SPRING 2024
Reading Bologna & Italy from the Renaissance to the Baroque.
This course examines the lively artistic atmosphere of Bologna from the 15th to the early 17th century and the effects that society, economy, and politics had on the production of art during those centuries. Works of art will be studied with a specific interest in their intellectual, religious, and social connections to the historical context in which they were created.
Bolognese artworks will be used as primary sources. Through the study of the most significant ones, compared to coeval Central and Northern Italian works of art, students will learn the authentic novelty and excellence of the art of Bologna. Many lessons will be taught on site for a better comprehension of the historical context in which the artworks were designed and for a better appreciation of each single work of art analyzed in all its different aspects: iconography, technique, dimension, style.
Competition in Tourism Markets
The course introduces students to some of the basic principles of industrial organization, in particular those that are key for understanding competition among firms in some specific industries and markets. Throughout the entire course, the European tourism industry will be the subject of our case studies, so as to establish a direct connection between theory and real word/everyday life examples. Competition among the various types of firm operating in the several segments of the tourism market is shaped by pervasive global dynamics (related to digital transformation, sustainability, etc.) that have triggered a worldwide process of transformation of this sector. Nonetheless, competition among individual sellers/producers still remains, at least in part, largely characterized by a local/spatial dimension, which can also be explored through on-site educational trips in some of the most renowned tourist destinations nearby Bologna.
Made in Italy, Sustainably
From the post-World War II era, “Made in Italy” has confirmed itself as a label granting fine quality, authenticity and a sense of style internationally praised. A growing number of entrepreneurs managed through the decades to create a brand of high value all over the world, mixing the iconic Italian aesthetics with technology and innovation. The worth of the “Made in Italy” has granted many products prosperity in the markets, as it secured the solidity of the national economy. (Grinaldi, 2019) The topic of sustainable development has become increasingly central to the international community. In 2015, the UN approved the 2030 Agenda, an action plan aimed at pursuing sustainable development. The founding elements of the 2030 Agenda are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that refer to different areas of development. (Dello Strologo, 2021) In this course, we critically evaluate the Italian Business System, looking at both the good and the bad features of a system which is more localised in its approach, where product values and cultures appear to be strong. Is there anything we can take from this system to improve our own business systems? Can these approaches not only produce valued products, but do so in a way that is fully sustainable? Set in the context of Bologna, students can explore for themselves the diversity of the system, in addition to receiving guidance in the form of visits and activities. Approaches to Entrepreneurship, Supply Chain, Business Strategy, Finance, Quality, Globalization, Change Management, Circular Economics and Marketing are all covered in the course.
Sonic Histories, European Environments
This course explores the ways that European sonic practices in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries articulate the complex relationships between individuals, political society, and the built and natural environment. Students will engage four prominent sonic ecosystems—trench warfare during WWI; Italian Futurism’s response to European modernity; Italian fascism; and South Mediterranean Migrations—through interdisciplinary scholarship drawn from cultural history, environmental studies, musicology, and sound studies. The course begins by building a foundational vocabulary for both sonic practices (music, noise) and the environmental spaces in which they sound (space, place, environment) and then putting those terms to analytical use in a study of trench warfare in northern France and the Italian Alps. Students then consider the technological aesthetics of the Italian Futurists, including their interest in the radio and their legacies in global sound instillations of the past five years. Our attention then turns to Italian Fascism and its aesthetic and political idealizations of nature, music, and race. The course ends with a unit examining Mediterranean migration (including its environmental and political drivers) through sound, storytelling, and performance.
European Security
This course introduces students to the study of European security, exploring the challenges that the European Union and European countries face on the international arena, as well as the opportunities for cooperation and global leadership. The course locates Europe within the field of international security, examining how the continent relates to other actors and institutions on the global stage, including the US, NATO, Russia and China. In so doing, the course reviews the evolution of the European security architecture and its role in addressing contemporary threats and phenomena such as terrorism, climate change and migration. At the end of the semester, students will be familiar with key theoretical concepts and debates to understand European security dynamics. Furthermore, they will be able to contextualize the role of the EU as a security actor and to critically engage with the security and defense strategies formulated by European actors.
Economics of Inequality and Poverty
This course is motivated by the need to respond to the topic of inequality through a set of analytical/mathematical tools available to all students. The goal is to understand inequality from both a static and dynamic multidimensional perspective in terms of social mobility. We will cover a series of topics related to the evolution of income and wealth, the problem of access to health care, and educational inequalities in Italy compared to other European countries and often to the US system. The course will approach these issues from an equity perspective, with theoretical analysis and empirical applications, as in the case of gender inequality. Much attention will be given to the role of the State and to the possible policy interventions that have been adopted over the years by different countries to combat inequality and poverty in societies. Case studies will respond to the everyday problems on inequality, trying to explain a series of phenomena or choices of aggregation through analysis of recent situations
