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Italian Culture and Society
Course Information

Course Number:ITAL-1P96-D02-S01-SYN

Course Title:Italian Culture and Society.

Time/Days:  Tue and Thu 4-7 pm

Instructor Information

Instructor Name:Teresa Valentini

Email:[email protected]

Office Hours:On Zoom (By Appointment)

Class Zoom Link:

Teresa Valentini is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://iictoronto-esteri-it.zoom.us/j/85752474739?pwd=bgjiVJaHavY7NsyxbARZyT4keZsUya.1
Meeting ID: 857 5247 4739
Passcode: 472185

Description

Artistic heritage of Italy and the intellectual, political and social forces that have shaped the mentality and way of life of the Italians. Selected texts and multi-media material.

What was Italian culture before Italy was made in 1861? Through a transmedia approach that considers literature, scientific texts, works of art, movies, videos, and music, this course will trace Italy’s culture from the first testimonies of an Italian written “language” to the formation of the state of Italy during Risorgimento. We will study the social, political, and cultural life of different cities such as Roma, Firenze, Napoli, and Venezia, among others, and will tackle a variety of themes such as the power dynamic between class, gender, and sexuality. We will read and discuss primary and secondary sources by and on canonical figures of Italian culture such as Dante, Petrarca, Boccaccio in literature or Raffaello, Michelangelo, and Caravaggio in the arts, alongside too often neglected female figures such as Chiara D’Assisi, Artemisia Gentileschi, Lucrezia Borgia, and Isabella D’Este, to name a few. Students will thus gain a well-rounded knowledge of Italian culture between 1000-1861 and will be able to reflect on how it is still influencing and shaping our contemporary cultural panorama.

NB: The course is online. Please download Zoom ahead of time. Please use a laptop or a computer to access the Zoom meeting. Do not use an iPad or Phone if not in exceptional cases. Be sure to find a quiet space and have your headphones and earphones on to facilitate class discussion. Class discussion is a key component of this course; therefore, it is mandatory to keep your video on to verify attendance and participation.

No prior Italian knowledge is required for this course. All the reading materials will be provided in English, and you will be able to access the visual content in English or with English subtitles.

Students must attend 80% of classes, failure to do so without acceptable justification will result in a grade of zero (0), regardless of the grades attained on course work.

Learning Outcomes:

· Demonstrate knowledge of Italian literature, cinema, music, arts, history, geography, and culture;

· Compare and contrast Italian culture’s political, social, and artistic aspects from one century to another and from one place to another along the Italian peninsula;

· Recognize and describe the historical, social, economic, and political forces that have shaped society in Italian culture from the origins to 1861;

· Analyze and critique the products of modern Italian culture (film, literature, art, popular culture, media, etc) within their context, including conducting basic research tasks;

· Perceive and value cultural diversity and reinterpret the place of the self as an identity culturally situated in the global context.

Required Readings or Texts

Course material will be posted on Brightspace.

Course Communications

All correspondence will take place through your BROCK e-mail account. E-mails sent from other servers will NOT be answered. Every effort will be made to answer e-mails promptly. In the event of class cancellation an email will be sent to all students through BRIGHTSPACE.  

Assessment Components and Due Dates 

Attendance and Participation:Students are expected to attend each class in full and to be attentive, and respectful, and to participate actively in discussions. Video Camerasmust be kept on at all times. No attendance equals zero in participation (60% of the participation grade is based on attendance, the other 40% is based on active participation in class).  Students must attend at least 80% of classes, failure to do so without acceptable justification will result in a grade of zero (0), regardless of the grades attained on course work

Active Learning Activity:There will be 8 active learning activities on which students will work (in groups or independently) during class. If in groups, students will use the breakout rooms offered by the Zoom platform. Some of the activities may include creating brief presentations on historical figures not covered by the instructor; commenting or answering questions provided by the instructor on in-class readings in groups, and then sharing with the whole class; etc….

Written Quiz:There will be two quizzes (about 30 minutes each) with multiple-choice selection and one or two open questions.

Video-Presentation:Students will prepare a 15-minute video where they will present a historical figure of their choosing (list provided). In the video, they will record and present a PowerPoint. Details and topics for the presentation will be defined during the first day of class. Students will submit the video-presentation on Brightspace the Sunday before their Tuesday class.

Please find below the link with instructions on how to create a Video using Power Point – A very useful skill to master!

https://cpibrock.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BLEstudents/pages/905773077/Submit+a+video+assignment#How-to-Create-a-Video

5 Brief Questionnaires on Readings Materials and Movies: By 11:59 PM each Thursday, students are required to complete a short questionnaire featuring multiple-choice questions based on that week’s assigned readings andfilms. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Final Project (Conceptual Map Creation around a topic provided by the instructor and oral presentation of the map to the instructor):Using the free platform Canva (https://www.canva.com), students will create a conceptual map highlighting the main aspects of a topic selected from those provided by the instructor. A portion of the conceptual map should be dedicated to the key elements of the historical period in which the chosen topic is situated. Before designing the final map, students must submit a bullet-point outline covering the main aspects or branches to be included in their maps, along with a bibliography of five sources related to the selected topic. This outline is due on May 22.

Onthe 6th of June the final map will be submitted through Brightspace, including the revisions the instructor might have suggested.

Betweenthe 10-14th of June, students will select a time slot for an oral presentation of the map to the instructor (10 minutes each). Students must be familiar with what they have written to ensure they receive the appropriate grade.

Late Submission Policy 

In the event that you cannot present a valid excuse for a late assignment (due to personal illness, injury, or a family or personal crisis), please submit your work through the Brightspace Dropbox.  Nonetheless, please note that late assignments will incur deductions of 10% per day (starting from the beginning of the class on which an assignment is due), weekends included, up to a maximum of ten days. After ten days, a mark of zero will be assigned. Late submissions are not accepted after the corrected assignment has been handed back to the class. 

Important dates – this course starts on May 6th, 2025

Relationship between attendance and grades:

Students are expected to attend all classes and must submit all assignments in order to pass this course.

Academic Policies

Academic Integrity

Statement for undergraduate courses 

Academic misconduct is a serious offence. The principle of academic integrity, particularly of doing one’s own work, documenting properly (including use of quotation marks, appropriate paraphrasing and referencing/citation), collaborating appropriately, and avoiding misrepresentation, is a core principle in university study. Students should consult Section VII, “Academic Misconduct”, in the “Academic Regulations and University Policies” entry in the Undergraduate Calendar, available at http://brocku.ca/webcal to view a fuller description of prohibited actions, and the procedures and penalties. Information on what constitutes academic integrity is available at https://brocku.ca/academic-integrity/ 

Intellectual Property Notice

All slides, presentations, handouts, tests, exams, and other course materials created by the instructor in this course are the intellectual property of the instructor. A student who publicly posts or sells an instructor’s work, without the instructor’s express consent, may be charged with misconduct under Brock’s Academic Integrity Policy and/or Code of Conduct, and may also face adverse legal consequences for infringement of intellectual property rights.

Accommodations

The University is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all students and will adhere to the Human Rights principles that ensure respect for dignity, individualized accommodation, inclusion and full participation. The University provides a wide range of resources to assist students, as follows:

a) If you require academic accommodation because of a disability or an ongoing health or mental health condition, please contact Student Accessibility Services at [email protected] or 905 688 5550 ext. 3240.

b) Medical Self-Declaration Forms (short term)

In the case of a short-term medical circumstance, if a student wishes to seek an academic consideration, please use the Medical Self-Declaration Form. The request is to be made in good faith by the student requesting the academic consideration due to a short-term condition that impacts their academic activities (e.g., participation in academic classes, delay in assignments, etc.).

The period of this short-term medical condition for academic consideration must fall within a 72-hour (3 day) period. The form needs to be submitted to the instructor either during your brief absence or in cases where you are too unwell, within 24 hours of the end of your 3 day brief absence.

The medical self-declaration form may only be used once per course per term. In the case of a request for a deferred exam, the Brock University Medical Verification Form must be submitted.

Medical Verification Form (extended duration)

In cases where a student requests academic consideration due to a medical circumstance that exceeds 72 hours (three days) and will impact their academic activities (e.g., participation in academic classes, delay in assignments, etc.), or in the case of a final exam deferral, the medical verification form must be signed by the student and the health professional as per process set out in the Faculty Handbook III:9.4.1.

c) If you are experiencing mental health concerns, contact the Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre.Good2Talkis a service specifically for post-secondary students, available 24/7, 365 days a year, and provides anonymous assistance: http://www.good2talk.ca/ or call1-866-925-5454. For information on wellness, coping and resiliency, visit: https://brocku.ca/mental-health/

d) If you require academic accommodation on religious grounds, you should make a formal, written request to your instructor(s) for alternative dates and/or means of satisfying requirements. Such requests should be made during the first two weeks of any given academic term, or as soon as possible after a need for accommodation is known to exist.

e) If you have been affected by sexual violence, the Human Rights & Equity Office offers support, information, reasonable accommodations, and resources through the Sexual Violence Support & Education Coordinator. For information on sexual violence, visit Brock's Sexual Assault and Harassment Policy or contact the Sexual Violence Support & Response Coordinator at [email protected] or 905 688 5550 ext. 4387.

f) If you feel you have experienced discrimination or harassment on any of the above grounds, including racial, gender or other forms of discrimination, contact the Human Rights and Equity Office at [email protected].

Use of GenAI tools and GenAI-generated content

The use of GenAI tools and GenAI-generated content is not allowed as a resource or source for assessments in this course.

The expectation is for original academic work and to follow the instructions determined by the instructor for this course for requirements, expectations, and parameters for completion and submission of your academic work for grading. As such,where stated that the use of Gen-AI resources/tools/output is not authorized, please ensure to observe instructions accordingly.

Brock University’s Academic Integrity Policy serves as the point of reference for every member of the University’s community regarding appropriate academic behaviours, as well as the context for when academic misconduct must be reported.Section 10 of the Academic Integrity Policy outlines a list of possible disciplinary measures considered when adjudicating academic misconduct, including, but not limited to, failure in the course, removal from the program of study, and suspension from the University for a definite period with a transcript notation.  In the context of all forms of academic misconduct listed inAppendix 2 of the policy and upon review of submissions for grading, the appropriate provisions will be applied when academic work must be reported for academic misconduct.

The expectation is for original academic work while following the requirements determined by the instructor for this course, including for when collaborative practices are required, and other protocols such as authorized resources, auxiliary channels allowed and examination rules in place. Be aware that additional information related to academic work submitted for grading may be requested at the discretion of the professor (e.g., calculations/Excel files, editing work files, sources or prep-editing work, spell-checkers used). Therefore, students are advised to be prepared should the instructor request such information. Instances when originality of academic work cannot be demonstrated by the student, or there is no response from the student to the request, or when there were deviations to the instructions (e.g., unauthorized access or access outside the parameters allowed), those will be treated as applicable for reporting academic misconduct as outlined in the Academic Integrity Policy.

Of note that in other courses, the use of GenAI tools and GenAI-generated content/output may be allowed within specific guidelines or requirements. Please do not assume that being the case for all courses. Ensure to always review instructions carefully and contact your instructor if you have questions.

Sequence and Dates of Topics and Readings

*These materials will be available in Brightspace in a separate folder.

Department of MLLC General Course Policies (2024-25) 

PLAGIARISM

All work submitted in departmental courses must be the result of the individual student’s efforts alone. Without special permission, students may not prepare an assignment together, have work corrected or revised by another person (this includes proof-reading essays or assignments), or correct work for another person. It is also forbidden to submit the work of another person as one’s own, or to sell or loan work to another person. See the University regulations concerning“Academic Misconduct” in theBrock University 2024-25 Undergraduate Calendar (see alsoSection VII of Academic Regulations and University Policies in the Calendar, especially those regarding penalties). Any reference taken from anyone else’s work or from any source (in whole or in part) must be clearly labeled and identified. Brock University Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with The Academic Integrity Policy outlined by the University. See: http://brocku.ca/academic-integrity 

LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS

Assignments must be handed in on the specified day and in the specified mode, unless permission to do otherwise has been granted in advance. Major assignments submitted late are subject to a penalty of 10% of the mark for the entire assignment for each working day the assignment is late. An assignment due on a Friday and submitted on the next Monday is penalized 20%. Late submissions are not accepted after the corrected assignment has been handed back to the class or after 10 working days.

     Late assignments are not penalized if adequate reasons (illness, bereavement) are supplied not later than the due date of the assignment and supported by appropriate documentation(Medical Self-Declaration Form – Short term: Up to 72 hours (for absences under 3 days) or Medical Verification Form (for absences longer than 3 days)) when the student returns to class (virtual or in-person). The instructor is to be informed immediately if extenuating circumstances arise, and if possible before the assignment is due. Instructors may be contacted by telephone or e-mail. All email communicationmust be made from aBrock account.

ABSENCE FROM TESTS AND EXAMINATIONS

Written progress and final examinations scheduled and administered by the Office of the Registrar are governed by University regulations. See theBrock University 2024-25 Undergraduate Calendar (see alsoSection V. Academic Regulations and University Policies, Examinations, especiallyPart F Required Medical Documentation). Students absent from an in-class or online quiz, test, exercise, etc., receive a mark of zero unless adequate reasons are supplied and supported, as detailed above, for missed assignments. Again, the instructor is to be informed immediately if extenuating circumstances arise, and whenever possible before the activity.

     Students with a medically warranted problem must submit a Medical Self-Declaration Form in situations involving an absence of three days or less, or a Medical Verification Form completed by a physician or health care professional in situations involvingan absence of more than three days to support their request for academic accommodation based on medical grounds. Please note that the medical self-declaration form may only be used once per course per term.

     If adequate reasons (illness, bereavement) for a missed activity are supplied and supported, the instructor or course coordinator decides whether to schedule a make-up activity, or to base the student’s final mark on the remaining elements of the course, not taking the missed activity into account. Normally, students absentwith cause are required to make up exams, in-class compositions, and other missed graded assignments.

RESPECTFUL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

Please note that any electronic activity (such as texting), non-related to the course contents, will not be tolerated (see Brock University 2024-25 Undergraduate Calendar – Code of Conduct).Any student who does not respect this rule will be asked to leave the classroom. The University’s Code of Conduct applies to online and in-person classes.

COPYRIGHT

All slides, presentations, handouts, tests, exams, and other course materials are the intellectual property of the instructor (unless otherwise noted) and are protected by law under Canada’s Copyright Act. Unless a user’s right, as defined in the Copyright Act, covers the particular use, students must not publish, post on a public Internet site, sell, rent, or otherwise distribute any course materials without the instructor’s express permission. Failure to abide by these restrictions may constitute grounds for academic misconduct proceedings and/or legal action.