ITA349H1

Black Italian Cultural Production

This interdisciplinary course will explore the landscape of cultural production made by Italians of African descent. The course provides students with relevant historical and sociological background necessary to understand entanglements of race, gender, identity, and citizenship occurring in contemporary Italy. The analysis of cultural production includes literature, music, cinema, television, visual arts and fashion. Students read not only academic material but also short stories, novels and poems; listening to and analyzing rap, trap and hip-hop tracks; watching online exhibitions and documentaries; examining Netflix series and Instagram pages. When possible, the course will also host Italian artists and activists engaging in conversations about their work.