aCademiC Catalog 2013-2014 - Lorenzo de Medici

Indeed, we can learn this from those with sense deprivations:
the blind draw unexpected and original drawings; the deaf have
a special rapport with space, images and the act of drawing.
Whether they are lifelong practitioners or have never drawn
before, all students in the course will “start all over again”, and
under the instructor’s guidance they will watch their personal
art evolve. The course will enable students to translate their
emotions into an expressive capacity.
Introduction to Art Therapy (Summer only)
PSY 286 R; Dual listed: PDM 286 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
At a time when concepts of education were being redefined
in the late 1400s, Leonardo da Vinci recommended that in
addition to reading, writing and arithmetic, all students be
taught to draw. He was ignored, to the misfortune of later
students. This course is an introduction to the vast area of the
therapeutic possibilities of art and specifically of drawing. The
course intends to transmit the experience of an artist to all
students. Students learn that drawing is a perceptive attitude
using all the senses, and dependant upon intuition and intellect.
Indeed, we can learn this from those with sense deprivations:
the blind draw unexpected and original drawings; the deaf have
a special rapport with space, images and the act of drawing.
Whether they are lifelong practitioners or have never drawn
before, all students in the course will “start all over again”, and
under the instructor’s guidance they will watch their personal
art evolve. The course will enable students to translate their
emotions into an expressive capacity.
Sociology
Film and Mafia
SOC 265 R; Dual listed: MCT 265 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The term “Mafia”, is one of several world recognized Italian
words. It is also one of the most popular subjects in film, with a
wide range of cinematic representations. Mafia stories are often
present in comedies, dramas, gangster movies and parodies.
This course is focused on the historical, political and social
background of the Italian mafia with special attention to the
Sicilian phenomenon and its links with the American “Cosa
Nostra”. The most significant works about the mafia (directed
in Italy and in the United States) will be shown and discussed
during the lectures.
Italian Society through the Cinema
SOC 275 R; Dual listed: MCT 282 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course presents the development and changes of the Italian
society in the last decades as seen through Italian cinematic
vision. The films discussed during the lectures will be shown
in chronological order, and cover some of the most significant
periods of Italian society: Fascism, the war and post-war time,
the economic boom of the early sixties, the anger and protest
of the young generation. “Genre” movies will be discussed
with special attention given to the “Comedy Italian Style”.
Information about the most important periods of Italian history,
from Fascism to the present time, will be followed throughout
the course. Films are in Italian with English subtitles.
immigration on the development of family lifestyles will also be
examined. In the second part of the course each class will analyze
in detail the single members of the family. We will investigate
rights and duties of wives, mothers, husbands, fathers and
children in the family and we will evaluate the relationship
between tradition and change in the evolution of these roles.
We will also compare the traditional and conservative southern
family to that of northern Italy.
Writing
Introduction to Journalism
WRI 185 R; Dual listed: COM 185 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
Journalism covers a huge range of output across all media
and is an influential form of communication in almost every
country of the world. Journalism involves the sifting and
editing of information and events; it is about putting ideas
and controversies into context, and it is about the assessment
of the validity and truthfulness of actions or comments. This
course will offer an introduction to the history and practical
skills of print and broadcast journalism. Students will be guided
in researching and interviewing techniques and in writing news
articles, reviews and features for a variety of media. They will
also have hands-on experience in preparing, recording and
editing a radio program or webcast.
Travel Writing
WRI 290 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
Throughout history, Italy has inspired writers and poets to wax
lyrical in ways that few other countries have done. Countless
English-language novels, stories and poems have woven a
bel paese of words around the Italian experience. This course
provides an opportunity for students to focus first-hand on
the art and craft of travel writing, with particular emphasis on
cities in Italy, but also with excursions into other worlds - real or
imaginary. Through reading, writing, and visits in and around
the city center, students will explore places of historic, artistic,
cultural and personal interest. They will learn “by example” from
a selection of great travel literature from the world in general,
and from Italy in particular. And they will learn “by doing”,
via a series of guided exercises and assignments that explore
the distinctive qualities of travel writing – its combination of
history, culture, information, rumination, musings and memory
– and the ways in which this particular art can lead to a deeper
understanding of their own experiences and cultural identity.
Prerequisites: WRI 150 Writing for College, or equivalent
School of Arts & Sciences ROME
Italian Family and Society
SOC 280 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The course explores the Italian family from a sociological point
of view, placing the family in the context of Italian tradition
and culture. It is subdivided into two main sections. In the first
section we will begin with an historical analysis of the Italian
family from the Romans to the present age, in order to analyze
changes and traditions through several centuries. We will see
that the patriarchal system underlies the entire history of the
Italian family until recent times. We will analyze the meaning of
the family at the present time and the importance of marriage
in the past and cohabitation in present society. We will also
consider key moments of transition in the life cycle of families,
such as the constitution of a conjugal agreement, the place
of children, divorce, the elderly, and adoption. The impact of
LdM Academic Catalog 2013-2014
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