The Mafia and “Amoral Familism” in Italian Life
S07
Roberto de Lucca
The obscure misdeeds, ranging from government collusion with the Mafia and the Mafia itself, to the political scandals that have shaken Italian society from the 90s to today, are, some scholars say, the result of “amoral familism”: exaggerated allegiance to a clan or to the family, to the detriment of other institutions. In addition to reading some of Leonardo Sciascia’s masterpieces of fiction and nonfiction concerning the Mafia and its roots, students will look at the history of Italy during the last 40 years—a history that often seems like a series of unsolvable mysteries. Students will take part in assemblies where issues are played out, and will gain greater fluency in Italian. There will be several writing assignments, ranging from investigative presentations to research papers. Conducted in Italian. High-intermediate level.