and Exile and Homecoming. He has won the Warwick Award for Teaching Excellence (2023) and the Warwick Award for Personal Tutoring Excellence (2022).
His wide-ranging research interests include Renaissance poetics, digital pedagogy, Venice and its postmodern representations, the history of emotions, and classical reception. Bryan previously held a postdoctoral research fellowship on the ERC-funded ‘Aristotle in the Italian Vernacular’ project at Warwick, working on the vernacular reception of Aristotle’s Poetics and Rhetoric and the intersections of this reception with Counter-Reformation religious culture.
He received his Ph.D. in Italian Studies from New York University in 2015 with a dissertation that examined the figure of the hero in sixteenth- century Italian Christian epic.
He is the editor of The Reception of Aristotle’s Poetics in the Italian Renaissance: New Directions in Criticism (Bloomsbury, 2020), and his articles have appeared in Renaissance and Reformation, MLN, The Italianist, California Italian Studies, Humanities and History of European Ideas. He is also a series editor for Sources in Early Poetics (Brill)Link opens in a new window.
He is currently developing a monograph on the philosophy, poetry, and literary theory of Torquato Tasso.
Read a student participant's blogs
Module aims
This module uses an interdisciplinary lens to examine Venice as a site of cultural, ecological, intellectual, social, and political resistance while also interrogating the representational strategies and legacies of such defiance. Using a combination of hands-on problem-based learning activities, site visits, and co-creative pedagogies, the module will explore how Venice demonstrates a long legacy of resistance and complex representational regimes that continue to this day and can practically inform resistance movements in the future.
We will explore questions such as: How is resistance articulated in the Venetian context? What role do space and lagunar topography in Venice play in fostering the city's legacy of intellectual independence and cultural resistance? How have such movements been represented either by their participants or detractors, and how do such depictions foster or dampen enthusiasm for such causes? In what ways can the city's rich legacy of resistance movements be relevant to the current problems Venice faces today such as depopulation, mass tourism, and climate change?
Using Venice as a case study will allow us to consider how the floating city can serve as a living repository of ongoing resistance. In examining these problems through an interdisciplinary lens, students will also be encouraged to think about contemporary practical applications of the city's complex legacies of defiance, such as social movements, cultural independence, and championing of intellectual enquiry and artistic expression to resist autocracy, fascism, and expansionist imperialism (whether of a political, social, cultural, or economic nature).
Depending on student interests, the module may explore case studies including...
- Venice's ongoing resistance to mass tourism via grassroots social movements and local NGOs
- Venetian resistance to the Napoleonic and Austrian occupations in the early nineteenth century
- Representative strategies used to frame Venice's resistance to ecological forces, such as climate change
- Venetian resistance movements during the Fascist period (1922-1945)
- Labour movements in the Arsenale and the Chemical industry in Porto Marghera in the 1960s and 1970s
- The rich history of Venetian Feminism from the early modern period to present day, including discussions of the first feminist manifesto by Lucrezia Marinella, the founding of the first Italian feminist journal in the nineteenth century in Venice, the role played by Peggy Guggenheim as a feminist art collector, and the key leadership roles that Venetian women occupy today
- The use of intellectual debate and art as a form of resistance from the once-global-superpower of the Venetian publishing industry to the Biennale art exhibitions today.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Week 1: The Legacy of Resistance
- Introduction: Forms of Resistance and Representational Regimes
- Publishing as Resistance: Venice as a Global Crossroads of Free Thought
- Resisting Strongmen I: The Napoleonic and Austrian Occupations
- Resisting Strongmen II: Venetian Anti-Fascism and Traces of Resistance Today
- Venetian Feminist Defiance from Lucrezia Marinella to Peggy Guggenheim
Week 2: Case Studies of Resistance in Contemporary Venice
- Industrial Resistance: Labour Movements in Venice from 1950-2022
- Contemporary Resistance I: Defying Mass Tourism and Grassroots Resistance
- Contemporary Resistance II: Weathering Climate Change
- Artistic Expression as Resistance: The Venetian Biennale
- Conclusions - Adapting Lessons of Venetian Resistance for the Twenty-First Century
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Identify key case studies of Venetian resistance and think critically about their representational strategies
- Engage in detailed reflection on how Venice has functioned as a multi-faceted cradle of resistance in the past, and how this legacy continues today
- Critically analyse existing resistance movements in Venice (broadly defined) along with their scalability and adaptability to other global challenges.
- Apply advanced cognitive skills to develop evidence-based research and creative output
- Implement meta-cognitive skills to approach wicked problems through Problem-Based Learning and gain greater understanding of their own role in the learning process
Indicative reading list
Selections from the following will be assigned:
- Bosworth, R.J.B. Italian Venice: A History. Yale UP: 2015
- Caroli, Rosa and Stefano Soriani. Fragile and Resilient Cities on Water: Perspectives from Venice and Tokyo. Cambridge Scholars: 2017
- Chinello, Cesco. "La Resistenza a Marghera: rottura e ricomposizione nella lotta operaia. Una nuova soggettività sociale e politica," in La Resistenza nel Veneziano, I, La società veneziana tra fascismo, resistenza, repubblica, ed. Giannantonio Paladini-Maurizio. Reberschak: 1984
- Cohen, Stanley and Laurie Taylor. Escape Attempts: The Theory and Practice of Resistance to Everyday Life. Routledge: 2002
- Fonte, Moderata. The Worth of Women: Wherein is Clearly Revealed their Nobility and their Superiority to Men, trans. Virginia Cox. Chicago UP, 1997
- Grab, A. "State Power, Brigandage, and Rural Resistance in Napoleonic Italy," European History Quarterly 25.1 (1995): 39-70
- Jachec, Nancy. Politics and Painting at the Venice Biennale, 1948-64. Manchester UP: 2007
- Laven, D. Venice and Venetia Under The Hapsburgs: 1815-1835. Oxford UP: 2002
- Marinella, Lucrezia. The Nobility and Excellence of Women and the Defects and Vices of Men, trans. Anne Dunhill and Letizia Panizza. Chicago UP: 2007
- Martino, Enzo di. The History of the Venice Biennale Papiro Arte: 2007
- Moseley, Roger. Mussolini: The Last 600 Days of Il Duce Taylor: 2004
- Murer, Delia. Non mancherà la mia voce: le lotte delle donne a Venezia negli anni Settanta. Cierre Edizioni, 2019
- Piva, Francesco. Contadini in fabbrica. Il caso Marghera: 1920-1945. Rome: 1991
- Slaughter, Jane. Women and the Italian Resistance: 1943-45. Arden: 1997
- Tarabotti, Arcangela. Paternal Tyranny, trans. Letizia Panizza. Chicago UP: 2004
- Tuck, Eve and K. Wayne Yang, eds. Youth Resistance Research and Theories of Change. Routledge: 2014
- Vianello, M. "The No Grandi Navi Campaign." In Protest and Resistance in the Tourist City, ed. C. Colomb and J. Novy. 171-190. Routledge: 2016
- Zevi, Andrea Tobia. The Century of Global Cities: How Urbanisation is Changing the World and Shaping our Future. Ledizioni Ledi: 2019.
Additional texts, specific book chapters and articles will be set for additional reading.
Research element
Students will produce a final research essay on a topic of their own choosing related to the themes of the module
Interdisciplinary
This is module offers a unique transdisciplinary learning experience allowing students to achieve breadth and depth of knowledge. The module is designed to provide the students with an understanding of relationships between the different disciplinary areas within resistance studies, cultural studies, social sciences, history, and art history with a particular focus on Venice. It also invites to the students to make connections with other disciplinary areas covered in their main study programme. It provides the students with a critical understanding of dominant traditions and methodologies associated with the main phenomena covered in the module and enables the students to transcend disciplinary boundaries. The interdisciplinary course cohort provides contact opportunities and learning to see from different perspectives is a core aspect of the learning experience.
International
The module draws on cases from different contexts, including different geopolitical areas, professional environments and linguistic contexts. The content and assessment invite the students to reflect on the societal relevance in different environments of the phenomena covered in the module. The assessment involves students working in groups with academic and ideally non-academic stakeholders which (will) allow for a global and local outlook to be built into the module’s work. The international and diverse course cohort provides contact opportunities and learning to see from different perspectives is a core aspect of the learning experience. The module will include experiential learning onsite in Venice.
Subject specific skills
Analytical skills attained through the analysis of existing local models of resistance and future implementation plans, along with their scalability and adaptability to other global challenges.
Transferable skills
- Advanced cognitive skills of critical reflection
- Meta-cognitive skills gained through Problem-Based Learning which aid understanding of own role in the learning process
- Work effectively with others in group tasks and in teams
- Plan and manage time in projects
- Develop strong analytical skills
- Find, evaluate and use previous research at a level appropriate for a final-year module
- Use a range of tools and resources effectively in the preparation of course work
- Read and critically discuss academic papers effectively in the context of an intensive programme
- Communicate clearly and effectively in discussions
- Communicate ideas effectively in writing
Study time
This is an indicative breakdown
| Type | Required |
| Lectures |
5 sessions of 1 hour (3%) |
| Seminars | 5 sessions of 1 hour (3%) |
| Fieldwork | 10 sessions of 1 hour (7%) |
| Private study |
60 hours (40%)
|
| Assessment |
70 hours (47%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Assessment
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module:
| Weighting | Study time | |
| Final Individual Project | 50% | 50 hours |
|
This is the final (and main) piece of assessment in this module. Students are asked to develop a research project on a case study of resistance and/or its representation in Venice and its applications to other contemporary global resistance movements today. Students must present an original argument and support this with research, scholarly evidence, analysis, and proper citation. However, as the module emphasises creative forms of resistance, students may choose one of the following outputs for their work, based on their existing skillset and which skills they wish to develop:
Students will have the opportunity to discuss their project plan with the instructor in one-on-one meetings. |
||
Group Presentation - Manifesto of Venetian Defiance |
25% | 10 hours |
| In groups of two, students will draw on material seen in the module to create a Venetian-informed manifesto of defiance. The assessment should be creative and can adopt any cause that the students feel strongly about. As part of the presentation, students will need to critically reflect on the representative choices they make in creating this manifesto and how these draw on material seen in class (whether theories or primary sources). | ||
| Online Test (Take-Home) | 25% | 10 hours |
|
Online test in week one (prep week) to ensure comprehension and critical thinking around set background readings in week 1. |
||
Feedback on assessment
- Feedback on test will be provided on Moodle
- Detailed feedback for written assignments will be provided via Tabula
Before you apply
You can take a maximum of two WIISP modules, and cannot take them at the same time. This module runs at the same time as the following modules, so you cannot choose these as a second module:
- Engaging with International Business - Strategic Luxury LeadershipLink opens in a new window
- Multilingualism and DiversityLink opens in a new window
The preparatory reading week for this module overlaps with the following module:
Please note
- Warwick students will need to check with their department before applying to take a WIISP module
- Students from partner institutions will need to apply via their home institution
- You are expected to fully engage and participate in the module, including in any group activities, if not your registration will be cancelled
- Module details provided on these pages are supplementary to module details in the module catalogueLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window. Subsequently individual module pages (moodle/my.wbs) will provide live details
- All modules require minimum numbers to run. This is set by each module leader.
How to apply
If you want to make an enquiry before applying, please contact the WIISP team at WIISP at warwick dot ac dot uk