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.

Course Schedule: (In the event of a schedule change, students will be notified in class and
via the class listserv.)

revised: December 8, 2009

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:
1/8 1.http://europa.eu/index_en.htm
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_perso
Rome ns_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 –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 identity.
1:00-3:00 Read: “Immigration and Social Identities” chapter from Italian Cultural Studies (see blog for
Break pdf ) and “Introduction” & “Salvation” from Multicultural Literature in Contemporary
3:30-5:00 Italy)
Discuss Rione assignment (see blog—due week 9)
Rome Cnt  
—neighborhoods in Rome

Discuss writing assignment #1 (seeing borders)

Thurs Intro to Cultural Studies in Rome and migration issues
1/14 Excursion to Caritas Center
10:00- Note: discuss volunteer opportunities
12:30 Read:"Italy's Southern Exposure”
http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=121
Excursion 
Review websites:
http://www.caritas.org/activities/women_migration/AllRoadsLeadToRome.html

writing assign #2
Week 3:   
Tues 1/19 Border Spaces and Faith; Religion and Italian Identity
1:00-3:00 Read:“Spatial and Symbolic Patterns of Migrant Settlement: the case of Muslim Diasporas
Break in Europe” from Immigration and Integration in Urban Communities &
3:30- “ Catholic Culture” and “Two Images of Catholism” from Italian Cultural Studies
5:00ish Excursion to mosque &/or synagogue
excursion 
writing assign #3
Thurs
1/21 Urban gentrification in Rome & Florence –past, present, future outlook
10:00- Guest speaker & possible excursion to marketplace(s)
12:30
   
Week 4: 
Tues 1/26 Generational Borders- G2 Romans: what does skin have to do with it?
1:00-3:00
Break Read: Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio
3:30- Guest Speaker AMARA LAKHOUS author of Clash of Civilizations (2:00-3:00ish)
writing assign #4
5:00ish
Excursion Excursion to Vittorio
Thurs
1/28
 Florence 

Week 5:
Week 5: Border Literature and performance: transnational artists in Rome
Tues 2/2 Rome as text and cultural performance. Focus on the arts and migration
1:00-3:00 Current topics in Rome as expressed in art (written, visual, performance, music)
break excursion: Performance Art and/or gallery event and/or visit to community center
Most likely visit to Neo Gallery:
3:30-5:30
Excursion   ttp://www.neoartgallery.it/prima.htm
writing assign #5 
Thurs 2/4 Excursion to gallery and/or cultural center or guest artist to speak to students TBA
excursion http://www.molinariartcenter.it/
http://www.forteprenestino.net/

Week 6:   
Tues 2/9 Creating hybrid identities: Urban Graffiti in Rome; talk and excursion
  Possible excursion to Esquilino in Rome

(reading assignment: TBA)

writing assign #6
 
Thurs Roman Education: past, current, and future; Youth speak about their experiences—panel
2/11 presentation
  (reading assignment:   TBA) 
 
Week 7:   
Tues  Italian Cinema—representations of the border:
2/16  La Frontiera or Un Posto al mondo
film  
writing assign #7
 
Thurs Excursion to International Office of Migration and/or excursion to Football 
2/18 Club/Community Center  
  Read: 
http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/pid/835 
 
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 and writing assign #8
Thurs NAPLES!
2/25
Week 9: 
3/2 and ¾ Presentation of Rione assignments.
Onsite in
neighborh writing assign #9
oods   
Week 10 Wrap up and review
3/9 & Writing assign #10
3/11