F1109 Venice and Globalization

This course would situate the specific social condition of Venice and the Veneto region within the general processes of globalization. For example, the crisis of the nation-state and the development of the European Union would be studied together with the formation of the Northern League and the xenophobic immigrant policies. The economic boom of Italy\'s northeast (sometimes called the third Italy) around small business and flexible production would be analyzed in the general economic formations of global production. And finally, the so-called anti-globalization movement, which is particularly strong in Veneto, would provide another standpoint. When I taught this course at VIU in 2006 we took the class on several field trips. On one of the trips we toured the port of Marghera and the cruise ship building area. On another trip we were given a guided tour of Rivolta, the social center in Mestre. We also linked the class with a photography class at the UAV taught by Stefano Graziani and created a competition among the students for the best photos illustrating the relationship between Venice and globalization. Such a photo competition could be repeated but is not necessary for the course.

Method of teaching: combination of lecture and discussion formats.

Prerequisites: none

Evaluation methods:
A midterm and a final paper will be the primary assignments. Class participation will also count for part of the grade.