IT 130 Italian Culture and Civilization

Italian Culture and Civilization, examines life in the Italian peninsula, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the present. It is designated an International Cultures course, which aims to develop critical and analytical skills of undergraduate students through a global exploration of the historical, cultural, and political aspects of Italian society. Historical material will be studied to facilitate understanding of how Italian unity is imagined across time and will emphasize the continuous process of fragmentation and negotiation of cultural, national, and political identities through the ages. The course traces, among other topics, the role of the Catholic Church, the Renaissance, Italian Unification, Fascism, and contemporary immigration to Italy.