Ateneo - UPO

TOURING CULTURES: ENGLISH LITERATURE AND THE DISCOURSES OF TOURISM

James Buzard, The Beaten Track: European Tourism, Literature, and the Ways to ‘Culture’ 1800-1918, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 2001 ISBN 0-19-812276-4; Luigi Marfè, Oltre la ‘fine dei viaggi’. I resoconti dell’altrove nella letteratura contemporanea, Firenze, Olschki, 2009 ISBN 978-88-222-5924-0; Tim Youngs, The Cambridge Introduction to Travel Writing, CUP, 2013 ISBN 9780521697392

The basic educational objectives of the course are: 1 knowledge of the key developments in the evolution of tourism as a socially determined practice and the genres in which it is expressed. 2. understanding how literary discourse relates to the phenomenon of tourism in the 19th and 20th centuries; 3.
developing the ability to grasp the significant elements of the relationship between texts and their context of production/reception.
A more advanced objective is the development of the ability to critically analyze the texts under consideration, with particular attention to their linguistic dimension.

B2 level of English

Lectures and in-class readings of primary texts

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

Students can choose between two forms of assessment:

A. only for students who have attended classes on a regular basis and have carried out in-class assignments (teamwork, max. 2 absences): assessment of in-class assignments (50% of the total grade) followed by oral exam (50%)

B. Students who have chosen not to carry out in-class assignments are required, prior to the oral exam, to write a paper on a topic of their own choice (50% of the total grade). The paper must be written in English and must be handed in at least one week before the oral exam.

For both A. and B. the oral exam (in English, approx. 20 minutes) will start with the discussion of the paper and will assess:
- the knowledge of the texts/topics/authors covered in class;
- the knowledge of the cultural contexts of the primary texts;
- the ability to use the appropriate lexicon in English to communicate – clearly and effectively – knowledge, information and opinions;
- the degree of coherence, accuracy and relevance of the student's answers.

Grading criteria:
27-30: firm grasp of the topics dealt with; excellent analytical and argumentative skills; personal and critical approach
30 cum Laude: personal and critical approach; independent work on specific topics not included in the syllabus
23-26: mostly mnemonic/mechanical approach to the topics dealt with; satisfactory analytical and argumentative skills
18-22: basic knowledge of the topics dealt with; basic argumentative and analytical skills

This course will discuss various facets of the interaction between literary discourse and the development of tourism as an historically determined cultural practice. It will address issues such as: • The model provided by the Grand Tour and its nineteenth-century modifications (Lord Byron, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage; Charles Dickens, Pictures from Italy) • The role of tourism in the process of (self-)representation of cultural identity and the attendant gender dynamics (E.M. Forster, Room with a View) • The distinction between tourist and traveller, tourism and anti-tourism, and the related notion of authenticity (Bruce Chatwin, In Patagonia) • The development of specific narrative genres—travel writing, guidebooks, diaries, periodicals • The notion of Literary tourism

In order to achieve the knowledge, skills, and abilities corresponding to the basic level, the student is required to demonstrate: 1.(KNOWLEDGE) knowledge of the key developments in the evolution of tourism as a socially determined practice; knowledge of how English literary discourse relates to the phenomenon of tourism in the 19th and 20th centuries; (SKILLS) The ability to place the assigned texts in their context of production and reception;
(TRANSVERSAL SKILLS) The ability to clearly and effectively present knowledge, information, and opinions on the topics covered, using appropriate language and terminology. To achieve an advanced level, the student must demonstrate the ability to analyze the assigned texts with particular attention to their linguistic dimension; read the texts from a critical perspective, identifying their individual peculiarities and points of connection.