The course aims to provide guidelines for the history of 20th-century criticism through the analysis of methodological innovations underlying the development of cultural studies. Furthermore, it will focus on the role played in the international critical debate by categories of analysis related to diversity, inclusion, and sustainability.
Written exam lasting 90 minutes. The exam consists of two questions. The exam assesses the knowledge of the texts covered in the program as well as the student's critical and interpretive abilities. The evaluation will also take into account the linguistic and rhetorical quality of the response articulation.
GRADING SCALE:
a. Outstanding (30 - 30 e lode): excellent knowledge of all of the contents of the course. Excellent ability to analyze the texts and to contextualize them in an appropriate way. The student uses the academic register with appropriate linguistic terminologies. The translation is correct.
b. Very good (29 to 27): very good knowledge of all of the contents of the course. Very good ability to analyze the texts and to contextualize them in an appropriate way. The translation contains hardly any mistakes.
c. Good (26-24): Good knowledge of the contents of the course. Adequate ability to describe the texts. The language used is simple but correct. The translation is good.
d. Fair/sufficient (23-18): The work has sufficient knowledge, coherence, use of appropriate resources and quality of presentation to warrant a basic pass. The ability to analyze the texts is not wholly satisfactory. The work is very descriptive and does not fully address the issues raised by the question. The translation is not wholly satisfactory.
e. Fail (below 18): The student demonstrates only a basic awareness of the contents of the course. The work is frequently confused and incoherent. Both the analysis and the translation contain inaccuracies and major errors.
This course offers an introduction to the literary and philosophical debate that encouraged a radical transformation of the concept of literature in the second half of the 20th century. The methodological consequences of the spread of cultural studies will be analyzed. Special attention will be given to the deconstruction of the notion of the "literary canon" and its variations in different national contexts. The course will analyze the methodological framework of recent critical approaches, with a special emphasis on ecocriticism, transnational studies, gender and queer studies.
The course will be taught in Italian, during the second semester (IV subperiod). Erasmus students are invited to contact Professor Gennero before the course begins (email valeria.gennero@unibg.it)
