STORYTELLING THEORY
TEORIA E PRATICHE DELLA NARRAZIONE
Archetypes, metaphors and narrative structures in contemporary media landscape
Archetipi, metafore e strutture narrative nella comunicazione
| A.Y. | Credits |
|---|---|
| 2015/2016 | 6 |
| Lecturer | Office hours for students | |
|---|---|---|
| Giovanni Cattabriga | Tuesday, at the end of the class |
Assigned to the Degree Course
| Date | Time | Classroom / Location |
|---|
Learning Objectives
The course is aimed at the acquisition of basic terms and concepts of narratology, in order to recognize, analyze and master the main narrative structures and techniques used in western culture, with particular reference to literature, film, journalism, politics and marketing.
Program
- Narrative thinking and its 10 traits
- Genesis of narratology and fairy tale's analysis
- The "monomyth" by J.Campbell in Ch.Vogel's version
- Basic elements of narratology: time, space, perspective, focalization, archetypes, characters.
- The semiotic square in the narrative invention (A. Greimas and F. Jameson).
- Narrative frames, rhetoric and science of mind. G.Lakoff's "New Enlightenment".
- Workshop: narrative analysis and production (Greek myths, movies, commercials, subvertising, political speeches
Bridging Courses
Not required
Learning Achievements (Dublin Descriptors)
Students should know and understand the basic terms and concepts of narratology. with particular reference to political communication and marketing.
1.1. Students get this basic knowledge by attending the lessons and seminars, studying texts discussed in class and doing exercises.
2. Students will be able to analyze different types of communication in terms of narrative, recognizing archetypes, structures, metaphors and frames. Also, they will be able to produce a "transformative narrative",i.e. a narrative that integrates, modifies, or criticize another "starting text".
2.1. Skills are acquired through class exercises and workshop.
3. Students will learn to judge how narrative techniques are part of any rhetoric and to what extent they can be used to guide or manipulate the public.
3.1. This skill is acquired through discussions in the classroom, with exercises and in the preparation of the final exam.
4. Students are required to interact in the classroom with questions, exercises and analysis of media products.
4.1. Students will practice those skills through the organization of moments of discussion and workshop.
5. Students are required to adopt a learning method that can connect theoretical and empirical analysis, oriented to the development of independent and critical thinking.
5.1. Students acquire this skill thanks to the classroom interaction
Teaching Material
The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it
Teaching, Attendance, Course Books and Assessment
- Teaching
Teacher up front, classroom interaction, media & image learning, home assignments, workshop
- Attendance
min. 24 hours
- Course books
- Bruner J., La costruzione narrativa della realtà, in Ammaniti M., Stern D.N., Rappresentazioni e narrazioni, Laterza, Bari, 1991, pp. 17 - 38
en. vers.: "The narrative construction of reality", in Critical Inquiry, Vol. 18, No 1 (Autumn, 1991), pp. 1-21
- Vogler Ch., Il viaggio dell'eroe, Audino, Roma, 1999, 5^ ed., capp. 2 - 21, pp. 11 - 159
en.vers: "The writer's journey. Mythic structure for Writers, 3rd Edition, Michael Wise Books, 2007
- S. Chatman, Story and Discourse. Narrative structure in Fiction and Film, Cornell Univ. Press, 1980
On Greimas' square and theory:
http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/narratology/modules/greimasplot.html
http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/narratology/modules/greimassquare.html)
- Lakoff G., The political mind, Viking Penguin, 2008. Intro + chapp. 1, 4, 15, 16, 17, 18
- Assessment
Oral exam + paper (homework assignment).
- Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)
Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.
To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.
Additional Information for Non-Attending Students
- Assessment
Write an email to professor Cattabriga to arrange an assignment
- Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)
Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.
To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.
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