Course Offerings

Fall 2012

ART H 211 (*3) Art History in Italy from late Antiquity to the Renaissance

This course introduces the main themes in Italian art from approximately 380 to 1564 A.D. (from the establishment of Christianity as a State Religion to the death of Michelangelo). Material will be approached both chronologically and thematically according to the following plan: Early Christian Art, Lombards and Byzantines in Italy, the Age of Charlemagne, the Art of the “Liberi Comuni” (free city-states), Fredrick II and the Papacy, Romanesque to Gothic, Giotto and the Early Renaissance, the Tuscan Idealism, Italian artists and the Flanders, Rome and Florence in the Renaissance: Raphael and Michelangelo. Prerequisites waived.

CLASS 254 (*3) A History of Greek Art                             

A survey of Greek art from the 8th century B.C. to 1st century B.C.  Attention will be paid to the classical ideal rooted in Western culture that is often misunderstood and misinterpreted. Areas of study will include theatre and music, sport and games, behaviour and religion, philosophy and culture, mathematics and geometry, education and work. Greek cultural expressions (like the philosophy of Plato or the Olympic Games) will play a central role in the artistic analysis.  Prerequisites waived.

CLASS 255 (*3) From Rome to Ravenna                           

A survey of the society and culture of ancient Rome from 509 B.C. through the rise of Byzantium.  We will study the politics, the archaeology and monuments as well as the popular culture of spectacle.    A course pack is available in Cortona. Field Trips to Paestum and Pompeii. Prerequisites waived.

CLASS 473 (*3) Early Italy in the Mediterranean Context                 

For the ancient Greeks the sea was essential to their economic life and civilization.  Their contact and exchanges with others were of crucial importance in the development of the local cultures and identities which eventually formed the basis of modern European society.  This course will outline the historical and geographical background of 8th Century BC trade and colonial ventures across the Mediterranean involving Greeks, Phoenicians and other Near Eastern cultures with consideration of archaeological case studies in Central and Southern Italy.  Special emphasis will be placed on metals and pottery trade, the spread of literacy and the role of local communities in the development of complex forms of settlement organization before the political unification of the Mediterranean world under Roman rule. Field trips to sites in Southern Italy. Prerequisites waived.

ENGL 339 (*3) Introduction to Shakespeare CROSS LISTED WITH ENGL 401: Studies in Authors - Shakespeare's Italy.                        

This course is a survey of Shakespeare’s plays, representative of history, comedy, tragedy, and romance, tracing an arc from very early work to his last play.  Students will read six plays, all of which have an Italian aspect: Two Gentlemen of Verona, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar, and The Tempest. The themes of love and fidelity, political power and personal responsibility, double-crossing and cross-dressing, raise issues that resonate from the Renaissance to the present day. We will be examining the place of Italy in Shakespeare but also the place of Shakespeare in modern culture, where Verona is transformed into Verona Beach.  Prerequisites waived.

NOTE: students with previous credit in ENGL 338 or 339 will take ENGL 401 instead, which will be an enriched version of this offering of ENGL 339 and have assignments appropriate for a 400-level course.

HIST 300 (*3) The Age of Machiavelli                            

The course will explore key historical issues from the end of the 15th Century to the middle of the 16th Century, including the transition from the city state to the territorial state in Italy, the changing scene of Italian politics and history after the crisis of 1494 (according to Guicciardini’s notorious judgement), the relevance of the Italian wars in the European context, the military revolution caused by the introduction of gunpowder, and the place of Machiavelli’s life and works in the history of political thought. Prerequisites waived.

INT D 125 (*3) Introduction to Italian Language and Culture                  

An introduction to conversational Italian designed for non-native speakers who do not require the intensive study of grammar presented in ITAL 111 and 112 to complete degree requirements.  This course will give you the basic skills to communicate effectively in your daily interactions and travel as well introduce you to Italian culture to provide a better appreciation of the similarities and differences  between Italy and Canada.  Not open to students with credit in ITAL 111 or any higher level Italian course.  NOTE: Students who successfully complete INT D 125 are not eligible to register in ITAL 112.  This course will not fulfill the Language other than English requirement for BA program at the U of A.

ITAL 111 (*3)  Beginners’ Italian I                                 

Designed for students with little or no previous background in Italian.  Focuses on development of basic grammar and communication skills.  NOTE: not to be taken by students with native or near-native proficiency in Italian, or with Italian 30 or its equivalents in Canada and other countries.

POL S 354 (*3) Modern Italian Politics and Society                 

This course will offer an overview of Italy’s major socio-political, cultural and economic issues.  It will include an analysis of the major social and political changes of the past 50 years (including the transformation of the political party system following the end of the Cold War), the social/political roots of organized crime and its interaction with national politics, the role of the Catholic Church and its influence, and the turbulence of Berlusconi’s time in office and how it has affected Italy and the European Union.  Prerequisites waived.

WRITE 498 (*3) The Art and Craft of Travel Writing                  

Our core texts will be Alain de Botton’s The Art of Travel and Anne Calcagno’s Traveller’s Tales, Italy: True Stories but this is a workshop, not a lecture course, and the main text will be your writing. Segments of the course will be devoted to description, dialogue, and character, and methods of integrating research with personal narrative. We will also discuss the techniques of writing for publication, from writing the query letter to preparing the typescript for submission. Short assignments will be sequenced to culminate in one major essay of 3000 words, crafted to be submitted to a periodical. Prerequisites waived.

Winter 2013

ART H 202 (*3) History of Renaissance Art                     

Taking the art and architecture of Cortona as a starting point, this course will explore the history of visual art and culture in the 15th and 16th centuries. Not open to students with credit in ART H 252.  Prerequisites waived.

CLASS 255 (*3) From Rome to Ravenna                           

A survey of the society and culture of ancient Rome from 509 B.C. through the rise of Byzantium.  We will study the politics, the archaeology and monuments as well as the popular culture of spectacle.    A course pack is available in Cortona. Field Trips to Paestum and Pompeii. Prerequisites waived.

CLASS 358 (*3) Archaeological Study of Ancient Italy             

A study of ancient Italy as defined by archaeological evidence, theory and interpretation.  Burials, rural, urban and sanctuary development will be considered.  We will also study the way artifacts are displayed in museums and consider the rationales that determine restoration, preservation, and presentation of archaeological material.  Field trips to Naples, Herculaneum and Pompeii. Prerequisites waived.

CLASS 478 (*3) The Power of Beauty                               

A study of cultural appropriation, intellectual property and the history of classical archaeology.  We will concentrate, first, on Greek Art in Italy, then on the Roman use of Greek Art and lastly the appropriation of the Classical Past and the Classical heritage (in particular the role of Greek Art  in modern nation building).  A course pack is available for purchase in Italy.  Prerequisites waived.         

HIST 300 (*3) Culture and Society in Medieval Rome            

We will study the cultural implications of the social and political life of Rome during the Middle Ages starting in the 4th century A.D. and ending in the 13th century. Considering the length of this extremely diverse and multifarious period, only some of the main themes will be examined with a preference for the ideological implications of art and architecture. Prerequisites waived.

INT D 125 (*3) Introduction to Italian Language and Culture                  

An introduction to conversational Italian designed for non-native speakers who do not require the intensive study of grammar presented in ITAL 111 and 112 to complete degree requirements.  This course will give you the basic skills to communicate effectively in your daily interactions and travel as well introduce you to Italian culture to provide a better appreciation of the similarities and differences  between Italy and Canada.  Not open to students with credit in ITAL 111 or any higher level Italian course.  NOTE: Students who successfully complete INT D 125 are not eligible to register in ITAL 112.  This course will not fulfill the Language other than English requirement for BA program at the U of A.

ITAL 112 (*3)  Beginners’ Italian II                                

A continuation of ITAL 111.  NOTE: This course should not be taken by students with native (or near-native) proficiency in Italian, or the equivalents in Canada or other countries.  Prerequisite: ITAL 111 or consent of Department.

POL S 345 (*3)  Globalization and Local Communities      

This course examines the principal features of globalization and assesses how they have influenced the ability of national and local authorities to govern, and in turn how they have affected local communities’ attachment to the global economic and political order. It addresses the manner in which local communities have sought to respond to globalization and considers from both a practical and an ethical perspective the implications of globalization on these communities. The course will examine competing pressures in the region that has been identified both as one of the more successful in engaging with globalization and also as an area with some of Europe’s most vocal opponents to globalization.  Prerequisites waived.

POL S 354 (*3)  Modern Italian Politics and Society                 

This course will offer an overview of Italy’s major socio-political, cultural and economic issues.  It will include an analysis of the major social and political changes of the past 50 years (including the transformation of the political party system following the end of the Cold War), the social/political roots of organized crime and its interaction with national politics, the role of the Catholic Church and its influence, and the turbulence of Berlusconi’s time in office and how it has affected Italy and the European Union.  Prerequisites waived.

POL S 359 (*3) Human Security                                       

This course provides an introduction to the concept of human security including an examination of its multidimensional character and the prevalence of human insecurities around the globe, with a special emphasis on the Mediterranean region. In addition, the course will review the evolution of the concept and the manner in which policies in support of human security have been developed by national governments and regional and global institutions to address such areas as economic security, food security, environmental security and political security arising from developments in the region.  Prerequisites waived.