1. HUM 350
Italian Culture and Civilization
Instructor: Prof. Vincenzo Selleri
e-mail: vselleri@york.cuny.edu

2. Prof. Vincenzo Selleri teaches Italian, Italian Cinema and
Italian culture and Civilization in CUNY, SUNY and
St John’s University.
His main fields of interest include Modern Italian Jewish
History, Italian Literature and Italian Cinema.
Course Description:
What is Italy? Does an original Italian culture exist? How is the
National Italian identity perceived abroad and by Italian Citizens?
The course will try to answer these and other questions through
the study of the unification of Italy, exploring and comparing
regional identities, tracking the evolution of the standard Italian
language, learning about the great literary and cinematic works
that have influenced the Art of western civilizations. Topics will
include fine arts, music, cinema, regional folklore and
traditions, fashion, and gastronomy.

3. Required Textbooks:
• None. All the reading material is available on
Blackboard under copyright law.
Recommended Textbooks:
• Charles Killinger. Culture And Customs Of Italy,
Greenwood, 2005.
• Charles L. Killinger, The history of Italy.
Greenwood 2002.
• Mario B. Mignone. Italy Today. Peter Lang. 2008

4. Course Objectives:
By the end of the semester, each • To independently become acquainted with
some specific Italian cultural concepts.
student shall: • To be able to control and collect information
• Shape and define a sincere but not through appropriate sources.
stereotypical picture of modern Italy • To realize the importance of a historical
• Provide a unified image of Italy but also framework.
define its regional differences and varieties • To be able to structure and integrate gained
• Compare and contrast the representation of knowledge.
Italy through its own history • To be able to refer to history during the first
• Write short and long papers on the topics introduction to literature.
• Develop oral presentation skills
• Use the Internet as resources for research
on all aspects of the course;
• Use and cite bibliographies and other
research tools appropriate to the discipline;
• To have knowledge of the most important
terminology and realia of the history and
culture of Italy.
• To understand the current Italian society.
• To be able to develop a vision on the new
developments in the Italian society.

5. Attendance:
This is an ON-LINE course!
Attendence will be evaluated in the form of your
ACTIVE participation to the discussion forums
included in every weekly module!
Your posts will be evaluated qualitatively and
quantitatively as explained in the rubrics.
Please read the rubrics carefully before
submitting your posts.

6. Assignments:
The students are responsible for studying the
assigned material each week and to participate
in the discussion forums before taking the
weekly quizzes.

7. CULTURAL EVENT:
During the semester the students will have the
opportunity of attending to the cultural events
sponsored by the Department of Foreign
Languages at York College.
News and updates regarding the events will be
posted on Black Board.

8. Grading
The final grade will be calculated as follows:
• Quizzes (12) _______________20%
• Final Essay _______________10%
• Midterm _______________20%
• Final exam _______________20%
• Discussion Board/participation _______________30%

9. COURSE OUTLINE
• Week 1 • Calvino and the Italian fairytales
• Introduction: Quiz 7
• Italian Culture and Stereotypes
• Quiz 1 • Week 9
• Week 2 • Primo Levi and Italian Shoa
• The Unification of Italy Quiz 8
• Different Italians. The South and the North of Italy.
• Quiz 2 • Week 10
• The great scientists: Galieo Galilei
• Week 3 Quiz 9
• The Italian national anthem.
• The Italian flag. The emblem of the Italian Republic. • Week 11
• National Italian identity and the issue of language • The Italian Organized Crime
• Quiz 3 • Essay #2
Quiz 10
• Week 4
• Regions and Cities: National and regional traditions : Calabria • Week 12 -13
• Quiz 4 • Migration, Immigration and Emigration
• Cultural Report
• Week 5 Quiz 11
• Regions and Cities: National and regional traditions : Puglia
• Quiz 5
• Week 14
• Week 6 • Review
• Commedia dell’arte and the masks • Final Exam
• Essay #1
• Quiz 6
• Week 7
• mid-term exam
• Week 8

10. VOCAB
• Icebreaker: mandatory introductory test and
presentation forum. Accessible from the side bar
• Weekly module: contains the weekly lesson
• Assignments: Discussion Board and Quiz
• Discussion Board: participative blog linked in the
weekly module or accessible from the side bar
(content area). It’s graded!
• Quiz: weekly homework, linked in the weekly
module. It’s graded!