Sex in Italian Culture and Media

From XIXth century hotbed of sexual tourism to XXist century idyllic scenario of Guadagnino'ssteamy romance "Call Me by Your Name," Italy has been cast globally as an imaginary site of sexual freedom. Throughout the 20th century, Italy's sexual culture and mores have been shaped more by a climate of discretion, secrecy, and scandals than by overt identity politics. However, between the early 70s and the first Rome Pride in 2000, an Italian movement of sexual activism featuring activists, writers, and artists have impacted globally the ways in which we experience and talk about bodies, desires, and sexual identities nowadays. How do we think, represent, and talk sex in Italian culture? What is queer about Italian culture and how does "queer" translate into Italian language? This course introduces students to the study of Italian cultural productions on sexuality between discretion and identity politics spanning early sexological work, accounts of homosexuality under Fascism, "transessualita" Italian-style, sexual manifestos, photographic archives, AIDS fiction, LGBTQI films and YouTube videos, transnational queer comedies, drag king performances, etc. The class is taught in English with no prerequisite necessary. No Final.

Course Attributes: EN H; AS HUM; AS LCD; FA HUM; AR HUM

Sex in Italian Culture and Media

WOMEN, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES 280A

Section 01