85118 - Italian Pop Cultures (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will have a general knowledge of the processes of production and consumption of popular culture in Italy. They will have studied major theoretical issues and empirical cases from different sectors (e.g. music, movies, newspapers, books). They will be able to analyze the cultural meanings and social effects of popular culture in Italy, focusing also on the role of cultural institutions, the media system, and the political field. They will be able to interpret the relevance of popular culture for the social construction of national identities in Italy. In particular, they will be able to recognize and analyze a variety of Italian cultural objects from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Course contents

The course is structured around two major sections.

The first section reconstructs and defines core concepts from the fields of cultural and media studies as well as sociology. The aim is to dissect the socially constructed and historically rooted – yet contested and changeable – meanings of the notions of “Italian”, “Popular”, and, especially, “Culture(s)”.

The second section focuses on the "Maranza" youth. First, we will examine the symbiotic relationship between urban subcultures and digital platforms. Furthermore, we will map the geographies of race and ethnicity within the soundscape of trap music. Finally, we will explore how mainstream media portrays the "Maranza" to understand how emerging global trends are colliding with the traditional Italian national identity.

Readings/Bibliography

Grazian, D. (2023) Mix It Up: Popular Culture, Mass Media, and Society. 3rd edn. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Poell, T., Nieborg, D. B. and Duffy, B. E. (2021) Platforms and Cultural Production. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Teaching methods

The course follows a flipped classroom approach: students are expected to complete readings and exercises independently prior to class, allowing in-class time to be dedicated to the critical discussion of key themes and emerging issues. Additionally, the second section will feature guest authors presenting their books in a seminar format, followed by a moderated class debate.

Assessment methods

Students are required to write a final essay. The length should be 25.000-35.000 characters, spaces and bibliography included. Both the content and the structure must be discussed in advance and approved. The essay must be submitted through the specific box on Virtuale no later than one day before the exam date. In order for the grade to be officially registered, students must sign up for the exam through AlmaEsami.

In accordance with the University of Bologna’s official policy on the use of Artificial Intelligence in teaching and learning, students are reminded that the evaluation material must be the result of original and autonomous work. For further details, please consult the University’s guidelines on AI usage.

Teaching tools

Online resources and documents not included in the textbooks but relevant to the topics covered in class.

Office hours

See the website of Federico Pilati