Fall 2023 Italian Course Descriptions
This is an unofficial list of courses that will be offered in Italian and Italian American Studies in Fall 2023. It is strictly for the use of expanded course descriptions. For the complete official course offerings, please consult the My.UIC portal.
For a list of all courses and general course descriptions, please see the UIC Academic Catalog.
Fall 2023 Courses in English Heading link
ITAL / RELS/ CST 293: Dante’s Divine Comedy. MW 3:00-4:15. Fabbian.
As you join me on Dante’s journey through the realms of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, you will face the same dilemmas and controversies he does in his Divine Comedy. What happens to us after death? What does it really mean to be a good person? Who is responsible for the evils of the world? How far should a person go for love?
Following Dante in his journey, you will meet immoral professors, popes, famous soldiers, saints, artists, and average men and women. While Dante’s poetic vision of the afterlife offers a panorama of the medieval world, you will discover that many of the issues confronting Dante and his age are important to individuals and societies today: social justice, the relationship between church and state, personal and civic responsibility, governmental accountability, and the role of the arts in the construction of civic life.
The Divine Comedy inspired and change the lives of Michelangelo, James Joyce, Franz Liszt, and many others in very different walks of life.
All readings are in English. No prerequisites.
Creative Arts, and Past course.
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Fall 2023 Courses in Italian Heading link
Beginning and Intermediate Italian
All beginning and intermediate Italian language courses are blended courses (meet in person and require additional online work outside of class). Students must have access to a computer with internet access.
- ITAL 101 – Elementary Italian I — MWF 9:00-9:50, MWF 10:00-10:50, & MWF 11:00-11:50
- ITAL 102 – Elementary Italian II — MWF 9:00-9:50 & MWF 1:00-1:50
- ITAL 103 – Intermediate Italian I — MWF 12:00-11:50 & MWF 1:00-1:50
- ITAL 104 – Intermediate Italian II — MWF 10:00-10:50 & MWF 11:00-11:50
Advanced Italian
ITAL 210: Introduction to Italian Literary and Cultural Studies. MWF 12:00-12:50. Mazza.
“Multicultural Citizenship: Cultural Globalization and the Deconstruction of National Identity in 21st Century Italy”
Today, Italy faces challenges that threaten traditional notions of national identity and cultural and religious homogeneity. This course is a critical analysis of some of the problematic issues facing contemporary Italian society as represented through print media, cinematic production, popular music, and the Internet. We will study the cultural transformations that have occurred in Italy in the last thirty years, the evolving constructs of Italian national identity as new waves of immigrants enter the country, the push toward economic globalization and the concurrent resurgence of regionalism (political, cultural, and linguistic), and nationalism. We will also explore broad and familiar themes (youth, family, politics, cultural policies, religious and ethnic identities) in a diversity and social justice perspective through a variety of texts by renowned contemporary authors and a wide range of cultural, and multi-medial materials, including, films, songs, and the Internet.
This course prepares students for advanced language and culture study.
Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ITAL 104.
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ITAL 302: Artistic Kitchens: Decoding Food in Italian Culture. MWF 1:00-1:50. Fabbian.
This course focuses on the theme of food in Italian cultural products (films, literary and non-literary texts, songs, and artworks). By analyzing and discussing the symbolic, realistic, erotic, and political functions surrounding the preparation and consumption of food in its artistic representation, learners will gain original perspectives on a variety of issues regarding gender, class, ethnicity, and traditions, as well as advance their language proficiency.
Prerequisite: ITAL 200, 201, or 202.
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