IP317-15 Venice: Resistance and Representation (Venice Short Course)
Introductory description
This is an optional module for the BA Liberal Arts, BASc Liberal Arts and Sciences, GSD BASc Global Sustainable Development, and Design Studies degrees; it will be available to undergraduates across the University, but students from SCFS will have priority.
Module aims
This module uses an interdisciplinary lens to examine Venice as a site of cultural, ecological, intellectual, social, and political resistance while also interrogating the representational strategies and legacies of such defiance. Using a combination of hands-on problem-based learning activities, site visits, and co-creative pedagogies, the module will explore how Venice demonstrates a long legacy of resistance and complex representational regimes that continue to this day and can practically inform resistance movements in the future.
We will explore questions such as: How is resistance articulated in the Venetian context? What role do space and lagunar topography in Venice play in fostering the city's legacy of intellectual independence and cultural resistance? How have such movements been represented either by their participants or detractors, and how do such depictions foster or dampen enthusiasm for such causes? In what ways can the city's rich legacy of resistance movements be relevant to the current problems Venice faces today such as depopulation, mass tourism, and climate change?
Using Venice as a case study will allow us to consider how the floating city can serve as a living repository of ongoing resistance. In examining these problems through an interdisciplinary lens, students will also be encouraged to think about contemporary practical applications of the city's complex legacies of defiance, such as social movements, cultural independence, and championing of intellectual enquiry and artistic expression to resist autocracy, fascism, and expansionist imperialism (whether of a political, social, cultural, or economic nature).
Depending on student interests, the module may explore case studies including...
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Venice's ongoing resistance to mass tourism via grassroots social movements and local NGOs;
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Venetian resistance to the Napoleonic and Austrian occupations in the early nineteenth century;
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Representative strategies used to frame Venice's resistance to ecological forces, such as climate change;
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Venetian resistance movements during the Fascist period (1922-1945);
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Labour movements in the Arsenale and the Chemical industry in Porto Marghera in the 1960s and 1970s;
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The rich history of Venetian Feminism from the early modern period to present day, including discussions of the first feminist manifesto by Lucrezia Marinella, the founding of the first Italian feminist journal in the nineteenth century in Venice, the role played by Peggy Guggenheim as a feminist art collector, and the key leadership roles that Venetian women occupy today;
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The use of intellectual debate and art as a form of resistance from the once-global-superpower of the Venetian publishing industry to the Biennale art exhibitions today.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
The syllabus will be updated year on year, informed by the most relevant case studies and cutting-edge research. As the module uses co-creative and site-based learning pedagogies, the case studies selected will vary based on student interest and availability of place-based activities. An indicative syllabus is below:
Week 1: The Legacy of Resistance
M. Introduction: Forms of Resistance and Representational Regimes
T. Publishing as Resistance: Venice as a Global Crossroads of Free Thought
W. Resisting Strongmen I: The Napoleonic and Austrian Occupations
Th. Resisting Strongmen II: Venetian Anti-Fascism and Traces of Resistance Today
Fr. Venetian Feminist Defiance from Lucrezia Marinella to Peggy Guggenheim
Week 2: Case Studies of Resistance in Contemporary Venice
M. Industrial Resistance: Labour Movements in Venice from 1950-2022
T. Contemporary Resistance I: Defying Mass Tourism and Grassroots Resistance
W. Contemporary Resistance II: Weathering Climate Change
Th. Artistic Expression as Resistance: The Venetian Biennale
Fr. Conclusions — Adapting Lessons of Venetian Resistance for the Twenty-First Century
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Identify key case studies of Venetian resistance and think critically about their representational strategies.
- Engage in detailed reflection on how Venice has functioned as a multi-faceted cradle of resistance in the past, and how this legacy continues today.
- Critically analyse existing resistance movements in Venice (broadly defined) along with their scalability and adaptability to other global challenges.
- Apply advanced cognitive skills to develop evidence-based research and creative outputs.
- Implement meta-cognitive skills to approach wicked problems through Problem-Based Learning and gain greater understanding of their own role in the learning process.
Indicative reading list
Reading lists can be found in Talis
Specific reading list for the module
Research element
Students will produce a final research conference paper on a topic of their own choosing related to the themes of the module.
Interdisciplinary
This is module offers a unique transdisciplinary learning experience allowing students to achieve breadth and depth of knowledge. The module is designed to provide the students with an understanding of relationships between the different disciplinary areas within resistance studies, cultural studies, social sciences, history, and art history with a particular focus on Venice. It also invites to the students to make connections with other disciplinary areas covered in their main study programme. It provides the students with a critical understanding of dominant traditions and methodologies associated with the main phenomena covered in the module and enables the students to transcend disciplinary boundaries. The interdisciplinary course cohort provides contact opportunities and learning to see from different perspectives is a core aspect of the learning experience.
International
The module draws on cases from different contexts, including different geopolitical areas, professional environments and linguistic contexts. The content and assessment invite the students to reflect on the societal relevance in different environments of the phenomena covered in the module. The assessment involves students considering a variety of stakeholders which (will) allow for a global and local outlook to be built into the module’s work. The international place-based experiential onsite learning in Venice is a core aspect of the learning experience.
Subject specific skills
Analytical skills attained through the analysis of existing historical and local models of resistance and future implementation plans, along with their scalability and adaptability to other global challenges.
Transferable skills
Advanced cognitive skills of critical reflection ; Meta-cognitive skills gained through Problem-Based Learning which aid understanding of own role in the learning process; Work effectively with others in group tasks and in teams; Plan and manage time in projects; Develop strong analytical skills; Find, evaluate and use previous research at a level appropriate for an intermediate-year module; Use a range of tools and resources effectively in the preparation of course work; Read and critically discuss academic papers effectively in the context of an intensive programme; Communicate clearly and effectively in discussions; Communicate ideas effectively in writing.
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | (0%) |
| Seminars | 10 sessions of 1 hour (7%) |
| Tutorials | (0%) |
| Project supervision | (0%) |
| Fieldwork | 10 sessions of 1 hour (7%) |
| Private study | 60 hours (40%) |
| Assessment | 70 hours (47%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
Pre-Onsite learning -» Preparatory and background readings, online quiz (20 hours independent learning)
Week 1 onsite – Readings for daily sessions and collaborative group work (20 hours independent learning)
Week 2 onsite – Readings for daily sessions and collaborative group work (20 hours independent learning)
Post-Onsite learning-» Assessments (covered in the assessment hours)
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Students can register for this module without taking any assessment.
Assessment group D2
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
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| Research Conference Paper | 50% | 47 hours | No |
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This is the final piece of assessment in this module. Students are asked to develop a research project on a topic of their choosing linked to resistance and/or its representation in Venice, examining its implications and potentially, its applications to other contemporary global resistance movements today. However, as the module emphasises creative forms of resistance, students may equally choose to create an artistic work and present on it in their conference paper. Whichever option students choose, they must present their findings in a 20-minute conference presentation that will take place in Term 1, Week 7. In either case, students must present an original argument and support this with research, scholarly evidence, analysis, and proper citation. Students will be required to submit their script/notes for the presentation (including proper referencing), their slides (if applicable), and an annotated bibliography of at least 15 peer-reviewed sources. Students will have the opportunity to discuss their projects, topics, and argument development with the module convenor in assessment support sessions that will be held around the start of T1. Students will also have the opportunity to discuss their project plan with the instructor in one-on-one meetings. |
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Reassessment component is the same |
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Assessment component |
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| Manifesto of Venetian Defiance | 25% | 13 hours | No |
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In groups of two, students will draw on material seen in the module to create a Venetian-informed manifesto of defiance that will be presented in class (10-minute presentations). The assessment should be creative and can adopt any cause that the students feel strongly about. As part of the presentation, students will need to critically reflect on the representative choices they make in creating this manifesto and how these draw on material seen in class (whether theories or primary sources). Groups will be required to submit their script/slides along with an annotated bibliography of 5 peer-reviewed sources as part of the presentation. |
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Reassessment component |
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| Manifesto of Venetian Defiance | No | ||
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Same as above but individual |
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Assessment component |
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| Online Test (Take-Home) | 25% | 10 hours | No |
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Online test in week one to ensure comprehension and critical thinking around set background readings before arrival in Venice. |
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Reassessment component is the same |
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Feedback on assessment
Detailed feedback for assignments will be provided via Tabula.
Feedback on test will be provided on Moodle.
Pre-requisites
The module is open to all students in SCFS and across the University (with permission required from external departments). Students take the module in Venice during in the summer prior to their final year of study (for students on study year abroad or work placement, this would follow the year abroad/ work placement).
The module is NOT available to first-year students who are progressing to second-year or to students who are already in their final year prior to the intensive teaching in Venice
Courses
This module is Optional for:
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UVCA-LA99 Undergraduate Liberal Arts
- Year 2 of LA92 Liberal Arts with Classics
- Year 2 of LA73 Liberal Arts with Design Studies
- Year 2 of LA83 Liberal Arts with Economics
- Year 2 of LA82 Liberal Arts with Education
- Year 2 of LA95 Liberal Arts with English
- Year 2 of LA81 Liberal Arts with Film and Television Studies
- Year 2 of LA93 Liberal Arts with Global Sustainable Development
- Year 2 of LA97 Liberal Arts with History
- Year 2 of LA71 Liberal Arts with Law
- Year 2 of LA91 Liberal Arts with Life Sciences
- Year 2 of LA75 Liberal Arts with Modern Languages and Cultures
- Year 2 of LA96 Liberal Arts with Philosophy
- Year 2 of LA94 Liberal Arts with Theatre and Performance Studies
This module is Unusual option for:
- Year 2 of UVCA-LA99 Undergraduate Liberal Arts