Spring 2009 course descriptions



The following courses are being taught during the spring semester 2009 at the John Felice Rome Center.

To view the syllabus for a particular course, please click on the title for that course.


   Anthropology (ANTH)

ANTH 271 / INTS 271

Globalization and Local Cultures: the Mediterranean World

This course is an introduction to the anthropological study of the diversity of contemporary human cultures and to issues concerning globalization. As a Rome Center course, a special emphasis will be placed on globalization as it pertains to the Mediterranean world. We will explore the processes through which the world has become "globalized," the European rise of the nation-state and transnationalism, the impact of globalized commodities, globalized media and international migration. Throughout the course we will address the theme of communication across cultural boundaries and how various dimensions of globalization have transformed families, gender relations as well as sensibilities pertaining to heritage, ethnicity, and race. The plight of local Mediterranean communities in the face of global changes will also be examined. By better understanding the values and beliefs of members of other cultures, and the ways in which they have been incorporated into the world system, we will be able to gain a more insightful understanding of our own cultures and our own place in the world.

Outcomes: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the historic and contemporary relationships between cultures and societies, and to understand how cultures change over time.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's Core requirement in the area of Societal and Cultural Knowledge. Also satisifies the Core value of Understanding Diversity in the United States or the World.

ANTH 319 / INTS 319

Anthropology of Tourism in the Mediterranean World

Prerequsite: an introductory course in one of the following: cultural anthropology, international studies, or sociology; or consent of instructor (e-mail kadams@luc.edu)

This course explores the phenomenon of tourism from an anthropological perspective. Drawing on case studies from Italy and the Mediterranean world, the course addresses the social, cultural, economic, and environmental impact of tourism on Mediterranean host communities and nations. Also examined are the history and cultural structure of tourism (pilgrimages, the Grand Tour, contemporary service tourism and post-modern tourism etc.), the psycho-cultural motivations of contemporary tourists, and the role of tourism institutions (museums, souvenirs, travel literature) in the construction of Others. Throughout the course, case data are related to anthropological theories of cultural and economic change, cross-cultural communication, identity, ethnicity, nationalism and gender

ANTH 340 / CLST 340

Classical Archaeology: the Greek Temple

This course studies Mediterranean cult-places before Greece; Dark Ages of Greece; Archaic Greece; socio-political role and ritual function of major Greek sanctuaries.

Note: It is recommended that a student take one of these two courses as a prerequisite: CLST 306 (FNAR 336) OR CLST 334 (ANTH 334).

   BLAck world studies (BWS)

BWS 110 / INTS 257 / PAX 102 / PLSC 102

International Politics

This course will provide an introduction to global politics. First we will examine the origins of the current international system and the levels of analysis and theoretical frameworks that scholars use to explain international politics. We will then look at the variety of actors that take part in and influence international politics. Although focusing on nation-states, we will also look at the many other actors and international organizations that are involved in world affairs. Throughout the semester, we will also discuss and debate prominent issues in international politics, with the goal of considering the security and ethical dimensions of these issues, with a special emphasis on Italy, Europe and the Mediterranean

Outcomes: Students will be able to to demonstrate understanding of the main ways of studying international politics; to compare and contrast major competing approaches to the field; to examine individual regions and countries from the perspective of these approaches; and to achieve an understanding of such major substantive issues as interstate war, terrorism, arms control, international political economy and sustainable development.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's Core requirement in the area of Societal and Cultural Knowledge.

CATHOLIC STUDIES (CATH)

CATH 106 / THEO 106

Theology of the Sacraments

Sacraments are more than just mechanical ways in which to experience God in Christian liturgy—what has been traditionally defined as “a visible sign of an invisible reality.” Indeed, the seven sacraments of the Catholic tradition are only privileged theological/liturgical expressions of a way of thinking, feeling, and interpreting reality. If a sacrament mediates God’s presence in the Christian community, then such mediation assumes that anything in the finite particular world around us can be a possible vehicle to experience God. This course will examine what can be called a “sacramental imagination” as a way to get at the theological assumptions that are such a large part of the Catholic spiritual tradition. Through the used of film, literary essays, short stories, and theological texts, we will first explore what it means to think and feel “sacramentally” and then focus on the nature of the sacramental system in Catholic worship.

CATH 300 / FNAR 343 / ROST 343

Special Topics: Baroque Art

This course is a study of painting, sculpture, and architecture in the 17th and 18th centuries. Special attention is paid to artistic developments in Rome within the context of the Counter-Reformation and the 17th century renewal in Church and papacy. Aspects of the Baroque in Spain, France, the Low Countries, Germany, and Austria will also be studied. A fundamental aim of the course is to understand stylistic and iconographic features within the historical and religious context. This will be implemented through slide lectures with discussion and on-site visits to view works by Caravaggio, Bernini, Borromini, Pietro da Cortona, and other masters of the Roman Baroque.
Note: Taught on site. 

   

Classical Studies: Classical Civilization (CLST)

CLST 307 / FNAR 337 / ROST 307

Art of the Roman World.
This course is an introduction to the art of the Roman world from c. 1000 B.C.E. to about AD 400. It is an historical survey of the main achievements and style-qualities of architecture, sculpture, pottery, painting, mosaics, and metalwork among the Etruscans and Romans (in Italy and around the Empire); inter-relations and influences, especially from Greek art; richly illustrated with color slides of representative art works; extensive bibliographical background.
Outcome: Students will be able to better describe and analyze ancient Roman era art and to formulate arguments and interpretations about how and why such art was produced and how it may be interpreted.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's Core requirement in the area of Artistic Knowledge and Experience.

CLST 308 / HIST 308 / ROST 308

A History of Rome to Constantine
This course will cover the earliest Apennine civilizations; the Etruscans, the foundation and the rise of Rome; libera res publica, the Principate and Empire.

CLST 340 / ANTH 340

Classical Archaeology: The Greek Temple
This course studies Mediterranean cult-places before Greece; Dark Ages of Greece; Archaic Greece; socio-political role and ritual function of major Greek sanctuaries.

Note: It is recommended that a student take one of these two courses as a prerequisite: CLST 306 (FNAR 336) OR CLST 334 (ANTH 334).

CLST 395 / ROST 395

Topography of Rome
This course is a survey of the development of the ancient city of Rome from its Etruscan origins (8th century BC) until the shift of the imperial Roman capital and senate to Constantinople under the first Holy Roman Emperor (early 4th century AD). The course focuses primarily on the monuments and art of imperial Rome and aims to place and interpret these monuments in their proper historic and cultural context as well as to understand their lasting influence on Western culture. It offers students the unique opportunity to study ancient art and archaeology first-hand and to appreciate the complex diachronic fabric of the modern city in which they live.

Note: Taught on site.

   CLASSICAL STUDIES: GREEK or LATIN (GREK / LATN)

Students may request permission for a tutorial course in advanced Greek or advanced Latin. All such tutorial requests must be endorsed in writing by the chairperson of the appropriate department at the student's home school and must be made at least one month prior to the start date of the semester. Registration for the tutorial will be allowed only after final approval for the tutorial has been granted by the Director/Dean of the Rome Center in consultation with the appropriate Rome Center faculty member.

GREK 388 / 389

Readings in Greek Literature I / II

LATN 388 / 389

Readings in Latin Literature I / II

      

English (ENGL)

ENGLISH 273

Introduction to Fiction: The Idea of Italy in Literature (The Gothic Image)

This class will chiefly explore the texts of mainly English and American authors who use Italy and Italian settings in a Gothic context. We will explore the Gothic genre as an outgrowth of English and American authors’ romanticized impressions of Italy, its people and landscape, and how it came to represent what Persey Bysse Shelley called “The tempestuous loveliness of terror.” This material should provide us with ample fodder to discuss the geopolitical, psycho-sexual, racist, feminist/misogynist and homophobic (haemophobic?) implications of Anglo-American culture’s habit of breeding its monsters in far-off lands—particularly Italy.

ENGLISH 289

Society in Literature: Constructing “Italy” in Contemporary American Travel Narratives

In this course students will receive training in understanding the relationship between literature and society. Students study representations of society in literary texts as a means of exploring how aesthetic forms reflect and shape social experience and values. The semester focus will be viewing “Italy” through a contemporary “American” lens.   We will examine the way that “Italy” and the Mediterranean informs the narrative structure, style, and content of works by contemporary American writers.  Through the close reading of a variety of travel narratives we will cover a range of  perspectives on Italy -- the landscape, culture, aesthetics, the contemporary socio-political climate, the impact of gender and nationality on writing – as well as the issues surrounding what it means to be an expatriate, an outsider or to simply be “foreign.”

Outcome: Students will be able to recognize the ways literary form influences the meaning of literary representations of society, and demonstrate understanding of texts representing society in various periods of history and diverse cultural contexts.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's core requirement in the area of Literary Knowledge and Experience.

ENGL 318

The Writing of Fiction: Writing Rome

This core course will discuss techniques of fiction writing and will offer guidance in writing some works of original short fiction. By exploring the city of Rome through writing and on-site classes, students will be provided with an interdisciplinary, studio-art approach to the generation of written work.  Readings will examine the Eternal City as a character from antiquity to the present and be used as a foundation for site visits and writing assignments. Through the studied practice of descriptive writing and the examination of setting as a vital literary component, students will create their own textual map and fictional reflections of the Eternal City.

Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the critical skills necessary for discussing, analyzing and formulating arguments about fiction, and will produce original short fiction of their own.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's core requirement in the area of Artistic Knowledge and Experience.

ENGL 399

Special Studies in Literature:

Subject matter of this course will be designated by a subscript whenever the course is offered.  Usually taken as an independent study.

Outcomes:  Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the topic of the course, and of the research and critical skills necessary to analyze and discuss it.  Usually students will work independently and produce a research paper, under the direction of a faculty member.

   

   FINANCE (FINC)

FINC 340 / INTS 306

Emerging Financial Markets

Prerequisites: Junior standing; Minimum grade of "C-" in FINC 332

In this course students learn to analyze business potential in emerging markets.  In that pursuit students study various factors driving emerging market economies.  Political, economic, social, and legal frameworks, among others, are studied and discussed.  Emphasis is on the impact of the financial sector on economic development, performance, and crises.  Additional topics include financial intermediation, privatization, portfolio management, and globalization of labor markets.   Lecture, reading, and case study probe geopolitical, macroeconomic, and market trends, so that students learn to forecast the effect and understand the global impact of large scale forces.

Outcome:  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the contribution of financial institutions and markets to economic growth and development, the causes and effects of financial crises, the controversy of financial liberalization vs. financial repression, the impact of inflation, and the causes and effects of corruption.

   Fine Arts (FNAR)

All 300-level fine arts courses are upper division courses involving a substantial amount of work, attention to detail, and time. These courses are not guided tours of Rome but serious studies. Because there is also an overlapping of material and sites to be visited in some of these courses, students are advised not to sign up for more than one on-site class except for those who are majoring in Fine Arts or related fields. Only fine arts majors should sign up for both Art in Rome and Baroque Art.

   

FNAR 124

Sculpture I

This is an introductory studio that will introduce basic techniques, materials, and theoretic principles specific to Sculpture so that students can learn to express ideas and feelings in a 3D format.

Creativity is sensory-cognitive-affective and moves from knowing to doing to interpretation and evaluation of ones own production and that of others.

Students will demonstrate competency working with a variety of materials such as clay, plaster, armatures and found objects, producing an ongoing body of work throughout the Semester. The course will cover various approaches to the subject, from fabrication and assemblage to casting and direct modeling. Technical demonstrations on media specific and tools will alternate with theory classes and site visit to Art Museums.

It will be important to gain confidence with direct, hands-on interaction with the media choice, to explore it with a personal approach and to organize a good work-in-progress studio practice.

A final paper on a specific Artist, Exhibition or Art Movement will be requested.

Outcome: Students will be able to provide new ideas and explore what it is to be human through experiential non-discursive learning.

   

FNAR 337 / CLST 307 / ROST 307

Art in the Roman World
This course is an introduction to the art of the Roman world from c. 1000 B.C.E. to about AD 400. It is an historical survey of the main achievements and style-qualities of architecture, sculpture, pottery, painting, mosaics, and metalwork among the Etruscans and Romans (in Italy and around the Empire); inter-relations and influences, especially from Greek art; richly illustrated with color slides of representative art works; extensive bibliographical background.
Outcome: Students will be able to better describe and analyze ancient Roman era art and to formulate arguments and interpretations about how and why such art was produced and how it may be interpreted.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's Core requirement in the area of Artistic Knowledge and Experience.

FNAR 342 / ROST 342

Art in Rome
This course is a survey of the artistic heritage of the city of Rome as exemplified in four major periods: Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Baroque. The course examines developments in architecture, painting, and sculpture within the context of Rome's historical role first as a center of world empire and then of the Christian faith. The course is taught mainly at sites in the city, including the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, St. Peter's, Sistine Chapel, and Borghese Gallery.

Note: Taught on site.

FNAR 343 / ROST 343 / CATH 300

Baroque Art
This course is a study of painting, sculpture, and architecture in the 17th and 18th centuries. Special attention is paid to artistic developments in Rome within the context of the Counter-Reformation and the 17th century renewal in Church and papacy. Aspects of the Baroque in Spain, France, the Low Countries, Germany, and Austria will also be studied. A fundamental aim of the course is to understand stylistic and iconographic features within the historical and religious context. This will be implemented through slide lectures with discussion and on-site visits to view works by Caravaggio, Bernini, Borromini, Pietro da Cortona, and other masters of the Roman Baroque.

Note: Taught on site.

FNAR 345 / ROST 345

Italian High Renaissance and Mannerist Art
A survey of Italian painting, sculpture, and architecture of the later 15th and 16th centuries. This course examines the continuing development of Italian Renaissance art with special attention to the major centers of Florence, Rome, and Venice. It is taught in the classroom via slide-illustrated lectures and discussions. Students are encouraged to take part in school-organized field trips to Venice and Florence and also to visit other cities where works studied in the course are located.

FNAR 394 / ROST 390

Topics in Art History: Architecture in Rome

Was the Emperor Hadrian, designer of the Pantheon, also an architect?  How did he reward the architect who he asked to comment on his drawings?  How did Michelangelo’s training as a sculptor and painter revolutionize town planning in his design of the Piazza Campidoglio?  In this introduction to the profession of architecture from the Roman Empire to the present, we will explore the relationship between the architect and society throughout the history of Rome by learning what it was like to be the designer of the piazzas, monuments and churches we visit throughout the city.  We will also investigate the challenges current architects face in developing plans for Rome of the 21st century by visiting significant contemporary Roman buildings.  Finally, we will learn about the current practice of architecture, including the education and daily work of an architect by visiting a working architect’s office.   

Learning Outcomes: To understand the social and economic context in which architects described in your history classes created the Rome of today; to see how the social trends, technologies, and political structures that exist when important civilizations are created influence the design of buildings and cities; to learn about the daily work of an architect, then and now, and how design professionals view and understand the city; and to use drawing as a method of recording the essence of our observations, with no need for artistic skill.          Note: Taught on site. 

   HISTORY (HIST)

HIST 300 / WSGS 397

Topics: Women and the Transformation of Italian Society

This course explores the history of women's experience in Italy during the 20th century. It is organized around analyses of key historical moments when there were intersections between challenges to the political order and challenges to the gender order. Across this chronological trajectory course readings, lectures and class discussion will outline the transformation of Italian society, the progressive independence of Italian women, the changing relationship between sexes, and the modification of gender roles. After an introductory examination of the social position(s)* of women in Italy at the turn of the 20th century, we will turn to early attempts of Italian women to organize in defense of their rights as citizens. We will then look at the impact on gender of industrialization and the First World War before moving on to the simultaneous modernization and repression women experienced during the Fascist regime. The second half of the course will start with a consideration of the degree of rupture or continuity represented by WWII, the Resistance and the immediate post-WWII period. We will then look at the social impact of the ‘economic miracle' and the related expansion of consumer culture and consider the influence of technology and politics on both the individual and the couple in the 1970s and 80s. The course will conclude with an examination of the relatively sudden changes in the social condition of Italian women that have taken place over the last thirty years and consider the open question of how immigration is offering new challenges to he gender order..

HIST 308 / CLST 308 / ROST 308

A History of Rome to Constantine
This course will cover the earliest Apennine civilizations; the Etruscans, the foundation and the rise of Rome; libera res publica, the Principate and Empire.

HIST 309

History of Primitive Christianity: From Saul to Paul

This course treats the history of Christian communities and beliefs at the time of their emergence in cities of the Early Roman Empire, and primarily the time of the Apostle Paul. The key objective of this course is to survey the historical person of Saul/Paul of Tarsus: the Jew, the Persecutor, the Apostle, the Roman, the Martyr. It will focus on the writings of Paul himself, but also on the reception of his theology and his ecclesiology during the first centuries of the Church in the teachings of the Fathers of the Church, up to the legalisation of Christianity during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great.

HIST 310 / MSTU 328

History of the Early Middle Ages, 300-1100
This course covers European society and culture in the early Middle Ages. Among the topics are the decline of classical civilization, the fall of Rome and the barbarian invasions, early Germanic kingdoms, Charlemagne and Carolingian Europe, the Vikings, church and society in the eleventh century.

HIST 335 / INTS 335 / ROST 335

Italy in the 19th and 20th Centuries
A study of the political, social, religious, economic, and intellectual currents in Italy from the defeat of Napoleon to the present.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's writing intensive requirement.
   

International Film & Media Studies (IFMS)

IFMS 264 / INTS 264 / LITR 264

Italian Film Genre
This course is a survey study of the works of an extraordinary Italian filmmaker: Vittorio De Sica, talented actor and, above all, one of the most innovative director of all times. By following his career – from the beginnings to the internationally successful hits – we will also focus on some major genres of the Italian Movie Industry (such as “White Telephone” Comedies, Neo-realism, Comedy Italian Style, etc.). A few films by some other directors, who were greatly influenced by De Sica’s work, will also be analyzed. This course is therefore specifically based on Italian movies; they will be presented and analyzed in class, in a chronological order; hopefully they will provide a deeper knowledge both of the Film Industry and the Film as an artistic form of expression, in Italy. Class discussions focus mostly on a “textual” analysis of the films, but they imply a general, background understanding of Italy. Indeed, the course maintains an historical! sociological perspective in its setting, since many of our movies can also be considered a peculiar “reservoir” of information about the Italian history, lifestyle, culture, politics, economic situation and social transformations in the 20th Century. As in a sort of “on location” course, we’ll “see” and compare the movies to the society they represent: the Country and its cinematic expressions, the image and the mirrors. Offered in English. No knowledge of Italian is required, yet all films are in Italian with English subtitles.


Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the Italian art film tradition. Students will also be able to demonstrate understanding of the dramatic economic, social and political changes in Italian society over the last 55 years.

Notes: All films are in Italian with English subtitles. Satisfies Loyola's Core requirements in the area of Artistic Knowledge and Experience as well as in the area of Societal and Cultural Knowledge.

   

International Studies (INTS)

INTS 257 / BWS 110 / PAX 102 / PLSC 102

International Politics

This course will provide an introduction to global politics. First we will examine the origins of the current international system and the levels of analysis and theoretical frameworks that scholars use to explain international politics. We will then look at the variety of actors that take part in and influence international politics. Although focusing on nation-states, we will also look at the many other actors and international organizations that are involved in world affairs. Throughout the semester, we will also discuss and debate prominent issues in international politics, with the goal of considering the security and ethical dimensions of these issues, with a special emphasis on Italy, Europe and the Mediterranean

Outcomes: Students will be able to to demonstrate understanding of the main ways of studying international politics; to compare and contrast major competing approaches to the field; to examine individual regions and countries from the perspective of these approaches; and to achieve an understanding of such major substantive issues as interstate war, terrorism, arms control, international political economy and sustainable development.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's Core requirement in the area of Societal and Cultural Knowledge.

INTS 264 / IFMS 264 / LITR 264

Italian Film Genre
This course is a survey study of the works of an extraordinary Italian filmmaker: Vittorio De Sica, talented actor and, above all, one of the most innovative director of all times. By following his career – from the beginnings to the internationally successful hits – we will also focus on some major genres of the Italian Movie Industry (such as “White Telephone” Comedies, Neo-realism, Comedy Italian Style, etc.). A few films by some other directors, who were greatly influenced by De Sica’s work, will also be analyzed. This course is therefore specifically based on Italian movies; they will be presented and analyzed in class, in a chronological order; hopefully they will provide a deeper knowledge both of the Film Industry and the Film as an artistic form of expression, in Italy. Class discussions focus mostly on a “textual” analysis of the films, but they imply a general, background understanding of Italy. Indeed, the course maintains an historical! sociological perspective in its setting, since many of our movies can also be considered a peculiar “reservoir” of information about the Italian history, lifestyle, culture, politics, economic situation and social transformations in the 20th Century. As in a sort of “on location” course, we’ll “see” and compare the movies to the society they represent: the Country and its cinematic expressions, the image and the mirrors. Offered in English. No knowledge of Italian is required, yet all films are in Italian with English subtitles.


Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the Italian art film tradition. Students will also be able to demonstrate understanding of the dramatic economic, social and political changes in Italian society over the last 55 years.


Notes: All films are in Italian with English subtitles. Satisfies Loyola's Core requirements in the area of Artistic Knowledge and Experience as well as in the area of Societal and Cultural Knowledge.

 

INTS 271 / ANTH 271

Globalization and Local Cultures: the Mediterranean World

This course is an introduction to the anthropological study of the diversity of contemporary human cultures and to issues concerning globalization. As a Rome Center course, a special emphasis will be placed on globalization as it pertains to the Mediterranean world. We will explore the processes through which the world has become "globalized," the European rise of the nation-state and transnationalism, the impact of globalized commodities, globalized media and international migration. Throughout the course we will address the theme of communication across cultural boundaries and how various dimensions of globalization have transformed families, gender relations as well as sensibilities pertaining to heritage, ethnicity, and race. The plight of local Mediterranean communities in the face of global changes will also be examined. By better understanding the values and beliefs of members of other cultures, and the ways in which they have been incorporated into the world system, we will be able to gain a more insightful understanding of our own cultures and our own place in the world.

Outcomes: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the historic and contemporary relationships between cultures and societies, and to understand how cultures change over time.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's Core requirement in the area of Societal and Cultural Knowledge. Also satisifies the Core value of Understanding Diversity in the United States or the World.

INTS 280 / LITR 280 / WSGS 297

Masterpieces in Translation: Mediterranean Women Writers
A comparative study of 20th century women writers from diverse Mediterranean countries, historical eras and cultures. We will begin with the Catalonian writer, Mercè Rodoreda. Her novel, The Time of the Doves (1962) (La Plaça del Diamant ) treats the dramatic events leading up to the Spanish Civil War—the II Spanish Republic, the war itself, and the Franquist dictatorship—through the eyes of a young working class woman from Barcelona. In addition to the novel, we will be viewing the film version of the work that came out in 1981, after the death of the Spanish dictator, Francisco Franco, and during the re-birth of Catalonian culture, especially in Barcelona.

The second part of the course will treat two women-authored texts from the Middle East and the Maghreb: First, we will study The Story of Zahra (1980) by the Lebanese author, Hanan Al-Shaykh, who was born in Beirut in 1945 to a strict Shi’a family. Then we will proceed to Morocco and the contemporary author Fatema Mernissi’s Shererazade Goes West (2002), a humorous examination of the popular stereotypes of Muslim women propagated in both West and East. As part of that segment of the course we will view Enough (Barakat!),  the powerful film by the Algerian woman director, Diamila Sahraoui. The movie filmed in 2006 treats the Algerian Civil War of the 1990s. This segment of the course will be an apt preparation for those of you who are going on the Tunisia Study Trip.

The final portion of the course will be devoted to two Italian women writers from different regions and periods: (Cosima, published posthumously in 1937), a story of life among Sardinian peasant families by the Nobel-Prize winning Sardinian writer, Grazia Deledda; and finally, Family Sayings (originally published in 1963 and translated into English in 1989), the fictionalized family memoir of the late Natalia Ginzburg, one of Italy’s greatest contemporary authors.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's writing intensive requirement.

INTS 283 / INTS 283

Studies in Italian Authors
This course deals with Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) and Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375). Medieval Italy, its society and history, are studied through a selective reading and interpretative analysis of two of the most important and representative literary works, The Divine Comedy and The Decameron, which are also essential in world literature.

INTS 292 / ROST 299 / SOCL 280

Italy Today
This introduction to Italy from a cultural, social, political, economic, and anthropological viewpoint illustrates differences and similarities in a country which has been a nation for just over one hundred years. The course provides an historical background to modern Italy and focuses on industrialization after World War II, the changes in the political system and the economy during the last fifty years, and the essential influence of television and cinema in the transformation of social habits, language, culture, and education. Such topics as the contrasts between the north and the south, gender, Mafia, deviance, involvement in the European Community, and the role of the Church will also be treated. The final phase of the course analyzes the challenges Italian society faces, including immigration and the impact the mass media system will have in transforming the Italian mentality.

INTS 299 / LITR 299

Comparative Literature:The Immigrant Experience 
This course will analyze the “close encounter” between emigrants of Italian (or any European) origin and the American society at the turn of the XX century. Students will be exposed to Historical, Sociological, Literary, Cinematic, Cultural studies, and will be requested to develop a final on-field research taking advantage of their stay in Italy (see: Final Paper). The Goal is to learn about the building of the New World by appreciating the various contributions of European migrants, and use the time spent in Italy to find cultural roots/legacy. Texts or movies are all in English. See the day-by-day “Program”.

Note: Non-English books are read in translation; foreign films have English subtitles.

INTS 302 / ROST 300

Italy: Culture and Context
This course observes the civilization and culture of historical and present-day Rome and Italy through 1) the study of traditions, ancient and later, as they have come down to the present day, and 2) the study of several aspects of the Italian culture and character from both national and regional perspectives. Topics to be studied include the image of Italy abroad; theatrical traditions; the importance of carnival, celebration, and gastronomy to Italian life; fairy-tales and narrative; music, film, and fashion. Readings in Italian culture will be supplemented by viewing of theatrical, musical and film presentations, by students' own experiences, and by their keeping of a journal that integrates travel, on-site visits, and readings.

Note: Taught partially on site.

INTS 305 / MGMT 305

Global Business Strategy

Prerequisite: Junior Standing.

This course analyzes how managers utilize traditional business functions such as finance, operations, human resources and marketing to develop global visions and strategies and to adapt these functions to international conditions and worldwide economic, political and market trends.

Outcomes:  Students will gain an appreciation of the differences and complexities of operating a business on a global scale and will build the strategic and organizational skills necessary for introducing a product or service into a foreign country.

INTS 306 / FINC 340

Emerging Financial Markets

In this course students learn to analyze business potential in emerging markets.  In that pursuit students study various factors driving emerging market economies.  Political, economic, social, and legal frameworks, among others, are studied and discussed.  Emphasis is on the impact of the financial sector on economic development, performance, and crises.  Additional topics include financial intermediation, privatization, portfolio management, and globalization of labor markets.   Lecture, reading, and case study probe geopolitical, macroeconomic, and market trends, so that students learn to forecast the effect and understand the global impact of large scale forces.

Prerequisites: Junior standing; Minimum grade of "C-" in FINC 332

An introduction to the impact of the financial sector, especially financial institutions, on economic growth and development. 

Outcome:  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the contribution of financial institutions and markets to economic growth and development, the causes and effects of financial crises, the controversy of financial liberalization vs. financial repression, the impact of inflation, and the causes and effects of corruption.

INTS 319 / ANTH 319

Anthropology of Tourism in the Mediterranean World

Prerequsite: an introductory course in one of the following: cultural anthropology, international studies, or sociology; or consent of instructor (e-mail kadams@luc.edu)

This course explores the phenomenon of tourism from an anthropological perspective. Drawing on case studies from Italy and the Mediterranean world, the course addresses the social, cultural, economic, and environmental impact of tourism on Mediterranean host communities and nations. Also examined are the history and cultural structure of tourism (pilgrimages, the Grand Tour, contemporary service tourism and post-modern tourism etc.), the psycho-cultural motivations of contemporary tourists, and the role of tourism institutions (museums, souvenirs, travel literature) in the construction of Others. Throughout the course, case data are related to anthropological theories of cultural and economic change, cross-cultural communication, identity, ethnicity, nationalism and gender

INTS 335 / HIST 335 / ROST 335

Italy in the 19th and 20th Centuries
A study of the political, social, religious, economic, and intellectual currents in Italy from the defeat of Napoleon to the present.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's writing-intensive requirement.

INTS 365 / PLSC 365 / ROST 365

Italian Politics and Government
Recent events and current affairs attest to the fact that Italy represents a socio-political case study truly unique for its composition and ebullient nature. The transition from the first to the so-called second republic is indeed turning out to be a highly controversial process whose likely outcome is still hard to predict. After an initial analysis of the historical origins of the Republic of Italy, we will look at the structure and functions of its governmental institutions, how they have come to change and what future developments are to be expected. Due consideration will be given to the division of competence between state authorities and local administrations, as well as to the role played by non-governmental institutions such as the trade unions, the Church, business associations, etc. Special attention will also be devoted to the overlapping of the political and economic planes both in the past and in more recent times. The civic background gained from the class will imply tentative answers to questions such as the purpose of government, the functions of political institutions, and the real actors of political processes in the global era. The course will dwell upon similarities and differences between Italy and other established democratic systems. Constitutions, legislatures, administrations, social forces, interest groups, political parties, and elections will be scrutinized in turn.

INTS 370 / ROST 390

Internship in International Studies 
Students are placed in appropriate government agencies, non-government organizations, or businesses to earn academic credit through volunteer experience. Approval of the instructor is required before enrollment.

Note: Open only to full-year students.

Information about an exciting internship with the United States Embassy in Rome can be found here (PDF). 

INTS 398 / PAX 397 / PLSC 300

Evolution of European Security: From the Cold War to the Present

This course will chart the changes in European security over the past half-century. The first half will be mainly historical and will explore the most significant developments in East-West relations during the Cold War years, covering the essential features of that period such as the role of NATO, nuclear deterrence, arms control and detente. Students will be invited to consider carefully whether there was an alternative to the Cold War and why ultimately the Soviet imperium collapsed without the military confrontation that was for so long feared. The second half of the course will be devoted to the analysis of the more fluid and turbulent European security scene of today. Particular focus will be given to the collapse of Yugoslavia and the lessons that international organizations, such as NATO, UN, OSCE and EU, have learned in trying to stop ethnic violence and build viable new democracies. Finally, the course will discuss new challenges such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

   

   Management (Mgmt)

MGMT 305 / INTS 305

Global Business Strategy

Prerequisite: Junior Standing.

This course analyzes how managers utilize traditional business functions such as finance, operations, human resources and marketing to develop global visions and strategies and to adapt these functions to international conditions and worldwide economic, political and market trends.

Outcomes:  Students will gain an appreciation of the differences and complexities of operating a business on a global scale and will build the strategic and organizational skills necessary for introducing a product or service into a foreign country.

   Medieval Studies (MSTU)

MSTU 328 / HIST 310

Formation of Medieval Europe, 300 - 1100
This course covers European society and culture in the early Middle Ages. Among the topics are the decline of classical civilization, the fall of Rome and the barbarian invasions, early Germanic kingdoms, Charlemagne and Carolingian Europe, the Vikings, church and society in the eleventh century.

   

Modern Languages & Literatures: Linguistics (LIng)

Ling 115

Language and Culture

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the study of human language in its social/sociological setting. Drawing from the disciplines of ethnolinguistics, sociolinguistics, and linguistic anthropology, this course will address the intersection between language and culture. In order to appreciate the variation present in human language and culture, study will be based on a variety of languages and contexts, including the Italian linguistic milieu. Various materials and techniques will be employed, including lectures, class discussions/debates, video and audio material. A class outing (to RAI, Italian state television) will also complement the course.

Modern Languages & Literatures: Literature in Translation (LITR)

LITR 264 / IFMS 264 / INTS 264

Italian Film Genre 
This course is a survey study of the works of an extraordinary Italian filmmaker: Vittorio De Sica, talented actor and, above all, one of the most innovative director of all times. By following his career – from the beginnings to the internationally successful hits – we will also focus on some major genres of the Italian Movie Industry (such as “White Telephone” Comedies, Neo-realism, Comedy Italian Style, etc.). A few films by some other directors, who were greatly influenced by De Sica’s work, will also be analyzed. This course is therefore specifically based on Italian movies; they will be presented and analyzed in class, in a chronological order; hopefully they will provide a deeper knowledge both of the Film Industry and the Film as an artistic form of expression, in Italy. Class discussions focus mostly on a “textual” analysis of the films, but they imply a general, background understanding of Italy. Indeed, the course maintains an historical! sociological perspective in its setting, since many of our movies can also be considered a peculiar “reservoir” of information about the Italian history, lifestyle, culture, politics, economic situation and social transformations in the 20th Century. As in a sort of “on location” course, we’ll “see” and compare the movies to the society they represent: the Country and its cinematic expressions, the image and the mirrors. Offered in English. No knowledge of Italian is required, yet all films are in Italian with English subtitles.


Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the Italian art film tradition. Students will also be able to demonstrate understanding of the dramatic economic, social and political changes in Italian society over the last 55 years.

Notes: All films are in Italian with English subtitles. Satisfies Loyola's Core requirements in the area of Artistic Knowledge and Experience as well as in the area of Societal and Cultural Knowledge.

LITR 268 / INTS 268

Italian Cultural History: Foods and Wines of Italy

The course deals with the history of Italian cuisine and wines through centuries up to our times. It outlines the development and change of taste, how it has been affected and defined by historical events. A dynamic pattern of society is thus given by the intersections among history, culture, food and wines. The course will also offer on-site classes and guest speakers.


LITR 280 / INTS 280 / WSGS 297

Masterpieces in Translation: Mediterranean Women Writers

A comparative study of 20th century women writers from diverse Mediterranean countries, historical eras and cultures. We will begin with the Catalonian writer, Mercè Rodoreda. Her novel, The Time of the Doves (1962) (La Plaça del Diamant ) treats the dramatic events leading up to the Spanish Civil War—the II Spanish Republic, the war itself, and the Franquist dictatorship—through the eyes of a young working class woman from Barcelona. In addition to the novel, we will be viewing the film version of the work that came out in 1981, after the death of the Spanish dictator, Francisco Franco, and during the re-birth of Catalonian culture, especially in Barcelona.

The second part of the course will treat two women-authored texts from the Middle East and the Maghreb: First, we will study The Story of Zahra (1980) by the Lebanese author, Hanan Al-Shaykh, who was born in Beirut in 1945 to a strict Shi’a family. Then we will proceed to Morocco and the contemporary author Fatema Mernissi’s Shererazade Goes West (2002), a humorous examination of the popular stereotypes of Muslim women propagated in both West and East. As part of that segment of the course we will view Enough (Barakat!),  the powerful film by the Algerian woman director, Diamila Sahraoui. The movie filmed in 2006 treats the Algerian Civil War of the 1990s. This segment of the course will be an apt preparation for those of you who are going on the Tunisia Study Trip.

The final portion of the course will be devoted to two Italian women writers from different regions and periods: (Cosima, published posthumously in 1937), a story of life among Sardinian peasant families by the Nobel-Prize winning Sardinian writer, Grazia Deledda; and finally, Family Sayings (originally published in 1963 and translated into English in 1989), the fictionalized family memoir of the late Natalia Ginzburg, one of Italy’s greatest contemporary authors.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's writing intensive requirement.

LITR 283 / INTS 283

Studies in Italian Authors 
This course deals with Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) and Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375). Medieval Italy, its society and history, are studied through a selective reading and interpretative analysis of two of the most important and representative literary works, The Divine Comedy and The Decameron, which are also essential in world literature.

LITR 299 / INTS 299

Comparative Literature: The Immigrant Experience

This course will analyze the “close encounter” between emigrants of Italian (or any European) origin and the American society at the turn of the XX century. Students will be exposed to Historical, Sociological, Literary, Cinematic, Cultural studies, and will be requested to develop a final on-field research taking advantage of their stay in Italy (see: Final Paper). The Goal is to learn about the building of the New World by appreciating the various contributions of European migrants, and use the time spent in Italy to find cultural roots/legacy. Texts or movies are all in English. See the day-by-day “Program”.
Note: Non-English books are read in translation; foreign films have English subtitles.

   

Modern Languages & Literatures: Italian (ITAL)

General Departmental Prerequisites

All students must take elementary Italian unless they have already completed an equivalent course or can otherwise demonstrate proficiency. It is advisable to complete Italian 101 or its equivalent before arriving in Rome. Italian 101 is the elementary Italian course designed for students with no previous study. Italian 101 carries three semester hours credit and fulfills the language requirement for the Rome Center.

Placement Guideline for Italian Courses

  • Students with no previous study, and only those, may take 101.
  • Students who have had 101 or the equivalent must take 102.
  • Students who have had 2 semesters (101 and 102) should register for 103.
  • Students who have had 3-4 semesters of Italian, or have the appropriate level of proficiency, may take 250 or 251; both are conducted entirely in Italian.

ITAL 101

Italian I
A presentation of phonology, basic grammar, and structure through vocabulary and situations of everyday life. The purpose of this course is to give students the ability to communicate as soon as possible.

ITAL 102

Italian II
Prerequisite: Italian 101
Review, refinement, and development of basic grammar and structure.

ITAL 103

Italian III
Prerequisite: Italian 102
Intensive review of the basic skills to develop audio-lingual facility in communication.

ITAL 104

Italian IV
Prerequisite: Italian 103
Reading, conversation, and composition based on varied selections from literary and cultural sources.

ITAL 251

Composition and Conversation II
Prerequisite: 9-12 semester hours of Italian or the equivalent
Intensive work in oral and written composition, conversation, and textual analysis. This course is adjusted for those having taken Italian 250 in the Fall who then wish to proceed.
Note: Course is conducted entirely in Italian.

ITAL 300 Tutorial

Eligible students may elect a tutorial for credit each semester.
Notes: Approval of the dean / director in Rome and consent of the departmental chair are required. Course is conducted entirely in Italian.

ITAL 395 Internship 

Prerequisite: 251 or 252 or fluency in target language and chair's permission.
Supervised field experience and opportunity to apply skills and analysis. Students are required: 1) to spend a minimum of 15 hours per week working in a selected educational institution, community organization, social agency, or business marketing research firm; 2) to meet regularly with an assigned faculty member; and 3) to write reports/papers on their field experience as instructed by faculty member. Placements have included work with the elderly, neighborhood organizations, educational institutions, legal agencies, and business firms.

   

Music (MUSC)

MUSC 154

Introduction to Opera
An overview of the development of opera in Europe with particular emphasis on some of the most representative Italian operas and authors from the 17th to the 20th centuries.

   

Peace Studies (PAX) 

PAX 102 / PLSC 102 / BWS 110 / INTS 257

International Politics

This course will provide an introduction to global politics. First we will examine the origins of the current international system and the levels of analysis and theoretical frameworks that scholars use to explain international politics. We will then look at the variety of actors that take part in and influence international politics. Although focusing on nation-states, we will also look at the many other actors and international organizations that are involved in world affairs. Throughout the semester, we will also discuss and debate prominent issues in international politics, with the goal of considering the security and ethical dimensions of these issues, with a special emphasis on Italy, Europe and the Mediterranean.

Outcomes: Students will be able to to demonstrate understanding of the main ways of studying international politics; to compare and contrast major competing approaches to the field; to examine individual regions and countries from the perspective of these approaches; and to achieve an understanding of such major substantive issues as interstate war, terrorism, arms control, international political economy and sustainable development.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's Core requirement in the area of Societal and Cultural Knowledge.

PAX 397 / PLSC 300 / INTS 398

Evolution of European Security: from the Cold War to the Present.

This course will chart the changes in European security over the past half-century. The first half will be mainly historical and will explore the most significant developments in East-West relations during the Cold War years, covering the essential features of that period such as the role of NATO, nuclear deterrence, arms control and detente. Students will be invited to consider carefully whether there was an alternative to the Cold War and why ultimately the Soviet imperium collapsed without the military confrontation that was for so long feared. The second half of the course will be devoted to the analysis of the more fluid and turbulent European security scene of today. Particular focus will be given to the collapse of Yugoslavia and the lessons that international organizations, such as NATO, UN, OSCE and EU, have learned in trying to stop ethnic violence and build viable new democracies. Finally, the course will discuss new challenges such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

PAX 397 / ROST 390

Human Rights: the View from Rome
Theory, actuality and application of select human rights issues in the Mediterranean region as viewed from the perspective of Rome. This course includes a 24-hour community service requirement beyond the weekly class sessions. Each student will be placed with a Rome-based non-governmental organization (NGO), the equivalent of a non-profit agency in the United States. The primary objective of this course is for students to better understand the context of their service work in Italy by studying social and political issues affecting Rome and the Mediterranean region. Moreover, in the Jesuit tradition of educating the whole person, each class session will incorporate readings and creative methods to assist students in reflecting on their personal strengths, weaknesses, values, and worldview. Through analysis of and reflection on one's service work in Rome, broader applications may be made to Italy in general, a country in the heart of the Mediterranean at the doorstep of the Middle East, the Balkans, and North Africa. A few of the themes to be addressed in this course are: the illegal trafficking of humans from the Balkans and Africa, Italy's stance toward immigration in the face of its declining birth rate, the racism encountered by even legal immigrants to Italy, and the influence of Islam in the Mediterranean region.

Note: This is a service-learning course and requires commitment in the Italian community.

   

Philosophy (PHIL)

Philosophy 177

Aesthetics: the Roman Experience
This course will explore one or more of the following philosophical questions in aesthetics: What is art? What is good art (art evaluation or critical theory)? What is beauty? What is it about human nature that allows us to experience beauty?

Outcomes: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the various approaches to the philosophical study of beauty and the arts.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's Core requirement in the area of Philosophical Knowledge

Philosophy 182

Social and Political Philosophy: Communism and Fascism in Italy
This course will investigate one of the central questions of philosophy and social theory: How should we, as human beings, live together and in what types of communities?
Outcomes: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the complex structures involved in social existence, sensitivity to the way different views of the social good affect judgments of their worth and effectiveness, and an understanding of the way these structures affect the life of the individual.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's Core requirement in the areas of Societal and Cultural Knowledge and of Philosophical Knowledge. Also satisfies the Core value of Understanding and Promoting Justice.

 

   

Political Science (PLSC) 

PLSC 102 / BWS 110 / INTS 257 / PAX 102

International Politics

This course will provide an introduction to global politics. First we will examine the origins of the current international system and the levels of analysis and theoretical frameworks that scholars use to explain international politics. We will then look at the variety of actors that take part in and influence international politics. Although focusing on nation-states, we will also look at the many other actors and international organizations that are involved in world affairs. Throughout the semester, we will also discuss and debate prominent issues in international politics, with the goal of considering the security and ethical dimensions of these issues, with a special emphasis on Italy, Europe and the Mediterranean.

Outcomes: Students will be able to to demonstrate understanding of the main ways of studying international politics; to compare and contrast major competing approaches to the field; to examine individual regions and countries from the perspective of these approaches; and to achieve an understanding of such major substantive issues as interstate war, terrorism, arms control, international political economy and sustainable development.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's Core requirement in the area of Societal and Cultural Knowledge

PLSC 300 / INTS 398 / LASP 390

Special Topics: Liberation Theology: the Vatican and Latin America

This course will provide an understanding of liberation theology as a social movement as well as the Vatican's reaction to this radical variant of Catholic social thought.  In addition to a political-sociological examination of the liberation theology movement in Latin America, we will consider Vatican statements concerning Catholic social doctrine that are both supportive and critical of the movement. 

PLSC 300 / INTS 398 / PAX 397

Special Topics: Evolution of European Security: from the Cold War to the Present        
This course will chart the changes in European security over the past half-century. The first half will be mainly historical and will explore the most significant developments in East-West relations during the Cold War years, covering the essential features of that period such as the role of NATO, nuclear deterrence, arms control and detente. Students will be invited to consider carefully whether there was an alternative to the Cold War and why ultimately the Soviet imperium collapsed without the military confrontation that was for so long feared. The second half of the course will be devoted to the analysis of the more fluid and turbulent European security scene of today. Particular focus will be given to the collapse of Yugoslavia and the lessons that international organizations, such as NATO, UN, OSCE and EU, have learned in trying to stop ethnic violence and build viable new democracies. Finally, the course will discuss new challenges such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

PLSC 365 / INTS 365 / ROST 365

Italian Politics and Government 
Recent events and current affairs attest to the fact that Italy represents a socio-political case study truly unique for its composition and ebullient nature. The transition from the first to the so-called second republic is indeed turning out to be a highly controversial process whose likely outcome is still hard to predict. After an initial analysis of the historical origins of the Republic of Italy, we will look at the structure and functions of its governmental institutions, how they have come to change and what future developments are to be expected. Due consideration will be given to the division of competence between state authorities and local administrations, as well as to the role played by non-governmental institutions such as the trade unions, the Church, business associations, etc. Special attention will also be devoted to the overlapping of the political and economic planes both in the past and in more recent times. The civic background gained from the class will imply tentative answers to questions such as the purpose of government, the functions of political institutions, and the real actors of political processes in the global era. The course will dwell upon similarities and differences between Italy and other established democratic systems. Constitutions, legislatures, administrations, social forces, interest groups, political parties, and elections will be scrutinized in turn.

PLSC 368 /IWS 368 / INTS 391

Politics of the Middle East

After an examination of the historical evolution of the region from the decline of the Ottoman Empire to the establishment of the modern nations in the Middle East, the course will examine the place of the Middle Eastern system of states in the world system, how it fares, how did it get where it is today and how do global trends intrude into the region. The role of Islam in both international and domestic politics will be considered with special attention given to the historical tradition of Islam as a political movement and as an identity expression.

   

Rome Studies (ROST)

ROST 299 / INTS 292 / SOCL 280

Special Topics: Italy Today
This introduction to Italy from a cultural, social, political, economic, and anthropological viewpoint illustrates differences and similarities in a country which has been a nation for just over one hundred years. The course provides an historical background to modern Italy and focuses on industrialization after World War II, the changes in the political system and the economy during the last fifty years, and the essential influence of television and cinema in the transformation of social habits, language, culture, and education. Such topics as the contrasts between the north and the south, gender, Mafia, deviance, involvement in the European Community, and the role of the Church will also be treated. The final phase of the course analyzes the challenges Italian society faces, including immigration and the impact the mass media system will have in transforming the Italian mentality.

ROST 300 / INTS 302

Italy: Culture and Context 
This course observes the civilization and culture of historical and present-day Rome and Italy through 1) the study of traditions, ancient and later, as they have come down to the present day, and 2) the study of several aspects of the Italian culture and character from both national and regional perspectives. Topics to be studied include the image of Italy abroad; theatrical traditions; the importance of carnival, celebration, and gastronomy to Italian life; fairy-tales and narrative; music, film, and fashion. Readings in Italian culture will be supplemented by viewing of theatrical, musical and film presentations, by students' own experiences, and by their keeping of a journal that integrates travel, on-site visits, and readings.

Notes: Taught partially on site. Required for the minor in Rome Studies.

ROST 307 / CLST 307 / FNAR 337

Art of the Roman World (CLST 307, FNAR 337)
This course is an introduction to the art of the Roman world from c. 1000 B.C.E. to about AD 400. It is an historical survey of the main achievements and style-qualities of architecture, sculpture, pottery, painting, mosaics, and metalwork among the Etruscans and Romans (in Italy and around the Empire); inter-relations and influences, especially from Greek art; richly illustrated with color slides of representative art works; extensive bibliographical background.
Outcome: Students will be able to better describe and analyze ancient Roman era art and to formulate arguments and interpretations about how and why such art was produced and how it may be interpreted.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's Core requirement in the area of Artistic Knowledge and Experience.

ROST 308 / CLST 308 / HIST 308

A History of Rome to Constantine 
This course will cover the earliest Apennine civilizations; the Etruscans, the foundation and the rise of Rome; libera res publica, the Principate and Empire.

ROST 335 / HIST 335 / INTS 335

Italy in the 19th and 20th Centuries 
A study of the political, social, religious, economic, and intellectual currents in Italy from the defeat of Napoleon to the present.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's writing intensive requirement.

ROST 342 / FNAR 342

Art in Rome
This course is a survey of the artistic heritage of the city of Rome as exemplified in four major periods: Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Baroque. The course examines developments in architecture, painting, and sculpture within the context of Rome's historical role first as a center of world empire and then of the Christian faith. The course is taught mainly at sites in the city, including the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, St. Peter's, Sistine Chapel, and Borghese Gallery.

Note: Taught on site.

ROST 343 / CATH 300 / FNAR 343 

Baroque Art  
This course is a study of painting, sculpture, and architecture in the 17th and 18th centuries. special attention is paid to artistic developments in Rome within the context of the Counter-Reformation and the 17th century renewal in Church and papacy. Aspects of the Baroque in Spain, France, the Low Countries, Germany, and Austria will also be studied. A fundamental aim of the course is to understand stylistic and iconographic features within the historical and religious context. This will be implemented through slide lectures with discussion and on-site visits to view works by Caravaggio, Bernini, Borromini, Pietro da Cortona, and other masters of the Roman Baroque. 

Note: Taught on site.

ROST 345 / FNAR 345
Italian High Renaissance and Mannerist Art 
A survey of Italian painting, sculpture, and architecture of the later 15th and 16th centuries. This course examines the continuing development of Italian Renaissance art with special attention to the major centers of Florence, Rome, and Venice. It is taught in the classroom via slide-illustrated lectures and discussions. Students are encouraged to take part in school-organized field trips to Venice and Florence and also to visit other cities where works studied in the course are located.

ROST 365 / INTS 365 / PLSC 365

Italian Politics and Government 
Recent events and current affairs attest to the fact that Italy represents a socio-political case study truly unique for its composition and ebullient nature. The transition from the first to the so-called second republic is indeed turning out to be a highly controversial process whose likely outcome is still hard to predict. After an initial analysis of the historical origins of the Republic of Italy, we will look at the structure and functions of its governmental institutions, how they have come to change and what future developments are to be expected. Due consideration will be given to the division of competence between state authorities and local administrations, as well as to the role played by non-governmental institutions such as the trade unions, the Church, business associations, etc. Special attention will also be devoted to the overlapping of the political and economic planes both in the past and in more recent times. The civic background gained from the class will imply tentative answers to questions such as the purpose of government, the functions of political institutions, and the real actors of political processes in the global era. The course will dwell upon similarities and differences between Italy and other established democratic systems. Constitutions, legislatures, administrations, social forces, interest groups, political parties, and elections will be scrutinized in turn.

ROST 390 / INTS 370

Special Topics: Internship in International Studies: Rome 
Students are placed in appropriate government agencies, non-government organizations, or businesses to earn academic credit through volunteer experience. Approval of the instructor is required before enrollment. Note: Open only to full-year students.

ROST 390 / PAX 397 

Special Topics: Human Rights: the View from Rome 
Theory, actuality and application of select human rights issues in the Mediterranean region as viewed from the perspective of Rome. This course includes a 24-hour community service requirement beyond the weekly class sessions. Each student will be placed with a Rome-based non-governmental organization (NGO), the equivalent of a non-profit agency in the United States. The primary objective of this course is for students to better understand the context of their service work in Italy by studying social and political issues affecting Rome and the Mediterranean region. Moreover, in the Jesuit tradition of educating the whole person, each class session will incorporate readings and creative methods to assist students in reflecting on their personal strengths, weaknesses, values, and worldview. Through analysis of and reflection on one's service work in Rome, broader applications may be made to Italy in general, a country in the heart of the Mediterranean at the doorstep of the Middle East, the Balkans, and North Africa. A few of the themes to be addressed in this course are: the illegal trafficking of humans from the Balkans and Africa, Italy's stance toward immigration in the face of its declining birth rate, the racism encountered by even legal immigrants to Italy, and the influence of Islam in the Mediterranean region.

Note: This is a service-learning course and requires commitment in the Italian community.

ROST 390 / FNAR 394 

Special Topics: Architecture of Rome
Was the Emperor Hadrian, designer of the Pantheon, also an architect? How did he reward the architect who he asked to comment on his drawings? How did Michelangelo’s training as a sculptor and painter revolutionize town planning in his design of the Piazza Campidoglio? In this introduction to the profession of architecture from the Roman Empire to the present, we will explore the relationship between the architect and society throughout the history of Rome by learning what it was like to be the designer of the piazzas, monuments and churches we visit throughout the city. We will also investigate the challenges current architects face in developing plans for Rome of the 21st century by visiting significant contemporary Roman buildings. Finally, we will learn about the current practice of architecture, including the education and daily work of an architect by visiting a working architect’s office.

Learning Outcomes: To understand the social and economic context in which architects described in your history classes created the Rome of today; to see how the social trends, technologies, and political structures that exist when important civilizations are created influence the design of buildings and cities; to learn about the daily work of an architect, then and now, and how design professionals view and understand the city; and to use drawing as a method of recording the essence of our observations, with no need for artistic skill.

Note: Taught on site.

ROST 395 / CLST 395

Topography of Rome 
This course is a survey of the development of the ancient city of Rome from its Etruscan origins (8th century BC) until the shift of the imperial Roman capital and senate to Constantinople under the first Holy Roman Emperor (early 4th century AD). The course focuses primarily on the monuments and art of imperial Rome and aims to place and interpret these monuments in their proper historic and cultural context as well as to understand their lasting influence on Western culture. It offers students the unique opportunity to study ancient art and archaeology first-hand at the sites and to appreciate the complex diachronic fabric of the modern city in which they live.
Note: Taught on site.

   

Sociology (SOCL)

SOCL 280 / INTS 292 / ROST 299

Topics in Contemporary Sociology: Italy Today 
This introduction to Italy from a cultural, social, political, economic, and anthropological viewpoint illustrates differences and similarities in a country which has been a nation for just over one hundred years. The course provides an historical background to modern Italy and focuses on industrialization after World War II, the changes in the political system and the economy during the last fifty years, and the essential influence of television and cinema in the transformation of social habits, language, culture, and education. Such topics as the contrasts between the north and the south, gender, Mafia, deviance, involvement in the European Community, and the role of the Church will also be treated. The final phase of the course analyzes the challenges Italian society faces, including immigration and the impact the mass media system will have in transforming the Italian mentality.

SOCL 280

Topics in Contemporary Sociology: Italian Fashion and Design
In this course we will study how Italian fashion and design became an internationally acclaimed phenomenon. We will examine how the creation of the unique Italian fashion and design started from the Unification onwards and are linked to the rise of Italy from a fragmented and rural-based society through to a leading industrialized and urbanized world power. We will also explore how the “Made in Italy” label developed in a unique context, negotiating traditional artistic and craft excellence with industrial and technological innovation, along with the formation of a mass-consumer society. We will study the main moments which led to the achievement of a globally acclaimed “Italian Style”, starting from the political unification, to Fascism, to the post-war reconstruction period and the economic miracle of the 1950s and 1960s, to the counter-culture movements, postmodernism, and today's corporate fashion and design. We will analyze how leading stylists and designers gave their personal contributions to the “Made in Italy” turning their products into luxurious and irresistible “icons” of conspicuous consumption, and played a crucial role in creating and Italian “image” and “way of life” that appeals to domestic and international consumers.

   

Theology (THEO)

THEO 106 / CATH 106

Theology of the Sacraments

Sacraments are more than just mechanical ways in which to experience God in Christian liturgy—what has been traditionally defined as “a visible sign of an invisible reality.” Indeed, the seven sacraments of the Catholic tradition are only privileged theological/liturgical expressions of a way of thinking, feeling, and interpreting reality. If a sacrament mediates God’s presence in the Christian community, then such mediation assumes that anything in the finite particular world around us can be a possible vehicle to experience God. This course will examine what can be called a “sacramental imagination” as a way to get at the theological assumptions that are such a large part of the Catholic spiritual tradition. Through the used of film, literary essays, short stories, and theological texts, we will first explore what it means to think and feel “sacramentally” and then focus on the nature of the sacramental system in Catholic worship.

THEO 393

Ecclesia and Synagoga: A Theological Overview of the Christian-Jewish Encounter
This course will examine the complex nature and history of the relationships that Christianity has shaped with Judaism, placing a particular emphasis on the formative period of Christianity in the Greco-Roman world, in order to understand more fully the implications of the "different attitude," manifest in the Catholic Church's stance toward Judaism since the promulgation of the declaration "Nostra Aetate" in 1965 at the II Vatican Council.  Students who take this course will:  (1) familiarize themselves with primary texts, learning to apply the relevant tools of critical analysis to the various kinds of documents covered in the course; (2) analyze and evaluate secondary literature; (3) synthesize the major elements of the material covered in the course; (4) learn to question, confirm, validate, and/or correct individually held uncritical attitudes.

 

THEATER (THTR)

THTR 261

Beginning Acting

This course is an introduction to classical as well as contemporary acting theories and techniques.  It is designed for students who are interested in study of the performing arts, but who are not majoring or minoring in the Department of Theatre.  Through lectures, discussions, readings, and play attendance, students will study current theory and basic techniques of creating character for the stage and communicating with live audiences, and apply these techniques to practice through a combination of in-class exercises, and monologue and scene presentations.  Students will develop skills in observation, concentration and imagination, as well as skills in script analysis.  Methods of acting technique may be applied to evaluate performance in various artistic media and life circumstances, enhance appreciation of other art forms, and provide skills to increase focus and reduce anxiety for student’s future real life “performance” and public presentation circumstances.

A special feature of the Rome version of this course will be an emphasis on classical and Italian “commedia dell'arte”-related acting ideas and practices.  Students will thus be able to develop an active, back-and-forth link between their studies and exercises in the course with their actual experience of living in Italy.

   WOMEN'S STUDIES (WSGS)

WSGS 297 / INTS 280 / LITR 280

Mediterranean Women Writers

A comparative study of 20th century women writers from diverse Mediterranean countries, historical eras and cultures. We will begin with the Catalonian writer, Mercè Rodoreda. Her novel, The Time of the Doves (1962) (La Plaça del Diamant ) treats the dramatic events leading up to the Spanish Civil War—the II Spanish Republic, the war itself, and the Franquist dictatorship—through the eyes of a young working class woman from Barcelona. In addition to the novel, we will be viewing the film version of the work that came out in 1981, after the death of the Spanish dictator, Francisco Franco, and during the re-birth of Catalonian culture, especially in Barcelona.

The second part of the course will treat two women-authored texts from the Middle East and the Maghreb: First, we will study The Story of Zahra (1980) by the Lebanese author, Hanan Al-Shaykh, who was born in Beirut in 1945 to a strict Shi’a family. Then we will proceed to Morocco and the contemporary author Fatema Mernissi’s Shererazade Goes West (2002), a humorous examination of the popular stereotypes of Muslim women propagated in both West and East. As part of that segment of the course we will view Enough (Barakat!),  the powerful film by the Algerian woman director, Diamila Sahraoui. The movie filmed in 2006 treats the Algerian Civil War of the 1990s. This segment of the course will be an apt preparation for those of you who are going on the Tunisia Study Trip.

The final portion of the course will be devoted to two Italian women writers from different regions and periods: (Cosima, published posthumously in 1937), a story of life among Sardinian peasant families by the Nobel-Prize winning Sardinian writer, Grazia Deledda; and finally, Family Sayings (originally published in 1963 and translated into English in 1989), the fictionalized family memoir of the late Natalia Ginzburg, one of Italy’s greatest contemporary authors.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's writing intensive requirement.

WSGS 397 / HIST 300

Women and the Transformation of Italian Society

This course explores the history of women's experience in Italy during the 20th century. It is organized around analyses of key historical moments when there were intersections between challenges to the political order and challenges to the gender order. Across this chronological trajectory course readings, lectures and class discussion will outline the transformation of Italian society, the progressive independence of Italian women, the changing relationship between sexes, and the modification of gender roles. After an introductory examination of the social position(s)* of women in Italy at the turn of the 20th century, we will turn to early attempts of Italian women to organize in defense of their rights as citizens. We will then look at the impact on gender of industrialization and the First World War before moving on to the simultaneous modernization and repression women experienced during the Fascist regime. The second half of the course will start with a consideration of the degree of rupture or continuity represented by WWII, the Resistance and the immediate post-WWII period. We will then look at the social impact of the ‘economic miracle' and the related expansion of consumer culture and consider the influence of technology and politics on both the individual and the couple in the 1970s and 80s. The course will conclude with an examination of the relatively sudden changes in the social condition of Italian women that have taken place over the last thirty years and consider the open question of how immigration is offering new challenges to the gender order.