30127 - Sociology of Literature (LM)

Learning outcomes

The student will gain an in-depth knowledge on the functioning of the institutions of literature, on the relationship between text and context, on the dynamics of literary communication and its political, ideological, socio-economic and editorial influence. The student will know how to use critical tools and forms of investigation of sociology applied to literature, with a particular focus on the thematic and sociological components of literary texts.

Course contents

THE OTHER NATION. THE MIGRATION OF ITALIAN PEOPLE.

Current events are marked by a series of social phenomena and cultural constructions, as well as political choices, based on a terrifying and aggressive interpretation of international migratory flows that cross our peninsula.

Indeed, the history of the Italian unification consists of huge flows of emigration, affecting all regions and a wide variety of social classes and strata, from laborers to intellectual figures, who today, under the label of "brain drain", are a large part of the expatriates inside and beyond the European continent.

The course intends to analyse some of the numerous testimonies, often grew into literary works, arose from expatriate movements, sometimes written using the mother tongue, often using that of the country of arrival. These works clarify the reasons behind the migration, the dramatic passages that mark trips and crossings, the difficult approaches with strange customs and cultures, the segmented and contradictory processes which generate progressive integration in the succession of generations.

Figures and epics like those of Marisa Fenoglio and Carmine Abate in Germany; Saro Marretta in Switzerland; Luigi Di Ruscio in Norway; Saint Jerome and Savior Adam in Belgium; Marinetta Pendola and Erminia Dell'Oro in Africa; John Fante, Helen Barolini, Louise De Salvo, Jerre Mangione in the USA, as well as Italian’s works in Australia or Argentina, represent a rich and diverse textual corpus.

On this corpus, historical research and literary criticism produced only few contributions, although it is, for dimension and quality, a necessary chapter to complete the framework of national culture.

 

Readings/Bibliography

 

See the italian syllabus.

Teaching methods

FRONTAL LESSONS

Classes start 21 February 2018

Aula PASCOLI

Dipartimento di Filologia Classica e Italianistica, Via Zamboni 32

 

 Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

11:15 - 12:45  a.m.

Assessment methods

ORAL EXAMINATION

The evaluation of the students' competencies and abilities acquired during the course consists in an oral interview which has the aim of evaluating the critical and methodological ability of the students. The students will be invited to discuss the tests on the course programme. The student must demonstrate an appropriate knowledge of the bibliography in the course programme.

Those students who are able to demonstrate a wide and systematic understanding of the issues covered during the lessons, are able to use these critically and who master the field-specific language of the discipline will be given a mark of excellence.

Those students who demonstrate a mnemonic knowledge of the subject with a more superficial analytical ability and ability to synthesize, a correct command of the language but not always appropriate, will be given a ‘fair' mark.

A superficial knowledge and understanding of the material, a scarce analytical and expressive ability that is not always appropriate will be rewarded with a pass mark or just above a pass mark.

Students who demonstrate gaps in their knowledge of the subject matter, inappropriate language use, lack of familiarity with the literature in the programme bibliography will not be given a pass mark.

 

Teaching tools

Video projector, overhead projector, videos, web resources.

Meetings with international experts and authors that write on migration issues.

Office hours

See the website of Fulvio Pezzarossa