90847 - History and Culture of Childhood

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course student is expected to acquire: 1. Main international themes of discussion in the debate about cultures of childhood and on educational models and patterns. 2. History of childhood, through the lens of cultural representations, research about the concept of childhood, practices and discussion about neoteny (human characteristic of childhood maintenance). 3. Finding your way in the network of stories, representations, images of childhood and becoming able to produce original critical paths thorough a wide range of themes of the collective imagination, life and knowledge: sport, fashion, health, travel. 4. Contemporary international children publishing and its design and thematical possibilities, with regards for themes quoted at the point 3 and for visual literature, picture books and silent books.

Course contents

The course proposes the study of the theory and grammar of picture book. The bibliographical references include essays devoted to history of picture and wordless books, as a rich list of children picture books related to fashion's issues, presented in the international project The Extraordinary Library. 100 picture books selected by Bologna Children's Book Fair. Fashion icons biographies (from Coco Chanel to Pippi Longstocking, from Audrey Hepburn to Vivienne Westwood), non-fiction books, original visual experiments, exquisite paper products creations, illustration realized from embroidery, from the research on textures, colors and shapes, works by illustrators-authors-designers who often design in the two areas, the editorial one for children and that of fashion. The student will have the opportunity to meet, collectively discuss and study books that at the same time involve and represent childhood in the cultural discourse on fashion, precious contributions to stimulate a pedagogical, aesthetic, interdisciplinary reflection and invite to an overview on the main themes of fashion through the lens of the best international children's publishing.

 

Readings/Bibliography

M. Terrusi, Albi illustrati. Leggere, guardare, nominare il mondo nei libri per l’infanzia, Carocci, 2012

M. Terrusi, Meraviglie mute. Silent book e letteratura per l’infanzia, Carocci, 2017

M. Terrusi, R. Farnè, Moda e Infanzia, ZoneModa Journal, Vol. 8 No. 2 (2018)

The bibliography of the picture books and the selection of chapters or sections of the essays required for the exam will be indicated during the course.

Teaching methods

The course includes lessons set up for the most part in a dialogical way, in which the illustrated books of the international selection are read and discussed collectively thanks to direct reading on the video projection. Students will also be invited to work on their own biography of readers and on the construction of the gaze. There will be pedagogical insights into the history of children's literature, with particular attention to the education of the gaze and the ways of seeing.

Assessment methods

The final exam will consist of an oral interview with the teacher and a presentation developed by the students. It will be possible to provide group presentations and use different languages, videos, images, written texts, to deepen the theoretical and practical aspects of the program

Teaching tools

The international collection of picture books relating to the fashion and style project is can be entirely consulted at the Rimini Campus Library. The teacher also reserves the right to provide study material also available in electronic format.

Office hours

See the website of Marcella Terrusi