Loyola University Chicago

PLSC 102 International Politics (BWS 110) (INTS 257) (PAX 102)

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 Special Topics: Italian Political Thinkers: Gramsci, Machiavelli, Mosca, and Pareto

This course will introduce students to four Italian political thinkers of great renown - Antonio Gramsci, Niccolo Machiavelli, Gaetano Mosca, and Vilfredo Pareto. While developing their theories years ago, these scholars' ideas have significant contemporary relevance.  All of them developed political thought that can be grouped into what is known as "elite theory."  This course is ideal for any student who is interested in political ideas and in how elites gain and maintain their power.

PLSC 300 Special Topics: Evolution of European Security: from the Cold War to the Present        (INTS 398, PAX 397)
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 Italian Politics and Government (INTS 365, ROST 365)
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.

Rome Studies (ROST)

ROST 299 Special Topics: Italy Today (INTS 292, SOCL 280)
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 299 Masterpieces in Translation: Italian and Italian-American Women Writers in Rome       (INTS 280, LITR 280, WSGS 297)

A comparative study of 20th century Italian and Italian women writers from different periods and geographic areas. We will begin with a pair of writers from the early 20th century, one Italian and one Italian American; two writers from the 2nd World War to the post-war period; and two writers from the close of the century. Special emphasis will be given to the construction of the female subject; the representation of gender; the relations between men and women, and among women--mothers and daughters, sisters and other female family members, and friends--the relationship between creativity and sexuality; and the intimate interplay of gender, politics, and social mores in the formation of female identity.  

Note: Satisfies Loyola's writing intensive requirement. 

ROST 300 Italy: Culture and Context (INTS 302)
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 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 A History of Rome to Constantine (CLST 308, HIST 308)
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 Italy in the 19th and 20th Centuries (HIST 335, INTS 335)
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 Art in Rome (FNAR 342)
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 Baroque Art (CATH 300) (FNAR 343) 
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 Italian High Renaissance and Mannerist Art (FNAR 345)
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 Italian Politics and Government (INTS 365, PLSC 365)
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 Special Topics: Internship in International Studies: Rome (INTS 370)
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 Special Topics: Human Rights: the View from Rome (PAX 397)
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 Special Topics: Architecture of Rome (FNAR 394)

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 21^st 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 Topography of Rome (CLST 395)
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 Topics in Contemporary Sociology: Italy Today (INTS 292, ROST 299)
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.

Theology (THEO)

THEO 106 Theology of the Sacraments (CATH 106)

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 179 Roman Catholicism (CATH 179)

An introduction to the major elements that make up Catholicism as a distinctive form of Christianity. 

Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the most important Roman Catholic beliefs, the historical evolution of Roman Catholicism, the key Roman Catholic concepts, terms, values, and religious practices.

Note: Satisfies Loyola's requirement in the Core area of Theological and Religious Studies Knowledge. Also satisfies the Core value of Understanding Spirituality or Faith in Action in the World.

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.

WOMEN'S STUDIES (WSGS)

WSGS 297 Italian and Italian-American Women Writers in Rome (INTS 280, LITR 280, ROST 299) 

A comparative study of 20th century Italian and Italian women writers from different periods and geographic areas. We will begin with a pair of writers from the early 20th century, one Italian and one Italian American; two writers from the 2nd World War to the post-war period; and two writers from the close of the century. Special emphasis will be given to the construction of the female subject; the representation of gender; the relations between men and women, and among women--mothers and daughters, sisters and other female family members, and friends--the relationship between creativity and sexuality; and the intimate interplay of gender, politics, and social mores in the formation of female identity.   

Note: Satisfies Loyola's writing intensive requirement.