| Unit name | Modern Italy |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ITAL10033 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. O'Rawe |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Italian |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
While Italy has an exceptionally long and rich history, including the Roman Empire and the Renaissance, as a nation it is comparatively young: the Italian state was only founded in 1861, and since then it has gone through periods of exceptional turbulence, including the rise of Fascism in the twentieth century and the dramatic and bloody resistance to dictatorship and Nazi occupation. The multicultural Italy of the present day, while very different to the Italy of the past, is in many ways a consequence of Italian colonialism, demonstrating how past and present are intimately connected in the history and culture of the nation.
This unit will provide you with core knowledge about the history, literature, visual cultures, politics and thought of the Italy from the nineteenth century to the present day; for students of Italian, it will enable you to make informed choices when you select your options for second year.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
The unit will give you foundational knowledge of modern Italian history and culture, which can be developed in later years in a range of units. It will help you to get to grips with reading about history and equip you with skills of analysis of literary and visual texts. Reflective components to the assessment will help you to understand the relationship between your ideas and those of scholars, and you will also be asked to think about how the value of the feedback you are given, which will prepare you for your units in year two.
An overview of content
This unit is designed to provide you with an introduction to the politics, culture and society of Italy from unification to the present day. The unit works chronologically and is based around certain key texts which will be studied in detail in the seminars which accompany the lectures. The lectures will provide a broad historical, cultural and social introduction to each period. You will be expected to engage with the history of Italy and with the use of different kinds of texts – film (documentary and fiction), novels, memoir, and journalism.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
This unit will be taught by a combination of in-person activities and directed study: the lectures will provide a broad historical, cultural and social introduction to each period. Interactive seminars will involve smaller group discussions of the material covered in the lecture and that week’s readings. Prior to each class, students are required to do the set reading to familiarise themselves with the material. Students will also be given discussion questions or issues to think about relating to that week’s text and topic, and will have an opportunity in the seminar to explore their own thoughts and to gain confidence in expressing their own opinions and interpretations, guided by the seminar tutor.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
In-class activities will increase your familiarity with the subject matter, thereby allowing you to increase in confidence and knowledge before the summative assessment. You will be required to prepare material every week for seminars, and will engage in class discussions to develop your confidence in engaging with the topics.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ITAL10033).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
