Protest, Art, and Resistance

4.0 credits

What do we learn by protesting, and who gets to be heard? This course traces dissent from Medieval Italy to the present, placing Italian protest traditions in dialogue with American movements for racial justice and civil rights, including Rochester's own history of resistance. From student uprisings at Bologna's medieval university to contemporary marches against police violence, we examine how literature, film, and art have shaped — and been shaped by — political resistance on both sides of the Atlantic. Texts range from Dante and Manzoni to Judith Butler and Gayatri Spivak. No knowledge of Italian required. Taught in English.