Italian Culture and Society in the 1960's and 1970's: course description
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The course will focus on the major Italian literary, cinematic, artistic, social, and political movements of the 1960s and 1970s. This was a period of rapid economic modernization and the consolidation of Italy’s economic “miracle,” which begun in the 1950s. It was also a period of great artistic creativity and social unrest.
In the course in addition to devoting considerable effort to understanding Italy’s great social and economic transformation during these years, we will also examine some of the great artistic reflections on this transformation. Visconti’s classic film, “Rocco and His Brothers,” for example, will help us understand the mass migration of poor Southern Italians to the industrial centers of the North. Pier Paolo Pasolini’s films and poetry will introduce some of the political alternatives facing Italian society during those years. And Nobel prize winning playwright Dario Fo’s work provides, in comical terms, an examination of the basis and terms of social protest.
We will also read some of the political texts from the period in order to appreciate the movements initiated by workers, students, and feminists. This period also saw the birth of right-wing and left-wing terrorist groups that had a profound impact on Italian society.
The overall aim of the course is to understand the major cultural, political, and social dynamics in this period of Italian history.
Aim of the course: The course will focus on the major Italian literary, cinematic, artistic, social, and political movements of the 1960s and 1970s. The course will incorporate films and novels as much as possible to introduce the social and political themes. The aim of the course is to understand the major cultural and social dynamics in this period of Italian history.
Method of teaching: combination of lecture and discussion formats.
Prerequisites: none
