Corsi di Studio del Dipartimento di Lingue e Letterature straniere e Culture moderne

NORTH-AMERICAN LITERATURE (FIRST YEAR)

NORTH-AMERICAN LITERATURE (FIRST YEAR)

Anno accademico 2018/2019

Sommario insegnamento

• Obiettivi formativi
• Risultati dell'apprendimento attesi
• Modalità di insegnamento
• Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento
• Attività di supporto
• Programma
• Testi consigliati e bibliografia
• Note
• Strumenti didattici

Obiettivi formativi

This course contributes to the development of intellectual tools for literary study and interpretation for MA students. It aims at presenting problems, texts and key-authors of mostly 19th, 20th and 21st century North-American literature. This course also aims at developing critical and analytical skills in the poetry, fiction and literary and cultural criticism and at helping students develop academic writing skills.

Risultati dell'apprendimento attesi

This course aims at developing abilities of critical thinking, independent study and initiative. Seminar discussions and individual study of the syllabushelp students acquire critical and analytical instruments for udestanding and conducting research in the field of North-American literature and culture. They also learn to place those texts within theoretical, critical, and historical contexts and to produce written analyses of those texts.

Modalità di insegnamento

During class: seminar discussion of primary and secondary texts; presentation of written papers and feedback. Individual study of primary and secondary texts and short papers as PREPARATORY to the sessions in class. 

Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento

Three take-home papers (to be submitted as indicated in the course blog at least 7 days prior to the written exam), one written exam, one oral interview (after passing the written exam). Exams are offered in the winter, summer and fall sessions of 2019. After 2019, a NEW SYLLABUS will apply. 

Attività di supporto

Lectures and presentations by guests speakers, when possible

Programma

Understanding America: Key Concepts.

COURSE BLOG: https://webapps.unito.it/blog/?id=60254. This is the official blog and bulletting board for this class. Students are required to refer to the course blog regularly during the semester, and refer to it for any changes and updates to thus syllabus. 

The course examines what "America" means and what it means to be "American", addessing questions such as whether the term "American" has a singular or plural definition or if there is any common culture or fund of shared values that unites Americans of widely different backgrounds. Will do so by discussing key concepts of American Studies, including exceptionalism, manifest destiny, nature, violence, democracy, race, migration, mobility, urban modernity, American Century, multiculturalism, post-nationalism. Spanning over 3 centuries of American culture, the readings in this course will help students become familiar with major topics in that culture, as expressed in the literature from the 17th through the 21st century.

This class, fully taught in English, will be conducted as a weekly seminar: students will be expected to show weekly progress through the course materials by way of classroom presentations and written assignments.

Non attending students (an oxymoron as long as this course is concerned) MUST meet with professsor during office hourse PRIOR to the beginning of the course and ATTEND AT LEAST the first session of the course.

NON ATTENDING STUDENTS (i.e. students attending less than 70% of this course) will also study:
Heike Paul, The Myths that Made America (Transcript, 2014)

Reference texts (highly recommended):
Maffi et al. Americana (Il saggiatore, 2012)

Note

COURSE BLOG: https://webapps.unito.it/blog/?id=60254. This is the official blog and bulletting board for this class. Students are required to refer to the course blog regularly during the semester, and refer to it for any changes and updates to thus syllabus. 

• Materiale didattico
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