28984 - Cultural History (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students will be able to understand how cultural history contributes to connect historical studies to other human sciences according to a composite and multidisciplinary approach. Students will be engaged in a multidisciplinary environment (dealing with the early modern age), and will be encouraged to connect different fields, in order to make scientifically sound judgments in various areas (social and material history, the history of mentalities and communication, art history, literature and music, history knowledge and science, etc.). Moreover students will be able to identify the specific contribution that the historical sciences can bring to the knowledge and understanding of the evolution of the increasingly complex and globalized societies.

Course contents

 

Methodologically, the course aims to analyze the public use of history through a reflection on specific case studies.

The syllabus focuses on the history of key guiding ideas central to analyzing the emergence and development of political theologies, drawing on the extensive historiography regarding the public use of history. This theme will be examined diachronically, starting with examples from the Classical era (Athens and Rome) before focusing on Late Antiquity.

Following a brief overview of the medieval period, the course will concentrate on issues from the early modern era, particularly concerning the Spanish colonial empire: the so-called "Black Legend," the iconographic depiction of *mestizaje* (racial mixing) in Mexico (specifically the Ixmiquilpan frescoes), and the marriages between Inca royalty and the descendants of the *conquistadores* in Peru, alongside an examination of local perspectives found in post-Inca and Texcocan chronicles.

The course will also examine Russian historiography regarding the "Time of Troubles," ranging from contemporary sources to the most recent treatment of the subject in today's post-Soviet political discourse

Finally, regarding the contemporary era, the course will address themes of post-fascist revisionism in Italian public discourse and the handling of the Hutu-Tutsi conflict in Rwanda, Burundi, and the Kivu region, tracing the narrative from the Belgian colonial legacy to post-colonial literature.

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students will opt for 2 volumes among those indicated below

L. Canfora,Tucidide. L'oligarca imperfetto, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 1988; Id., Tucidide e l'impero. Presa di Melo, Roma-Bari, Laterza 2000; Id.,Tucidide e il colpo di Stato, Bologna Il Mulino, 2021; Id., Tucidide. La menzogna, la colpa, l'esilio, ; Id. Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2016; Id., La Storia falsa, Milano, Rizzoli, 2008; Id., La prima marcia su Roma, Laterza 2007; Id.,La Germania di Tacito da Engels al nazismo, Napoli, Liguori, 1979

Schmidt, Benjamin, Innocence Abroad. The Dutch Imagination and the New World, 1570-1670, Cambridge U.P. 2001; Sverker Arnoldsson, 'La Leyenda Negra: Estudios Sobre Sus Orígines,' Göteborgs Universitets Årsskrift, 66:3, 1960; Maura, Juan Francisco. "La hispanofobia a través de algunos textos de la conquista de América: de la propaganda política a la frivolidad académica". Bulletin of Spanish Studies 83. 2 (2006): 213-240;Maltby, William S., The Black Legend in England. Duke University Press, Durham, 1971

S. Gruzinski, L'aigle et la Sybille, Paris I.N. 1994; Id.,La guerre des images de Christophe Colomb à Blade Runner (1492-2019), Paris, Fayard, 1990; Id.,L'Amérique de la Découverte peinte par les Indiens du Mexique, Paris, Flammarion-UNESCO, 1991; Id., Visions indiennes, visions baroques. Les métissages de l'inconscient, Paris, PUF, 1992

I. Rossini, Il sangue dei vinti e il caso Vezzalini. Omissioni, distorsioni e uso pubblico della storia, in «Giornale di storia contemporanea», XI, 2, dicembre 2008; ead., L'uso Pubblico della Resistenza: il caso pansa tra vecchie e nuove polemiche, Academia 2024;G. De Luna,Tra storiografia e uso pubblico della storia, E-Review - Rivista degli Istituti Storici dell'Emilia Romagna in Rete; L'interventionnisme du Rwanda en République Démocratique du Congo: Hégémonie ou puissance prédatrice ? ,T. Kiyirembera, Editions L'Harmattan, 2024; P. Chretien, Combattre un génocide: Un historien face à l'extermination des Tutsi du Rwanda (1990-2024)C, Bord de l'Eau 2024;AA.VV., Le Rwanda ancien - le royaume nyiginya,KARTHALA, 2012

Non attending students, in addition to the two volumes,  could be also study 

- C. Ginzburg Storia notturna , Torino varie edizioni ;

- J. Snelling, Buddhism in Russia, new York ;

- Tran, Gods, Heroes and ancestors, Oxford

Teaching methods

Oral lessons and workshop

Students enrolled in the course as part of an Integrated Course (I.C.) must pass the examination of both parts on the same day (the final grade will be the arithmetic average of the marks obtained in the two parts)

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending.

This 6 CFU course can be chosen as a part of the 12 CFU Integrated Course “History of culture and systems thought (C.I.) (LM)". If the student has the Integrated Course (12 CFU) in his/her study plan, the final grade will result from the arithmetic average of the marks obtained in the two parts (“Cultural History" (1) (LM)" and “History of Ideas (1) (LM) “).

Oral examen or Write proof

Regarding the assessment of learning, the use of AI is prohibited for tests conducted in an uncontrolled environment; these will be validated following an analysis of the mandatory submitted work materials, potentially supplemented by an oral interview.

The exam will be conducted orally and will assess the student's command of the material studied in the course. The student will be judged on his ability to summarise and critically discuss topics raised in the course, making use of the exam bibliography and the course tools provided.

The assessment will thus consider the student's:
- knowledge and understanding of the topics covered;
- ability to summarise and analyse themes and concepts;
- familiarity with the terminology associated with the subject and his ability to use it effectively.

Top marks will be awarded to a student displaying an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology

Average marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarise them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.

 

Teaching tools

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities are advised to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it/per-studenti) well in advance. That office will propose any necessary accommodations to the students concerned; these proposals must be submitted to the instructor for approval at least 15 days prior to the exam date, so that the instructor can assess their suitability in light of the course's learning objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Fabio Martelli