Courses of Study:
Minor
Major (B.A.)
Program website: http://www.brandeis.edu/programs/interdepartmental/Italian/
Italian studies provides an interdisciplinary major and a minor for those who wish to extend their study of Italian beyond language and culture to areas of Italian literature, history, film, art history, and music. The study of Italian within a variety of cultural contexts enables students to deepen their understanding of a national heritage beyond the boundaries of a single time frame, region, gender, genre, or academic discipline. Students are encouraged to study abroad in their junior year and to take advantage of resources within the Boston Area Consortium (Boston College, Boston University, Tufts University, and Wellesley College).
How to Become a Major or Program Member (Minor)
Students in the major and the minor work closely with an advisor to develop an individualized plan of study that balances the exploration of a broad range of topics and sectors with a focus on a single discipline or cultural period.
Committee
Richard Lansing, Chair and Undergraduate Advising Head
(Romance and Comparative Literature)
William Kapelle
(History)
Alice Kelikian
(History)
James Mandrell
(Romance and Comparative Literature)
Charles McClendon
(Fine Arts)
Jessie Ann Owens
(Music)
Benjamin Ravid
(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
Paola Servino
(Romance and Comparative Literature)
Faculty
See Romance and Comparative Literature.
Requirements for the Major
The major in Italian Studies consists of a minimum of nine semester courses including the completion of one advanced language course, three literature courses, four courses from the related disciplines, and completion of the senior option. Students seeking honors will take a minimum of 10 courses:
A. ITAL 105a (Italian Conversation and Composition) or ITAL 106a (Advanced Readings in Italian).
B. ITAL 110a, ITAL 120b, IECS 135a, or IECS 140a.
C. Any four of the following Italian-related courses, approved by the student's advisor:
COML 103b Madness and Folly in Renaissance Literature
FA 45a St. Peter's and the Vatican
FA 51a Art of the Early Renaissance in Italy
FA 58b High and Late Renaissance in Italy
HIST 139a Women, Gender, and Family
HIST 139b Fascism East and West
HIST 176b Modern Italy 1848-1990
NEJS 151b Merchants, Moneylenders, and Ghetti of Venice
D. Majors must complete either ITAL 97 (Senior Essay) or ITAL 99 (Senior Thesis) in their senior year, or an equivalent course or courses in a cognate department resulting in the writing of a senior essay or senior thesis on a subject relating to Italy.
E. Students are strongly encouraged to study abroad during their junior year for either one or two semesters. Equivalent or appropriate courses taken abroad may count towards the major. Students who are unable to engage in study abroad are encouraged to avail themselves of relevant courses offered by Consortium institutions in the Boston Area.
Requirements for the Minor
The minor in Italian Studies consists of five semester courses:
A. ITAL 105a (Italian Conversation and Composition) or ITAL 106a (Advanced Readings in Italian).
B. ITAL 110a, ITAL 120b, IECS 135a, or IECS 140a.
C. Any two of the Italian-related courses in C above, or other courses approved by the student's advisor:
D. Any elective course from the above listings in A, B, or C.
Other courses may be acceptable for requirement C and D, with the explicit permission of the program advisor.
Courses of Instruction
ITAL 10a Beginning Italian
Enrollment limited to 18 per section. Students who have previously studied Italian must obtain permission of the instructor before enrolling.
For students who have had no previous study of Italian. A systematic presentation of the basic grammar and vocabulary of the language within the context of Italian culture, with focus on all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ITAL 20b Continuing Italian
Prerequisite: ITAL 10a or the equivalent. Enrollment limited to 18 per section.
For students with some previous study of Italian. Continuing presentation of the basic grammar and vocabulary of the language within the context of Italian culture, and practice of the four language skills. Special attention to reading and writing skills, as well as guided conversation. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ITAL 30a Intermediate Italian
[ fl ]
Prerequisite: ITAL 20b or the equivalent. Enrollment limited to 18 per section.
Readings in contemporary Italian short stories, newspaper, and journal articles and short essays of cultural interest will be supplemented by video presentations (opera, film, "filmati," and "telegiornale" from RAI) designed to enhance oral comprehension. Typical themes include social conflicts (Fascism, the problem of the "Mezzogiorno") and cultural phenomena (feminism, art, geography). Review of grammar, written exercises, and short compositions. Usually offered every fall.
Ms. Servino
ITAL 97a Senior Essay
Signatures of the instructor and the undergraduate advising head required. Students should consult the undergraduate advising head before enrolling. May not be taken for credit by students who have satisfactorily completed ITAL 97b.
Offers students an opportunity to produce a senior essay under the direction of an individual instructor. Usually offered every fall.
Staff
ITAL 97b Senior Essay
Signatures of the instructor and the undergraduate advising head required. Students should consult the undergraduate advising head before enrolling. May not be taken for credit by students who have satisfactorily completed ITAL 97a.
Offers students an opportunity to produce a senior essay under the direction of an individual instructor. Usually offered every spring.
Staff
ITAL 98a Independent Study
May be taken only with the written permission of the advising head and the chair of the department. Signatures of the instructor and the chair of the department required.
Reading and reports under faculty supervision. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ITAL 98b Independent Study
May be taken only with the written permission of the advising head and the chair of the department. Signatures of the instructor and the chair of the department required.
Reading and reports under faculty supervision. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ITAL 99d Senior Thesis
Signatures of the instructor and the undergraduate advising head required. Students should consult the undergraduate advising head before enrolling.
Usually offered every year.
Staff
ITAL 105a Italian Conversation and Composition
[ hum ]
Prerequisite: ITAL 30a or the equivalent.
Provides students with an opportunity to develop their oral and written proficiency in Italian, while familiarizing themselves with different facets of contemporary Italian culture and society. Readings will be supplemented by films and recordings. Usually offered every second year. Last offered in the spring of 2001.
Ms. Servino
ITAL 106a Advanced Readings in Italian
[ hum ]
Prerequisite: ITAL 30a or the equivalent. Enrollment limited to 18.
Close study and analysis of representative works of Italian literature (prose, poetry, drama) and culture (art, history, music, cinema, politics) designed to enhance the student's reading skills. Three hours per week. Usually offered every year. Will be offered in the fall of 2002.
Mr. Lansing
ITAL 110a Introduction to Italian Literature
[ hum ]
Prerequisite: ITAL 30a or the equivalent.
Surveys the masterpieces of Italian literature from Dante to the present. It is designed to introduce the student to the major authors and literary periods, styles, and genres and present an overview of the history of the literature. Conducted in Italian. Usually offered every second year. Last offered in the spring of 2001.
Mr. Lansing
ITAL 120b Modern Italian Literature
[ hum ]
Prerequisite: ITAL 30a or the equivalent.
Analysis of major works by Svevo, Pirandello, Moravia, Silone, Lampedusa, Pavese, Primo Levi, Montale, and Vittorini with respect to the political, economic, and social problems of post-Risorgimento Italy. Conducted in Italian. Usually offered every second year. Last offered in the spring of 2002.
Mr. Lansing
IECS 135a Shifting Grounds: Social Change in Italian Fiction and Film
[ hum ]
Open to all students. Conducted in English with readings in English translation.
Charts various aspects of social change in Italian society and culture through close readings and discussions of literary and cinematic texts by Manzoni, Verga, Pirandello, Silone, Morante, Calvino, Rossellini, de Sica, Fellini, Pasolini, and Bertolucci, among others. Usually offered every third year. Last offered in the spring of 1999.
Mr. Mandrell
IECS 140a Dante's Divine Comedy
[ hum ]
Open to all students. Conducted in English with readings in English translation.
A close study of the entire poem--Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso--as a symbolic vision of reality reflecting the culture and thought--political, philosophical, theological--of the Middle Ages. Readings will include two minor works, the Vita Nuova and World Government. Usually offered every second year. Last offered in the fall of 2001.
Mr. Lansing
IECS 150a Jewish Identity and Italian Culture
[ hum ]
Aims to discuss Jewish identity in contemporary Italian culture and provide an overview of the formation and transformation of the Jewish Italian community. Students read prose, poetry, essays, and articles, as well as view films that address issues of religious and national identity. Authors include Giorgio Bassani, Primo Levi, Rosetta Loy, among others. Special one-time offering. Will be offered in the spring of 2003.
Mr. Parussa