30811 - History of English Culture (LM)

Learning outcomes

Students acquire deep knowledge of British cultural, political, philosophical, socio-economic history. They develop high ability to elaborate on texts and their cultural contexts, favouring critical thought.

Course contents

Cultural Representation of Diversity in British Orientalism(s)

The course will analyse diverse forms of British Orientalism(s) in literature, visual art, and cultural theories, with specific reference to late 19th century and 20th century. Lessons will investigate Orientalism as part of the cultural history of England, connected to colonialism and imperialism, but also to (albeit ambiguous) processes of intercultural exchanges. The course will take into consideration diverse literary genres where the notions of cultural difference and diversity intertwine with issues connected to gender, social positions, and 'race'. It will be introduced by lessons on cultural, postcolonial and intercultural studies.

Readings/Bibliography

Lessons will make reference to the following critical sources:

Said, Edward, Orientalism, Vintage Books, 1978 (selected chapters). Available in the Library.

Said, Edward, Culture and Imperialism, New York: Vintage Books, 1993 (selected chapters). Available in the Library.

Santoro, Marco, “Che cos'è cultura?” in Studi culturali. Temi e prospettive a confronto. A cura di Cristina Demaria e Siri Nergaard. Milano, McGraw-Hill, 2008, pp. 39-66

Hall, Stuart, "Ethnicity, Identity, Difference" available online

Hall, Stuart, "New Ethnicity" 1988, 1996, available online

Gilroy, Paul, Against Race: Imagining Political Culture Beyond The Color Line. Harvard UP, 2000. Selected chapters. Available in the Library.

Lowe, Lisa, Critical Terrains: French and British Orientalisms, Cornell UP, 1992. Available in the Library.

Monticelli, Rita, “I would rather be a cyborg than a goddess”: Genealogies, Re-Visions of the Body, and Feminist Figurations, in: Women’s Voices and Genealogies in Literary Studies in English, Newcastle upon Tyne, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2019, pp. 41 - 56

Monticelli, Rita; A. Nadalini, Culture lines: la ‘razza’ come auto rappresentazione in contesti post-traumatici, in: Z. FRANCESCHI, Razza, razzismo e antirazzismo. Modelli, rappresentazioni e ideologie, BOLOGNA, I Libri di Emil, 2011, pp. 129 - 141. Available in the Library.

Monticelli, Rita, "Oltre lo specchio: politiche e poetiche degli studi di genere e delle donne", «MODERNA», 2013, 1-2 . 2012, pp. 219 - 233.

Achebe, Chinua, 1977, "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness'". Massachusetts Review. 18. 1977. Available online.

Spivak, Gayatri C, 1985, "Three Women's Texts and a Critique of Imperialism", Critical Inquiry, 12-1. Issue entitled: "Race", Writing and Difference. available online

Monticelli, R., Amnesie, Afasie, (in)dicibilità del primitivo, in: G. GOLINELLI, Il primitivismo e le sue metamorfosi. Archeologia di un discorso culturale., BOLOGNA, CLUEB, 2007, pp. 67 - 82

Monticelli, Rita, "Matrimoni impossibili e relazioni pericolose in Othello", in I volti dell'altro. Letterature della diaspora e migranti. a cura di Paola Boi e Radhouan Ben Amara. Cagliari: AV, 2003, pp. 213-231

Monticelli, Rita, Lo stupore della differenza. Anna Jameson e la tradizione del racconto di viaggio, Patron, 2000

Primary sources. Lessons will make reference to the following texts:

Selected passages from 19th-Century Travel Writings

Shakespeare, William, Othello, 1603-04

Conrad, Joseph, Heart of Darkness, 1899

Forster, E. M, A Passage to India, 1924

Forster, E. M., "The Life To Come" in The Life To Come And Other Stories. London: Penguin, 1972, 1989, pp. 94-112

BIBLIOGRAPHY IN PROGRESS: Please do check this web page for further notice, information and online availability. Students will be provided with alternative sources available online or in our library. MOST SOURCES are available on 'VIRTUALE' (On VIRTUALE you can also find other references discussed in class).

For the final oral exam students are requested to choose texts from the list of the critical sources (about 180 pages) AND three texts from the primary sources.

Please do check this web page for further notice

 

Teaching methods

Lessons, seminars, class discussions, students' presentations. Languages employed: English, some seminars in Italian.

Bibliography and other information will be provided also during the lessons (and then published in the online reading list and program). The course includes both lessons and seminars with the active participation of the students. Languages: English and Italian. Students who cannot attend lessons must contact the lecturer during her office hours, or via e-mail before the end of the course. Students are requested to check the online program also during the course for further notice and information.

B.A students are not admitted. Erasmus students are requested to contact the lecturer before enrolling in the course.

 

Assessment methods

 

Active participation in class discussions: 25%. By participation in class we mean the ability of the student to enter the debates, contributing with questions and/or elaborations of the topics proposed by the lecturer. This participation does not aim at testing students' specific preparation in the field, rather, they want to favor their ability to take part in discussions and their capability to discuss in group.

Final oral exams: 75%

The final oral exam will test the student's critical capability, his/her knowledge of the methodologies employed, her/his ability to combine theories with the analyses of the texts chosen. The close reading of the texts aims at showing the student's critical ability, their knowledge not only of the texts but also of their context of creation together with the cultural politics that inform them. Students are requested to use an appropriate language, to be able to articulate their thought in English (high level)and to have an accurate knowledge of the bibliography chosen for the exam.

Grades:

Excellent: Students' high capability to elaborate on the exiting debates on the topics chosen, originality of thought and excellent knowledge of the theories and of the texts chosen for the exam,  using also the theories employed during the course and showing comprehension of the bibliography selected, accurate and appropriate language.

Very good level:  Students' capability to elaborate on the exiting debates on the topics chosen, originality of thought and very good knowledge of the theories and of the texts chosen for the exam, using also the theories employed during the course and showing comprehension of the bibliography selected, and appropriate, accurate language.

Good level: Students' capability to elaborate on the exiting debates on the topics chosen, knowledge of the theories and of the texts chosen for the exam, their ability to read them using also the theories employed during the course and showing comprehension of the bibliography selected, and appropriate language.

Pass: Students' capability to enter the exiting debates on the topics chosen, knowledge of the theories and of the texts chosen for the exam, their ability to read them using also the theories employed during the course and showing comprehension of the bibliography selected, and appropriate language.

Fail: Student's lack of knowledge of the theories employed during the course, incapability to critical reading of the texts, inappropriate and inaccurate language.

 

Teaching tools

videos, power point, movies.

Office hours

See the website of Rita Monticelli