Summer Session 2022

Dazzling, scandalous, “new”—always (still!) reinventing itself. One of the reasons why modernism is endlessly fascinating is that artists (writers, painters, composers, filmmakers, dancers, in short, visionaries of new worlds) hung out together, conversed, envied and influenced one another, collaborated, parodied others, often refashioned themselves, capturing ephemeral beauty (even finding beauty in repulsive realities), making outrageous claims (“burn the libraries!”), and offering lucid diagnoses of their times.

This course places international modernism in an intermedial perspective, presenting it as a broad conversation among international artists across various art forms. In addition to reading slowly and patiently major literary works by writers such as Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Eliot, Kafka, Stein, Woolf, Wat, Rilke, students will enhance their understanding of modernism through exposure to painting (Matisse, Picasso, Marc, Kandinsky, Chagall, Lam, Schoenberg), sculpture (Rodin, Brancusi, Giacometti), music (Débussy, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Berg, Gershwin), dance (Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes) and film (Ruttman, Cavalcanti).

We will approach modernism as a body of reactionary artifacts, that is, as works of art that took a stand against bourgeois morality, against fossilized ways of thinking enshrined in cultural traditions, against developments of the Enlightenment project that had led to two world wars and colonialism. Students examine the ways avant-garde artists challenged the ethical implications of conceptions of language, art, life and community deemed inimical to human freedom (of expression, of inter-racial association, or association across social classes), and the limitations of a central modernist imperative (“make it new”). We will be mindful of our Venitian surroundings throughout, and we’ll begin and end with artworks and literary texts inspired by the city. No prerequisites.

Virtual component: We will connect over Zoom on July 14th 2022 at noon (12 pm Italian time) to say hello and prepare for the semester. Prior to our meeting, I encourage you to read as much as you can of Otto H. Bacher’s 1908 delightful book With Whistler in Venice, which includes many reproductions of Whistler's work and of etchings and photographs by the author. As an introduction both to Venice, and to the practice of professional looking that we’ll refine in this class, you should also spend some time with John Ruskin’s famous The Stones of Venice. I recommend reading chapter 1 “The Quarry” and getting a sense of the architecture of the book itself. You’ll find a summary of Ruskin’s project here.

Resources and bibliography: Most assigned texts (see detailed overview below) will be available on the course website under Resources as .pdf documents. The rest are in the public domain and available online, hyperlinked. Students are also encouraged to do some exploring of their own, for instance in excellent databases such as ARTstor and Oxford Art Online. (We’ll discuss resources in class).

Teaching methods

This is a small seminar in which we will do a lot of close reading of artistic objects (paintings, music, film, dance, literary texts), watch some performances, discuss the historical background, reception, aesthetic and formal features, and impact (aesthetic, social, political) of the artifacts on the syllabus. Classes will typically be a combination of student-presentations, discussion of various aspects of the texts based on webposts, screenings and analysis of clips, brief lectures, in-class writing and workshops of student projects. A thorough engagement with the readings, a thoughtful manner of presenting and discussing one’s ideas in class, as well as respect for our differences of opinion are crucial for the optimal unfolding of the course.

Course aims and assignments:

The aim of this seminar is to facilitate your discovery and exploration of the rich artistic period known as modernism. Your assignments are designed to help you engage with different artistic mediums, pay close attention to the specificity of each, get over your inhibitions (if you have any) about writing on painting, texts, music, film, sculpture, and… let your imagination go a little wild.

There are no essays to write in this seminar; instead, you will compile a portfolio of various short pieces of work, as described in the detailed overview below. We have a total of 8 sessions; while you are always expected to familiarize yourselves closely with the materials assigned for each class, you may skip the written assignments twice, but not on the last day of class (in other words, you must engage, in writing, with Death in Venice!). Unless otherwise noted, you are free to select from the material assigned in any given session. For a Monday session, you will need to submit your work by 6 p.m. on the Sunday prior to class; for a Thursday class, please submit by 6 p.m. on the Wednesday before.

Imaginary dialog (group project): this is an opportunity to do research and be imaginative, in collaboration with other class participants. Your group presentation should take the form of a staged dialog between the artist(s) and someone else (another artist or two, a critic or two, whatever other artistic personality you think might contribute interesting ideas). Include in some form information about the artist, about the work (theme, structure, ideas, premiere) and its critical reception, as well as some close reading. Each student should contribute 1.5-2 pages of text, and should make sure that the final text identifies clearly the contribution of each participant. (I will make available some samples so you get a sense of the possibilities.) The entire text of the presentation should be uploaded to Moodle under Presentations by 6 p.m. on the day before class. You will sign up for these in the first week of classes.

Venice close-up: This brief assignment is an opportunity to bring the art of close attention we practice in our seminar to bear on the exquisite privilege of spending time in Venice this summer. We’ll begin each class with a 5-minute presentation by one seminar participant, in which they’ll share with the rest of us one discovery they’ve made and researched in the city. It can be a very famous place or a more obscure one, up to you; but do bring a photo or two, and have a story about your place of choice (its history, why it’s special, why it struck you, whether there’s art associated with that spot, anything you might find of interest). You’ll sign up for these at the beginning of class, and this activity will be part of your course participation grade.

Reflection on your course experience: this will be an opportunity for each student to reflect on your discoveries and collect your thoughts about the mosaic of artifacts and ideas we’ll be exploring throughout this summer semester. Please submit, via email, a first installment after week 2 (by Saturday at 6 pm) and at the end of week 4 by class-time (2 pages x 2, 12 font, double-spaced).

Grades and attendance: All students are expected to attend all class meetings, having familiarized themselves with the materials assigned for that day, completed the required assignments, and ready to participate actively in class discussions. Your final grade will be based on the quality and timely submission of your written assignments (6 x 10%), contribution to group presentation (20%), course reflection, “Venice close-up,” and oral participation (20%).

Laptop policy: Unless otherwise noted in class, no laptops are necessary during our class meetings – please keep all electronic devices stored.

Venice International University
GLOBALIZATION AND HEALTH:
EVIDENCE AND POLICIES

Monday and Tuesday 12:45 – 17:30
Aug. 1th – Aug. 26th, 2022 (6 ECTS)

Course instructor:
Prof. Roberto De Vogli
University of Padova
E-mail: roberto.devogli@unipd.it

COURSE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Provide different definitions of global health and understand how social, economic, political, behavioural factors affect health and wellbeing at the local, national and global level;
• Describe and critically examine the specific components of globalization policies and their effects on social determinants of health
• Evaluate the impact of policies and their intentional and unintentional effects on global health issues
• Articulate some of the major causal pathways linking globalization policies and health-related outcomes;
• Deliver oral presentation on a topic of choice within the area of global health
• Write technical or professional paper on a topic of choice within the area of global health
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Forms of Assessment

Participation: students are expected to come prepared to actively engage with the topic at hand as well as classmates, faculty, and guest lecturers. If you miss a class due to illness you are responsible for catching up on all material before the next class. Participation grades are based on your willingness to voice your opinions, your ability to listen closely to others without interruption, and to treat each other with respect even when disagreeing strongly.

Reading Presentation: Students are expected to critically discuss articles describing major evidence on the effects of globalization on health. During each lecture students are expected to lead a presentation of that week’s readings or propose a different article that relates to the same topic (approach the instructor to accommodate the change). Each student will prepare for circulation a one-page reading guide consisting of:

· a summary of the article(s)/chapter(s) assigned (2-3 paragraphs) that shows careful reading;
· 2 critical comments (3-5 sentences each);
· 2-3 thoughtful discussion questions.

At each presentation, the group will be responsible for presenting a joint summary and analysis of the readings and getting discussion started. We do not expect formal oral presentations, just a well-organized summary and analysis of the readings and some thoughtful questions to animate discussion.

Final Paper: Students will be responsible for a 12 page (double-spaced) interdisciplinary paper to deepen their thinking about a particular health-related issue within each country. This assignment will also be a chance for the students to integrate their learning across courses. At the beginning of the course, students are expected to pick a health-related problem (topic) and explore different aspects of the same problem. The final paper tackles a specific research question that includes:
a) a particular health outcome, or wellbeing, or behavioural outcome (e.g. happiness, suicide, crime, quality of life, infant mortality, life expectancy, obesity, eating disorders, tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, inequalities in access to cancer screening);
b) a selected determinant of health o policy (e.g. stress, migration, socioeconomic status, income inequality, unemployment, the financial crisis, laws and regulations on tobacco control, free trade agreement, cultural globalization, consumerism) affecting the health and/or behavioural outcome;
c) the proposed causal pathways/mechanisms linking the selected determinant of health with the selected health outcome, or wellbeing, or behavioural outcome;
d) population or community of interest (e.g. global, OECD nations, sub-Saharan Africa, low-income countries, Italian regions).
e) list of implications for health promotion interventions and policies that can reduce the impact of the determinant of health and the prevalence of the health outcome, or wellbeing, or behavioural outcome in the population or community of interest;

The final paper should be structured around the following areas covering a research paper on a health/wellbeing research topic:

Title & Abstract (200 words summary of the proposal)
- the title of your paper should reflect its contents and can be stimulating and provocative.
- the abstract is a short summary of the major parts of your paper
Research question
- specify the aim of your paper, or research question. Define a specific hypothesis between a selected determinant of health and health outcome. Make sure your hypothesis is specific and possibly, but not necessarily, measurable. Examples of research questions are the following: has the financial crisis increased suicides worldwide? Is fast food consumption associated with obesity? Is stress higher in people of lower socioeconomic status? Why? How does unemployment affect quality of life in young adults? Is income inequality a determinant of crime?
- carry out a literature search of published articles from international peer-reviewed journals, book chapters as well as reports and other articles and commentaries addressing your research question. Always include and use references to support and develop arguments of your paper;
Selected health outcome, or wellbeing, behavioural outcome
- briefly describe the selected population or community of choice by examining potential information of interest such as demographic characteristics, historical and socioeconomic circumstances as long as they are relevant for your research question;
- describe the selected health outcome, or wellbeing or behavioural outcome in terms of epidemiological background (e.g. diffusion of a health problem in your population/prevalence) and specify the potential health consequences related to your problem in terms of mortality and morbidity and quality of life.
- analyse time trends of your health outcome where is possible or necessary.
- include figures, tables or any evidence that may be important to highlight the significance of the health outcome (either create them or use published work citing the source).
Selected health determinant
- describe the selected determinant of health capable of influencing the selected health outcome, wellbeing or behavioural outcome in terms of its diffusion in the chosen population;
- analyse time trends of your determinant of health where is possible or necessary;
- include figures, tables or any evidence that may be important to highlight the significance of the health determinant of choice (either create them or use published work citing the source).
Causal pathways between health determinant and health outcome
- describe the main causal paths or mechanisms or explanations connecting selected determinant of health with selected health outcome;
- include a discussion of competing pathways or complementary health determinants capable of influencing your health outcome, but your paper must stay focussed on your hypothesis of interest;
- to help yourself with the elaboration of the paper, you can draw a simple conceptual framework containing health determinant, causal pathways and health outcome.
- Include figures, tables or any evidence that may elucidate how causal pathways operate (either create them or use published work citing the source).
Implications for global health promotion and policy
- In the last part of the paper, provide some recommendations/suggestions to improve your health outcome and health determinant at the same time. It is important to look at the health problem in context, and you can provide recommendations for action in connection with the overall structure of society, not only the population most affected by the health determinant.

The papers will be assessed based on the following criteria:
• Clearly organized around a well-developed research question and conceptual framework
• Use of solid evidence, data, logical arguments to support statements
• Thoughts are clearly presented through well-constructed arguments
• Paper is well-organized with sections that logically follow each other and attempt to answer the research question
• Effective transitions between major ideas and topics are clear, and demonstrates good grammar and careful editing

Final paper presentation
During the last lectures of the course, each student will lead a presentation summarizing the major points of the final paper. After the presentation, students will lead a Q&A session or discussion where each student in the class is expected to play the role of peer-reviewer and provide suggestions for the presenter. The presentation will be assessed on the basis of the following guidelines:

Content
- Title: should reflect the content of the presentation
- Present to research question to the audience, give a clear introduction to the topic, including its relevance for health and wellbeing
- Structure your presentation in a clear, logical way – take the audience systematically through your key points
- Underpin your key points using evidence, facts, data, for example by using figures, references or concise tables
- There should be a clear conclusion which answers the research question asked and that stems from the evidence showed during the presentation.
Slides
- Ensure the slides are legible and clear – do not present too much information on a single slide
- Ensure your slides highlight the key issues that you speak about
- Leave out unnecessary information

Presentation of the slides
- Language: clarity
- Presentation style (incl. speaking to the audience rather than reading from paper; pace, use of effective communication techniques.)
Grading
Participation 10%
Reading Presentation 15%
Final Paper 55%
Final Paper Presentation 20%
PROGRAM & READING SCHEDULE

MONDAY AUGUST 01

Session 1. Determinants of Global Health
Readings:
• World Health Organization. Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health Equity Through Action on The Social Determinants of Health. WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health Report. Executive Summary, 2008.
• Stuckler D, Siegel K, De Vogli R and Basu S. Sick Individuals, Sick Populations: the Social Determinants of Chronic Diseases. In: Stuckler D et al. (editors) Sick Societies: Responding to the Global Challenge of Chronic Disease. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2011.

Session 2. Reading Presentations & Research Paper Writing 1

THURSDAY AUGUST 04

Session 3. Globalization, Neoliberalism and Health: Policies and Institutions
Readings:
• Schrecker T, Labonte R, and De Vogli R. Globalization and Health: the Need for a Global Vision, Lancet 2008:1670-76.
• De Vogli R, Birbeck G. The Potential Impact of Adjustment Policies on Children’s Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, Jun 2005;23(2):105-120.

Session 4. Reading Presentations & Research Paper Writing 2

MONDAY AUGUST 08

Session 5. Inequality and Health: Evidence and Pathways
Readings:
• De Vogli R, Schrecker T and Labonte R. Neoliberal Globalisation and Health Inequalities. In: Gabe J and Monaghan L. (editors) Key Concepts of Medical Sociology (2nd Edition). Sage Publications 2013 &
• De Vogli R, Gimeno D, Mistry R. Economic Inequality and Health in the Age of Globalization. In: Nriagu JO (ed.). Encyclopedia of Environmental Health. 2011(2): 207-214 Bulrington Elsevier.

Session 6. Reading Presentations & Research Paper Writing 3

THURSDAY AUGUST 11

Session 7. COVID-19: Policies, the Environment and Economic Development
Readings:
• De Vogli R. & De Falco R. Socioeconomic Inequalities and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Rivista Sperimentale di Feniatria, 2021; vol. CXLV (2).
• Costanza R, Giovannini E, Kubiszewski, Lovin H, Mc Glade J, Fioramonti L, Pickett K. After the COVID-19 Crisis. Solutions Journal 2020.

Session 8. Reading Presentations & Research Paper Writing 4

MONDAY AUGUST 15

Session 9. Wellbeing and Economic Development
Readings:
• Fioramonti L, Coscieme L. Costanza R, Giovannini E, Kubiszewski, Lovin H, Mc Glade J, Pickett K, De Vogli R and Wilkinson R. Wellbeing Economy: An Effective Paradigm To Mainstream Post-Growth Policies. Ecological Economics 2021.
• De Vogli R. Mortality crises in high-income countries: evidence from the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy and Greece. Report for Dialogue for Civilization Research Institute, Berlin, Vienna and Moscow, 2019.

Session 10. Reading Presentations & Research Paper Writing 5

THURSDAY AUGUST 18

Session 11. Globalization, Diet and Obesity
Readings:
• De Vogli R and Renzetti N. The Potential Impact of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Parternship (TTIP) on Public Health? Epidemiol & Prev 2016;40(2).
• De Vogli R, Kouvonen A, Gimeno D. The Influence of Market Deregulation on Fast Food Consumption and Body Mass Index: A Cross-National Times Series Analysis. Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO) 2014;92:99-107.

Session 12. Reading Presentations & Research Paper Writing 6

MONDAY AUGUST 22

Session 13. The Global Environmental Crisis
Readings:
• Costanza R, Giovannini E, Kubiszewski, Lovin H, Ragnarsdottir V, Mc Glade J, Pickett K, De Vogli R and Wilkinson R. Development: Time to Leave GDP Behind. Nature 2014 Jan 16;505:283-285
• Bendell J. Deep adaptation: A map for navigating climate tragedy. IFLAS Occasional Paper 2, Institute for Leadership and Sustainability, University of Cambria 2018.

Session 14. Reading Presentations & Research Paper Writing 7

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 24

Session 15. Economic Crises, Health and Psychopathologies of Power
Readings:
• De Vogli R. The financial crisis, health and health equity in Europe: the need for regulations, redistribution and social protection. International Journal for Equity in Health 2014;13:58
• Glonti K. et al. A systematic review on health resilience to economic crises. PLoS One 2015 Apr. 23;10(4): e0123117

Session 16. Research Paper Presentations & Peer-Review Sessions