Italy Since 1945

Module code: IT1029

This module explores Italian postwar history, politics and society from the Second World War to the present day. We will examine a variety of periods and contexts, from the postwar settlement to the Berlusconi era. You will study selected literary, visual and cinematic texts and will learn to place them in their historical and cultural context. At the end of this module, you should be able to understand key aspects of Italian postwar history, politics, society and culture and their development since 1945; show an awareness of the cultural debates occurring in postwar Italy, and develop the necessary analytical skills to read different texts and place them in their historical and cultural context.

Topics covered

• The reconstruction years
• Neorealism
• Italian society transformed: the 1950s and the economic miracle
• Political and cultural identities in the 1960s
• Political unrest in the 1970s
• Italian society, media and politics in the 1980s
• The Berlusconi era
• Migration and contemporary Italy