Italian Studies
Term:  

Winter Quarter

Dept Course No and Title Instructor
ITALIAN (W22)150  HOLOCAUST IN ITALYCHIAMPI, J.
This course will concern itself with the response to the Holocaust in the memoirs of Primo Levi and Liana Millu, and in the fiction of Giorgio Bassani. Framing their writings will be brief readings in the work of historians Liliana Picciotto Fargion, Susan Zuccotti and Michele Sarfatti.

Italy had no native tradition of anti-Semitism to compare with the French or Austrian (Action Française; Karl Lueger’s Christian Social Party).  Moreover, the Holocaust in Italy begins comparably late–in 1943 with the overthrow of Mussolini–and continues with his consent from the Republic of Salò, the largely puppet state the Germans set up for him after his rescue. The class will briefly address such historical questions as the relation between Italian Fascism and anti-Semitism, the role and responsibility of the Papacy in the eventual deportations, and, finally, the heroism of Italian individuals and even institutions (the diplomatic corps) in the face of unspeakable atrocity. In Levi and Millu we shall address more literary questions: Italian identity, for example. What did it mean to be an Italian Jew in the camps– hence Sephardic–to speak no Yiddish and not to be observant, i.e. to be both culturally and religiously ignorant? On the other hand, what did it mean for an Italian Jew to be cultured and completely assimilated to Italian life: “tutti dottori, tutti avvocati” unlike Polish, Hungarian and Russian Jews? We will study the development of the identity of the protagonist as s/he struggles to survive in the Italy of the race laws and then in the inconceivable conditions of Auschwitz.  

All readings will be in English; there will be two five-page papers and a final exam. The course counts toward the Minor in Italian.
ITALIAN (W22)2B  INTERMEDIATE - HYBRID IN PERSON AND ONLINEVITTORI, G.
The course has a content-based approach focusing on explorations of themes such as History of Italian language, Migration, Arts, Music and Society. Through authentic materials, students take an ideal “Viaggio in Italia” during the quarter and analyze these themes through literature, history, traditions, popular culture, songs and films. Prerequisites: Italian 2A, placement test, or permission of instructor.

4 units.  Hybrid:  MW in person
ITALIAN (W22)1B  FUNDAMENTALS - ONLINE AND ASYNCHRONOUSDI MAIO, F.
Continuation of Italian 1A. Upon successful completion of this course, students will have developed the ability to speak and understand conversational Italian through active use of the language in the classroom. They will also be able to recognize and understand important features of Italian society and, most importantly, to use Italian beyond the university setting. Prerequisites: Italian 1A or permission of instructor.

5 units.  Section B is asynchronous online: no scheduled class meeting times
ITALIAN (W22)1B  FUNDAMENTALS - HYBRID IN PERSON AND ONLINEDI MAIO, F.
Continuation of Italian 1A. Upon successful completion of this course, students will have developed the ability to speak and understand conversational Italian through active use of the language in the classroom. They will also be able to recognize and understand important features of Italian society and, most importantly, to use Italian beyond the university setting. Prerequisites: Italian 1A or permission of instructor.

5 units, Sections HYA and HYC are Hybrid in person and online:  MWF in person

ITALIAN (W22)1ABSP  ACCELERATED ITALIAN FOR SPANISH SPEAKERSPETRY, P.
Designed for students that are native, heritage, or second-language Spanish speakers, this course is an introduction to speaking, reading, writing and comprehending Italian with an emphasis on the numerous linguistic similarities between Italian and Spanish, and on the fascinating connections that link Italian and Spanish/Latin American cultures. It is an accelerated Italian language course, which covers Italian 1A and half of Italian 1B.

5 units.  MW 1-2:50