Advanced knowledge of English- oral and written
The module Tourism Cultures offers cultural and historic perspectives on the development of travel and tourism. In this module students will acquire:
• The knowledge of historical framework necessary to approach travel and tourism as dynamic cultural practices related to specific social contexts;
• Awareness of theoretical concepts and contexts concerning ‘gaze’ and ‘narration’ as related to tourist perception and experience;
• Comprehension of tourism as a social practice related to imaginary and processed by media and IT (guidebooks, fictions, Internet, Socials).
The objectives of the module are coherent with the Cultural Studies critical approach related to Travel and Tourism theories and to Anthropology of complex societies. The objectives are also coherent with the general framework of the MA PMTS Course, with reference to the AREA “Languages, Art, Culture”, devoted to tourism language, heritage and art in their cultural impacts and in managerial perspectives.
Topics of Tourism Cultures module in detail:
• The history of travel in anthropological, historical and literary perspective;
• The impact of narrations on tourism practices and on local communities;
• Ancient travels and destinations (the Classic World, The Routes of Pilgrimage);
• The rise of modern tourism - Grand Tour and Petit Tour
• Travel, leisure and vacation for the élites;
• Mass tourism development - XIX century (in England) and XX century (in the Mediterranean, with reference to Italian Rivieras);
• The "tourist gaze"- modern and post-modern developments;
• Contemporary tourism issues: globalization, responsibility, fear/security, catastrophes and terrorism, “dark tourism”, pandemics.
A seminar will be provided with the contribution of a foreign expert on the topics of Narrations and Imaginaries in Tourism.
Lectures are supported by:
• Power Point Presentations,
• Short videos from the Web,
• Web navigation,
• Film scraps
The didactic approach is discursive and dialogic – with collective debates related also to the students’ special interests. The aim is not only to transfer knowledge and present concepts and models but also to develop critical attitudes and multi-cultural dialogue, stimulating transversal competences.
The Seminar is fully participatory and implies presentations and open discussions- each students prepares a individual contribution which will be valued for the final evaluation.
Lecture materials will be available on-line.
The brief presentations presented during the Seminar will be valued and will concur to the final eveluation. The oral exam is discursive and will test the knowledge of concepts and issues presented to the classroom or related to the text references, and to the recommended readings in the case of non-attendee students.
Relevant elements in the final evaluation:
• Demonstration of the general comprehension of course discourses and texts related issues (as listed in the Contents of the Course);
• Critical argumentation;
• Exhibition of thoughtful analysis and conceptual synthesis;
• Careful use of references and bibliography;
• Quality of the argumentation in fluent English.
Mark Vademecum:
Outstanding (30 e lode): excellent knowledge of all of the contents of the course. Excellent ability to analyze the texts and to contextualize them in an appropriate way. The student’s uses of the academic register/style with appropriate terminologies.
Very good (30 to 28): very good knowledge of all of the contents of the course. Very good ability to analyse the texts and to contextualize them in an appropriate way.
Good (27-25): Good knowledge of the contents of the course. Adequate ability to describe the texts. The language used is simple but correct.
Fair/sufficient (24-20): Sufficient knowledge, coherence, use of appropriate resources and quality of presentation to warrant a basic pass. The ability to analyse the texts is not wholly satisfactory. The performance is very descriptive and does not fully address the issues raised by the questions.
Barely sufficient (19-18): The performance is very descriptive and does not fully address the issues raised by the questions.
Fail (below 18): The student demonstrates only a basic awareness of the contents of the course. The performance is confused and incoherent, with inaccuracies and major errors.
Students are highly recommended to attend the lectures and all the activities related to the Course, which stimulate participation and allow training in transversal competences.
For non-attendee students, frequent contacts with the lecturers are recommended. (virtual or in presence). Some further readings are suggested, also in case of insights in view of the final thesis:
• Il Turismo"- voce enciclopedica a cura di R.Bonadei at alii, in La Cultura Italiana, UTET, 2010- (PDF available on the web page of the course).
• N. Salazar, Envisioning Eden. Mobilising Imaginaries in tourism and beyond, Berghahn Books, 2012.
In case the course is delivered in the dual/blended or online mode, what has been stated in the syllabus is susceptible to change in order to make both the classes and the exams accessible in a non face-to-face environment.
ERASMUS STUDENTS
Erasmus students are recommended to introduce themselves to the lecturers at the beginning of the teaching period, either if they are attendee or non-attendee students. Programmes and exam contents are the same for Erasmus and non-Erasmus students. A special winter session of exams is available for the Erasmus students who finish their stay in December.