Honors 251: Ambiguous Borders: Identity in Rome and Italy

5 credits, Winter 2010, Rome, Italy

Tuesdays 1:00-5:00 & Thursdays 10:00-12:30 (w/breaks)

Class location: Rome Center and, more often, on-site at various locations in Rome

Julie Villegas, Honors Program

villegas@u.washington.edu
UW Honors: 211 Mary Gates (206) 543-7172 UW
Rome Phone: 331 2610 708 (mobile); 06 686 7646 (apartment);
Office Hours: by appt

Rome Program Blog: http://uwhonorsinromew10.blogspot.com/

Border Blog: http://romeborders.blogspot.com/

Throughout their history, Romans have been interested in boundaries, entries and
gateways, both psychological and physical. We will look at "border" as both a metaphor
and as a physical manifestation of culture in both ancient and modern Rome.

Students will also explore the ambiguity of the border, identity politics, and the concept of
"Other" in Rome by traveling outside of Rome to visit the cities of Florence and Naples and
experience first-hand the historical and stereotypical divisions between Italy's north and
south.
We will explore these general questions:
• Where are the covert and overt borders in Rome? (Physical, psychological, cultural,
and national borders).
• How is "insider" or "outsider" status determined?
• Borders are at the same time becoming more rigid and also more fluid. What are the
dynamics behind this and how is this fluidity and ambiguity expressed in art, literature,
monuments and memorials?

The course will consider how art and literature (writing, filmmaking, visual arts, music, and
performance) express current identity politics of Rome and Romans within the landscape of
ancient and modern migration patterns.

In addition, students will have the opportunity to create independent research projects and
explore specific interests linked to the larger themes of the class. As part of the independent
research component Students will be introduced to humanities research methods as related
to border studies and, more specifically, cultural borderlands.

Course Format:
The structure of the course will be a combination of classroom instruction, guest speakers,
excursions, reading, discussion, and writing assignments. Your writing assignments will be
a combination of postings to your blog and writing in journals.

Course Goals:
• Identify key social issues in Rome (and Florence and Naples)
• Guide students in the development of project topics
• Facilitate viewing city as art (i.e. seeing as a writer and artist--looking at metaphor and
utilizing metaphors in the creative process.).
• Introduce students to topics relevant to the larger theme of the program
• Teach a variety of humanities methods
• Develop team process
• Introduction to Roman history, art, culture, cultural studies, and politics

Student Objectives:
• Examine contemporary artistic, social and cultural issues in the urban context of Rome,
Florence, Naples
• Explore the city through the creative lens and be flexible (be open to seeing in a fresh
way)
• Discover and engage in research topic and learn to work collaboratively and
successfully in small groups
• Writing assignments on a weekly basis (blog and journals)
• Understand how an interdisciplinary approach works in the context of study abroad

Required Texts:
Lakhous, Amara. Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio
Orton & Parati. Multicultural Literature in Contemporary Italy

Selections from the following (PDF and/or course packet)

Course reserve site: http://eres.lib.washington.edu/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=7808
Forgacs, David, ed. Italian Cultural Studies: an introduction
Hanley, Ruble, and Garland, eds. Immigration and Integration in Urban Communities
Cahill, Susan, ed. The Smiles of Rome: a literary companion for readers & travelers
Hamilton, K. 2002 and Jachimowicz, M. 2003. Migration Information Source/Migration
Policy Institute. http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=121
Grillo, Ralph and Pratt, Jeff, eds. The Politics of Recognizing Difference: Multiculturalism
Italian Style (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2002)
Wong, Aliza S. Race and the Nation in Liberal Italy. Palgrave: New York, NY. 2006.
For website resources & readings-- check blog.

Attendance and Preparation: Any absences should be excused beforehand. You are
expected to complete all assignments prior to class on the assigned date. This includes all
readings, assigned writings, blog postings, and group presentations.

Method of Evaluation: This course has no final exam. Students are graded based on the
following components:
• Class participation/in-class discussion (1/3)
• Writing Assignments (1/3)
• Blog submission and presentation of Rione assignment (1/3)

Course Blog: You will keep an individual blog linked to the course blog where you will
post assignments, share research findings, and collect resources related to course topic and
assignments.

Blog Assignments: The blogs will facilitate our learning process in several ways: 1) as an
electronic journal to post you’re writing assignments and reactions to the readings and 2)
an additional way to create and maintain our academic community both in Seattle and
abroad. All blog posts are due before class on the day they are discussed.
In the event of a schedule change, students will be notified in class and via the class
listserv.)
revised: Jan 12, 2010
Week
1:
1. Intro to EU and Borders. Overview of border studies
2. Comparative look at Bordered cities and Borderscapes
3. Discuss borders in Rome & different ways of seeing the city
Friday, Read:
1.http://europa.eu/index_en.htm
1/8 2.http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/default_en.htm
1:30-3:30 3.http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/justice_freedom_security/free_movement_of_
Rome persons_asylum_immigration/l33020_en.htm
Center 4. http://phg.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/30/2/143
--Discuss readings above and weekly writing assignments
Writing assign #1 assignment –seeing borders in Rome (for inspiration read “Roman
Hours” in The Smiles of Rome)
Week 2: Continue discussion of readings from Friday and…
Tues 1/12 Community Borders. What/where are Roman communities? Consider politics of
1:00-3:00 identity.
Break Read: “Immigration and Social Identities” chapter from Italian Cultural Studies (see
3:30-5:00 blog for pdf ) and “Introduction” & “Salvation” from Multicultural Literature in
Contemporary Italy)
Rome Cnt Discuss Rione assignment (see blog—due week 9)
—neighborhoods in Rome

Discuss writing assignment #1 (seeing borders)

Thurs Continue discussion of readings from 1/12 and first week.
1/14
10:00- Writing assignment #1 due
12:30 writing assign #2 assigned
Excursion
Week
3:
Tues 1/19 Border Spaces and Faith; Religion and Italian Identity
1:00-3:00 (reading moved from 1/14 to today: Read:"Italy's Southern Exposure”
Break
3:30-
5:00ish
excursion
http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=121)
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d:“
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tial
and
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mb
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Patt
Thurs Excursion to Caritas Center. Note: discussern
volunteer opportunities
Review websites: s of
1/21
Mi
http://www.caritas.org/activities/women_migration/AllRoadsLeadToRome.html
10:00- gra
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Tues 1/26 Generational Borders- G2 Romans: what does ns skin have to do with it? Discussion of
ra
1:00-3:00 the reading and prepare questions for Amarafor Lakhous (arrival at 2:15)
Wa
Car
sser in Piazza Vittorio
Read: Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator
Break
3:30- Guest Speaker AMARA LAKHOUS authoritas ma of Clash of Civilizations (2:30-3:30/4:00)
visi
n,
5:00ish t. Urban Studies Architect and urban
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4:00-5:00 Possible guest speaker Greg Smith,
Excursion studies research on urban gentrification inRea
mpl Rome and Florence pertaining to
immigration. d:
e
“Li
Uni
Optional excursion: “Rome as Studio.” 7 pm.ght Art Exhibit opening at Temple University
ver
Bee
Rome Campus. Contact Julie if interested.sity
rfac
and
ulty W
Thurs writing assign #4 (writing in Florence .ritiPea so BRING YOUR JOURNALS to
1/28 Florence) nut
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Week 5: Mu
art
due
Tues 2/2 3:00 excursion to art community ltic center:
sce
bef
1:00-3:00 Readings: review these sites below ult ne
ore
break Circolo degli Artisti ura
and
you
3:30-5:30 www.circoloartisti.it l
“W
lea
Excursion Lit
hat
ve
http://www.molinariartcenter.it/ era
is
for
http://www.forteprenestino.net/ tur
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ttp://www.neoartgallery.it/prim er and a.htm
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Reading from Multicultural rea
Jou
ry’ Literature (TBA)
din
rnal
art
Thurs 2/4 Excursion to Piazza Vittorio area and Esquilino
gin
s market. Bring your journals for onsite
Excursion discussion and writing. TB
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Ro
10:00- A
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12:30 writing assign #5 assign (M
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Tues 2/9 Creating hybrid identities: Urban Graffiti in ldue
cs Rome; talk and excursion
dis
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Border Literature and performance: era
sio
din transnational artists in Rome
Ro
Rome as text and cultural performance. tur gn of Focus on the arts and migration
me
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as
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ress
meYouth speak about their experiences—
Thurs Roman Education: past, current, and future; or
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panel presentation nt:
2/11 rea
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(reading assignment: TBA) TB
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Tues Italian Cinema—representations of the border:
2/16 (reading TBA)
film We will a film from the following list:
La Frontiera ; Un Posto al mondo ; “When you’re born you can no longer hide ;
Rome: Yesterday to Today” or “The Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio”

Thurs Excursion to International Office of Migration and/or excursion

2/18 to Football Club/Community Center (readings to be assigned
from Multiculural Literature)
Read:
http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/pid/835
Wri
writing assign #7 assigned ting
assi
gn
#6
due
http://features.csmonitor.com/backstory/2008/10/30/a-soccer-
team-gives-hope-to-refugees-in-italy/

Week
8:
Tues 2/23 Overview of Naples: history, urban culture, demographics, migration trends, & related
1:00-4:30 economic/political, art and literature coming
(reading assign: “Imagined Italies” & “Images of the South” from Italian Cultural
Studies)
Guest Speaker
Thurs NAPLES!
2/25 Wri
writing assign #8 assigned ting
Week assi
9: gn
#7
3/2 and ¾ Presentation of Rione assignments (on site)due
Onsite in
neighborh wri
oods tin
Week 10 Wrap up and review g
Writing assign #9 due ass
3/9 &
Assign #10 (Due when you are back in ign
Seattle!). ciao!
3/11 #8
due
wri
ting
assi
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