IT4035 The Southern Question

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Module description

This module focuses on the aggregate of problems known as the “Southern Question” that arose from the extreme economic, social, and cultural backwardness that characterized the historical development of southern Italy after national unification in 1871. We will investigate the disparities between the North and the South of Italy at the time and devote consideration to the origins and consequences of this divide as well as to the economic and political interests of the Northern elite who ruled the country as well as the responsibilities of the southern cultural elite. Moreover, we will explore the long trajectory of such a divide, its repercussions in contemporary Italy, and the recent attempts by Southern intellectuals to develop a proper Southern thought. Finally, we will relate Italian “Southern Question” to the contemporary debate on the co-called Global South and analyse whether new cultural, social, and political orientations can be determined through such potential connection.

Intended learning outcomes

• Reflect on their knowledge of modern Italian culture in a comparative and transnational setting
• understand Italian social, intellectual, and political history
• recognise and discuss critically cultural assumptions about geopolitics and the North-South divide from an Italian perspective
• Appraise the contemporary debate about the so-called Global South
• Practice their skills in the areas of research, textual analysis and interpretation, and communication, both oral and written