Italian Studies

This course will examine the reasons why the socio-criminal phenomenon of the Mafia continues to self-reproduce after more than a century. Students will conduct a comparative study between the two societies where the Mafia took roots, specifically the Italian Mafia versus the American Mafia; explore the history of the Mafia from three main perspectives: historical, political, and sociological; and be able to distinguish clearly between the interpretation of the mafia emerging from fiction books and movies, and the real representation of this socio-criminal phenomenon.

This course will introduce the impact of globalization on Florence. Using the city as a research field, students will explore the complex dynamics that shape the identity of Florence by applying a critical perspective on the notion of globalization, and by analyzing the socio-cultural forces at play both historically and presently; observe the cultural variability in Florence; discuss the relativity of cultural values; and investigate how the multicultural aspect of Florence’s identity has been discursively constructed, and by which social actors.

This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students with no prior experience of Italian Language. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises to correct pronunciation.

This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students who have already taken Italian Language level 1, and are already in possess of basic level notions of the Italian language. However, a thorough review of the basic grammar structures that should already be mastered by the students will be operated in the first part of the course, in order to give the students the full opportunity to base their new acquisitions on solid grounds. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises to correct pronunciation. If the pace of the class allows the time, it is possible that authentic materials, such as ads, videos, songs, magazine articles, films, will be used to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Pronunciation, grammar and communicative functions, and vocabulary are going to be constantly reinforced by practicing listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills which will be integrated into class activities.

On the first meeting a diagnostic test will take place, based on grammar structures that the students should already have covered in Italian 1. It will help the instructor to ascertain the class’s general level of proficiency in the language, and will have no weight at all on the students’ final grade.

This course will direct students to reflect about their own relationship with food. Starting from a multi-disciplinary approach, that involves such fields as sociology, history, anthropology and nutrition, students will explore new aspects of their life in Italy directly related to health, education and everyday life. The final aim of this course is to provide an insightful, life-changing experience, which leads students to develop healthier lifestyles (Personal Development Outcome), comparing their culture with Italian culture (Diversity Outcome) and its distinct history and traditions related to food (Urban Environment Outcome).

This course will explore the complexities of cultural identity and migration, and the impact they have on intercultural conflict and cooperation. There will be a particular focus on migration in Italy and on the marginalized communities of contemporary Italy, such as migrants, their Italian-born non-citizen children, and the Roma. We will examine the fluidity of cultural boundaries across time and space, and how ingroup and outgroup dynamics contribute to the manufacturing of fear and prejudice among populations. During their semester abroad, students will reflect on the various elements that define a culture while gaining an increased understanding of how culture shapes individuals and how our cultural identities interact in shared social spaces such as the piazze of Florence. 

This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students who have already taken Italian Language levels 1 and 2, and are already in possess of basic level notions of the Italian language. However, a thorough review of the basic grammar structures that should already be mastered by the students will be operated in the first part of the course, in order to give the students the full opportunity to base their new acquisitions on solid grounds. The teacher will explain the funda-mental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exer-cises to correct pronunciation. If the pace of the class allows the time, it is possible that authentic materials, such as ads, videos, songs, magazine articles, films, will be used to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Pronun-ciation, grammar and communicative functions, and vocabulary are going to be constantly reinforced by practicing listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills which will be integrated into class activities.

This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students who have already taken Italian Language levels 1, 2, and 3, and are in possess of good level notions of the Italian language. However, a thorough review of the basic grammar structures that should already be mastered by the students will be operated in the first part of the course, in order to give the students the full opportunity to base their new acquisitions on solid grounds. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises to correct pronunciation. If the pace of the class allows the time, it is possible that authentic materials, such as ads, videos, songs, magazine articles, films, will be used to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Pronunciation, grammar and communicative functions, and vocabulary are going to be constantly reinforced by practicing listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills which will be integrated into class activities.

On the first meeting a diagnostic test will take place, based on grammar structures that the students should already have covered in Italian 1 and 2. It will help the instructor to ascertain the class’s general level of proficiency in the language, and will have no weight at all on the students’ final grade.

This course will introduce a broad range of painting, sculpture, and architecture in Florence from the great projects of the Middle Ages that defined the religious and political centers of the city, with a special focus on major monuments of the Renaissance period. Students will examine issues of social, political, and economic context, as well their function, which was integral to artistic production of the period; conduct related scholarly research; deepen their appreciation of Renaissance civilization; and analyze the interrelationship between people’s creative achievements and their society.

This course will examine the reasons why the socio-criminal phenomenon of the Mafia continues to self-reproduce after more than a century. Students will conduct a comparative study between the two societies where the Mafia took roots, specifically the Italian Mafia versus the American Mafia; explore the history of the Mafia from three main perspectives: historical, political, and sociological; and be able to distinguish clearly between the interpretation of the mafia emerging from fiction books and movies, and the real representation of this socio-criminal phenomenon.

This course will introduce the psychological, biological, and experiential factors thought to influence the symptoms, etiology, course/prognosis, and treatment of mental disorders in adults. Students will develop an understanding of the rationale for the diagnostic criteria and other clinical signs accompanying common DSM-5 disorders; causal and maintenance factors of disorders; and examples of empirically supported treatments. 

This course will introduce the impact of globalization on Florence. Using the city as a research field, students will explore the complex dynamics that shape the identity of Florence by applying a critical perspective on the notion of globalization, and by analyzing the socio-cultural forces at play both historically and presently; observe the cultural variability in Florence; discuss the relativity of cultural values; and investigate how the multicultural aspect of Florence’s identity has been discursively constructed, and by which social actors.

This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students with no prior experience of Italian Language. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises to correct pronunciation.

This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students who have already taken Italian Language level 1, and are already in possess of basic level notions of the Italian language. However, a thorough review of the basic grammar structures that should already be mastered by the students will be operated in the first part of the course, in order to give the students the full opportunity to base their new acquisitions on solid grounds. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises to correct pronunciation. If the pace of the class allows the time, it is possible that authentic materials, such as ads, videos, songs, magazine articles, films, will be used to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Pronunciation, grammar and communicative functions, and vocabulary are going to be constantly reinforced by practicing listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills which will be integrated into class activities.

On the first meeting a diagnostic test will take place, based on grammar structures that the students should already have covered in Italian 1. It will help the instructor to ascertain the class’s general level of proficiency in the language, and will have no weight at all on the students’ final grade.

This course will introduce students to fundamental approaches, techniques, tools, and mediums of drawing. Students will focus on various aspects of Florence as subject matter; enrich studio work with encounters with Florentine artists and through field studies; increase their visual awareness and perception; explore their creative potential and ability to make visual statements, while enjoying the challenge of drawing; and visually interpret examples of the impact of globalization in the urban environment through their artwork.

This course will introduce students to the materials and techniques of the versatile medium of oil painting within the framework of Florence. Students will focus on various aspects of Florence as subject matter; enrich studio work with encounters with Florentine artists and through field studies; increase their visual awareness and perception; explore their creative potential and ability to make visual statements, while enjoying the challenge of painting; and visually interpret examples of the impact of globalization in the urban environment through their artwork.

This course will introduce students to the materials and techniques of the unpredictable medium of watercolor painting within the framework of Florence. Students will focus on various aspects of Florence as subject matter; enrich studio work with encounters with Florentine artists and through field studies; increase their visual awareness and perception; explore their creative potential and ability to make visual statements, while enjoying the challenge of painting; and visually interpret examples of the impact of globalization in the urban environment through their artwork.

This course will explore the field of cross-cultural psychology through a focus on Italy and its inhabitants. Students will discuss aspects of cross-cultural analysis from the field of cross-cultural psychology, including cultural influence on human behavior, attitude, values, communication, and societal organization; examine topics of ethnocentrism, individual vs. collective societies, plural societies, cultural views on mental health, and intercultural communication; and investigate methodical issues of cross-cultural research, with the opportunity to be participant-observers of their own experiences in Italy, including through field work.

This course will direct students to reflect about their own relationship with food. Starting from a multi-disciplinary approach, that involves such fields as sociology, history, anthropology and nutrition, students will explore new aspects of their life in Italy directly related to health, education and everyday life. The final aim of this course is to provide an insightful, life-changing experience, which leads students to develop healthier lifestyles (Personal Development Outcome), comparing their culture with Italian culture (Diversity Outcome) and its distinct history and traditions related to food (Urban Environment Outcome).

This course will explore the complexities of cultural identity and migration, and the impact they have on intercultural conflict and cooperation. There will be a particular focus on migration in Italy and on the marginalized communities of contemporary Italy, such as migrants, their Italian-born non-citizen children, and the Roma. We will examine the fluidity of cultural boundaries across time and space, and how ingroup and outgroup dynamics contribute to the manufacturing of fear and prejudice among populations. During their semester abroad, students will reflect on the various elements that define a culture while gaining an increased understanding of how culture shapes individuals and how our cultural identities interact in shared social spaces such as the piazze of Florence. 

This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students who have already taken Italian Language levels 1 and 2, and are already in possess of basic level notions of the Italian language. However, a thorough review of the basic grammar structures that should already be mastered by the students will be operated in the first part of the course, in order to give the students the full opportunity to base their new acquisitions on solid grounds. The teacher will explain the funda-mental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exer-cises to correct pronunciation. If the pace of the class allows the time, it is possible that authentic materials, such as ads, videos, songs, magazine articles, films, will be used to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Pronun-ciation, grammar and communicative functions, and vocabulary are going to be constantly reinforced by practicing listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills which will be integrated into class activities.

This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students who have already taken Italian Language levels 1, 2, and 3, and are in possess of good level notions of the Italian language. However, a thorough review of the basic grammar structures that should already be mastered by the students will be operated in the first part of the course, in order to give the students the full opportunity to base their new acquisitions on solid grounds. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises to correct pronunciation. If the pace of the class allows the time, it is possible that authentic materials, such as ads, videos, songs, magazine articles, films, will be used to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Pronunciation, grammar and communicative functions, and vocabulary are going to be constantly reinforced by practicing listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills which will be integrated into class activities.

On the first meeting a diagnostic test will take place, based on grammar structures that the students should already have covered in Italian 1 and 2. It will help the instructor to ascertain the class’s general level of proficiency in the language, and will have no weight at all on the students’ final grade.

This course will explore key economic issues in the global business environment. Students will develop an understanding of how global businesses are impacted by real world developments in economics, politics, and finance; critically examine the global economic landscape with an emphasis on the interaction between international economics and business through discussions of current economic and political development; and explore topics such as globalization, country differences, cross-border trade and investment, the global monetary system, and competing in a global marketplace.

This course will introduce a broad range of painting, sculpture, and architecture in Florence from the great projects of the Middle Ages that defined the religious and political centers of the city, with a special focus on major monuments of the Renaissance period. Students will examine issues of social, political, and economic context, as well their function, which was integral to artistic production of the period; conduct related scholarly research; deepen their appreciation of Renaissance civilization; and analyze the interrelationship between people’s creative achievements and their society.

This course will introduce creative writing in relation to the city and the particular challenges of writing about place. Students will examine how various subjects such as the river, urban spaces, solitude, ethnicity, particular boroughs, and characters (both fictional and real) function in Florence narratives; develop an understanding of the role of memory and experience in literary psycho-geographical accounts of the metropolis; utilize their observations of Florence to practice creative writing, and investigate the potential of place within the narrative of various genres.