Course Catalogue

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This course explores the ways in which women's subjectivities have been represented in 20th century Italian literature, film and visual art. Through the analysis of primary texts, we will explore the theoretical and historical foundations of Italian feminist thought, focusing particularly on 1970s feminism. The emphasis will be on how women artists, writers and filmmakers use the body as a starting point for the reclamation of their sexuality and subjectivity, and to question their erasure from history.

20 x 1hr sessions across both semesters as scheduled on MyCampus.

This is one of the honours options in SMLC and may not run every year. The options which are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into Honours Italian, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Single Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation

None

None

Essay (2000 words) - 50%

Presentation (including slides) (7 minutes) - 25%

Written exercise (reflective diary or blogpost) (1000 words) - 25%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course aims to:  

■ Critically analyse the role of women and their representation in modern and contemporary Italy

■ Investigate the strategies that women have used to reclaim agency and resist oppression

■ Explore how women have represented their subjectivities and sexualities

■ Evaluate the role that the body and its representation has played in women's art

■ Encourage students to question how the theories and ideas of 1970s feminism have influenced feminist art and thought today

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Understand relevant aspects of the history of women and of the women's movement in 20th Century Italy

■ Critically evaluate a range of texts in different genres, ranging from experimental film to prose

■ Clearly communicate key issues in Italian feminist thought

■ Analyse critically the set texts in relation to their respective historical contexts 

■ Compare and contrast different texts, putting them in dialogue with each other and tracing recurring themes

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.