Learning objectives
a) Knowledge and comprehension skills
The student will learn and understand the economic, social, cultural, institutional and political-juridical processes of European integration, with particular reference to food and nutrition issues.
b) Ability to use knowledge and understanding
The student will use knowledge acquired to better understand the complexity of community dynamics, including in relation to other courses followed.
c) Independence of Judgment
The student will be able to evaluate community dynamics and make critical analysis of the influential factors in European integration.
d) Communication skills
The student will learn terminology and concepts for appropriate for communication at post-graduate level.
e) Learning skills
The student will learn teamwork skills.
Course unit content
In the 20th century, Italy underwent a profound social and economic transformation. On the one hand, there is the robust industrial development of a still rural and backward country, which began at the end of the 19th century and was completed after the Second World War. On the other hand, there were the major social changes brought about by the modernisation process, which culminated in the economic boom years.
This is a series of 'revolutionary' changes that have transformed the consumption system, as a result of: (i) an increase in spending capacity; (ii) an increase in the availability of new consumer goods and services; (iii) the spread of a 'consumer culture' that changes the thrift and sobriety of Italians.
How are these changes linked to social (and political) changes in Italy? To what extent has advertising contributed to the progressive construction of a culture oriented towards the consumption of goods not directly necessary for daily life (food, nutrition, housing), changing the balances of previous decades? And to what extent has American culture, in the field of marketing and advertising, influenced these changes? When did the working classes and the small white-collar middle class, i.e. the majority of Italians, finally become active participants in the market as consumers of mass goods?
The course will analyse the factors that led to such profound and lasting changes, focusing in particular on the period after the Second World War - before, during and after the economic boom - when the speed and radicality of the processes intensified. The course will also develop some reflections on 'politically incorrect', sexist and racist advertising to show how all these factors played no small part in corporate communications.
Bibliography
All texts are in English unless otherwise stated
Compulsory texts
1) A. Arvidsson, Marketing Modernity. Italian advertising from Fascism to postmodernity, Routledge 2003
2) S. Magagnoli, Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese. The Industrialization of Typicality, in C. Besana, R. d’Errico & R. Ghezzi (eds.), Cheese Manufacturing in the Twentieth Century. The Italian Experience in an International Context, Peter Lang 2017
3) S. Magagnoli, The Revenge of the Avatar. Industrial Vinegars versus Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, in C. Marache, P. Meyzie & M. Villeret (eds.), Des produits, entre déclin et renaissance (XVIe-XXIe siècle), Peter Lang 2018
Non-attending students should study 2 titles from the following in addition to the 3 compulsory texts:
Books
1) G.L. Falabrino, Storia della pubblicità in Italia dal 1945 a oggi, Carocci 2007 IT
2) S. Magagnoli, Vinaigre balsamique de Modène. Un gout italien à la conquête du monde, Presses Universitaires François-Rabelais de Tours 2023 FR
3) D. Barjot (ed.), Catching Up with America: Productivity Missions and the Diffusion of American Economic and Technological Influence after the Second World War, Presses de l’Université de Paris-Sorbonne, 2002, Part II: The National Experiences, 149-250
4) N. Tiratsoo, M. Kipping (eds.), Americanisation in 20th Century Europe: business, culture, politics, Université Charles de Gaulle Lille 3 2002
Articles
5) “Marketing of Medical and Health-Related Products”, Special Issue of Journal of Historical Research in Marketing (JHRM), 15,3, 2023
6) “Italian marketing history”, Special Issue of JHRM, 7,1, 2015
7) “The cold war and marketing”, Special Issue of JHRM, 8,1, 2016
8) Collection 1
- S. de Iulio, C. Vinti, ‘The Americanization of Italian advertising during the 1950s and the 1960s: Mediations, conflicts, and appropriations’, JHRM, 1,2, 2009, 270-294
- D. Hesse and K. Lurie, ‘The German advertising industry – from 1950 to 2018’, JHRM, 12,1, 2020, 101-125
- I.L. Stole, ‘Persuasion, patriotism and PR: US advertising in the Second World War’, JHRM, 5,1, 2013, pp. 27-46
- J. Mundel, Y. Nieves-Pizarro, D. Wickham, M. Aiello, ‘Malvinas/Falkland Islands War: a look into ads’, JHRM, 11,2, 2019, 227-248
9) Collection 2
- Y. Köse, “The fact is, that Turks can’t live without coffee.” the introduction
of Nescafé into Turkey (1952-1987)”, JHRM, 11,3, 2019, 295-316
- A. Arvidsson, ‘From Counterculture to Consumer Culture. Vespa and the Italian youth market, 1958–78’, Journal of Consumer Culture, 1,1, 2001, 47-71
- D. Twede, ‘The birth of modern packaging. Cartons, cans and bottles’, JHRM, 4,2, 2012, 245-272
10) Collection 3
- B.J. Branchik, J. Foster Davis, ‘From servants to spokesmen. Black male advertising models and changing US culture post World War II’, JHRM, 10,4, 2018, 451-477
- P. Maclaran, ‘Marketing and feminism in historic perspective’, JHRM, 4,3, 2012, 462-469
- B. Whelan, ‘American influences on Irish advertising and consumerism
1900-1960: fashioning Irishwomen’, JHRM, 6,1, 2014, 159-182
11) Collection 4
- E.J.H. Contois, ‘“He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich”. Advertising Australia’s national food in the United States, 1968-1988’, JHRM, 8,3, 2016, 343-357
- J. Logemann, ‘Remembering “Aunt Emma”: small retailing between nostalgia and a conflicted past’, JHRM, 5,2, 2013, 151-171
- W. Bastos, Sidney J. Levy, ‘A history of the concept of branding: practice and theory’, JHRM, 4,3, 2012, 347-368
The following text can be used as a dictionary if required:
- R. Bernocchi, Storia della pubblicità, Torino, Utet 2022. This is an anthology of the history of advertising agencies. It is not for study. IT
Teaching methods
Classes are taught entirely in English; this distinctive feature requires targeted and varied teaching formats.A first cycle of face-to-face lectures (about 50% of the hours) will provide students with the basic details of the history of advertising. These lectures may be integrated by some thematic focal points delivered in asynchronous mode. Extensive use will be made of visual media such as images and advertising films. A mid-term written assignment is planned at the end of this cycle.
The second part of the course is compulsory and adopts the teamwork teaching format, i.e. group activities to deepen, using cooperative methods, a specific topic chosen in agreement with the teacher. Students will form small teams, which, based on the bibliography provided by the teacher, will prepare an academically structured paper. The main contents of the paper will be discussed in the classroom with a Power Point presentation. Each group will have to present their own work and discuss the work of another group. During the first weeks of the course, a schedule of activities will be drawn up. In addition to teamwork, there will also be some compulsory seminars/workshops during the second part.
At the end of the second part, there will be a final “open book” exam on the themes and topics discussed (see below).
The final grade will be composed as follows: 20% midterm exercise, 40% paper and Power Point presentation, 40% final “open book” exam.
Assessment methods and criteria
Attending students
- Intermediate exam at the end of the first part.
It consists of a multiple-choice test on the topics covered in the first part of the course. This test is worth 20% of the final grade and must be passed in order to proceed to the second part of the course.
- Teamwork paper and presentation.
Students will be required to write an academically structured paper (research hypothesis, development, conclusions) developing topics suggested by the teacher in a bibliography. The work will be done in small groups where individual contributions can be recognised. Each team has to present the contents of the report in the classroom with a Power Point presentation, again ensuring recognition of individual contribution. The mark for the paper and presentation will be 40% of the overall mark.
- Open book exam
The remaining 40% of the overall mark will depend on a written exam at the end of the course. This will be a 2-hour open book exam: students will be able to use their lecture materials and notes to answer an open ended question on the content explained during the course.
Knowledge and ability to understand will be assessed by analysing the content of the mid-term exam, the teamwork paper and the open book exam. The ability to apply knowledge will be assessed by analysing the teamwork paper and the presentation. Autonomy of judgement and ability to learn will be assessed by analysis of answers to the open book exam. The ability to communicate in an appropriate technical language will be assessed by analysing the presentation of research results in the classroom.
Non-attending students
Written exam (2 hours) with open-ended questions divided into two parts: (i) general concepts (20 marks total); (ii) specific cases (10 marks total).
Knowledge and ability to understand will be assessed by content analysis of both answers. The ability to apply knowledge will be assessed by analysing the answers to the specific case section of the open-ended questions. Autonomy of judgement and ability to learn will be assessed by analysing the answers to the general section of the open questions. The ability to communicate in an appropriate technical language is assessed by checking the vocabulary used and the tendency to clarify the meaning of the technical terms used.
Non-attending students must inform the teacher by e-mail of the books and articles they have chosen before taking the exam.
