University Curriculum Committee
Proposal for New Course
1. Is this course being proposed for Liberal Studies designation?
If yes, route completed form to Liberal Studies.
Yes
No
2. New course effective beginning what term and year? (ex. Spring 2009,
Summer 2009)
3. College
Spring 2010
See effective dates schedule.
Undergraduate
Studies
5. Course subject/catalog number
7. Long course title
4. Academic Unit /Department
SITA 111
Undergraduate Studies
6. Units/Credit Hours
3
Italian Deaf Culture
(max 100 characters including spaces)
8. Short course title (max. 30 characters including
Italian Deaf Culture
spaces)
9. Catalog course description (max. 30 words, excluding requisites).
Examination of the history, culture and education of the Italian Deaf Community from a
multidisciplinary perspective.
10. Grading option:
Letter grade
Pass/Fail
or Both
(If both, the course may only be offered one way for each respective section.)
11. Co-convened with
11a. Date approved by UGC
(Must be approved by UGC prior to bringing to UCC. Both course syllabi must be presented)
12. Cross-listed with
(Please submit a single cross-listed syllabus that will be used for all cross-listed courses.)
13. May course be repeated for additional units? yes
no
a. If yes, maximum units allowed?
b. If yes, may course be repeated for additional units in the same term?
yes
no
(ex. PES 100)
14. Prerequisites (must be completed before
proposed course)
Member of Siena Study Abroad Student Group
15. Corequisites (must be completed with
proposed course)
16. Is the course needed for a new or existing plan of study
(major, minor, certificate)?
yes
no
Name of plan?
Note: If required, a new plan or plan change form must be submitted with this request.
17. Is a potential equivalent course offered at a community college (lower division only)
If yes, does it require listing in the Course Equivalency Guide?
Please list, if known, the institution and subject/catalog number of the course
18. Names of current faculty qualified to teach this course:
yes
yes
no
no
Rita Sala
19. Justification for new course, including unique features if applicable. (Attach proposed
syllabus in the approved university format).
Course is part of curriculum at Siena School of Liberal Arts. NAU will become
School of record of these courses.
For Official AIO Use Only:
Component Type
Consent
Topics Course
35. Approvals
Department Chair (if appropriate)
Date
Chair of college curriculum committee
Date
Dean of college
Date
For Committees use only
For University Curriculum Committee
Date
Action taken:
Approved as submitted
Approved as
modified
Siena School for Liberal Arts, Department of Deaf Studies
SIGN102 Deaf Studies: Italian Deaf Culture
Instructor, Rita Sala
Course description:
This course examines the History, Culture and Education of the Italian Deaf Community from a
multidisciplinary perspective.
The course will explore the sociological meanings of culture and community and their
application to the Deaf community in general.
We will focus on the history and the educational experience of deaf people in Italy and in Siena
where there is one of the oldest Residential School for the Deaf, founded in 1828 by priest
Tommaso Pendola. It is a school recognized by all the Italian Deaf Community. Now it is no
more a school but it is used as place where deaf students could go to get tutored in school
subjects during the afternoon.
The Education of the Deaf in Italy is strongly related to the development of the Italian Sign
Language (LIS), students will receive the sociological and cultural tolls that allow them to
understand and reflect on the Deaf way of life and the historical evolution of the Italian Deaf
Community and Culture.
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course hours: The course meets once a week for 1 ½ hours.
Student expectations: Attendance and active participation in class exercises and critiques are of
utmost importance. If extenuating circumstances will require a student to miss a class, they must-if at all possible--notify the instructor ahead of time.
Course outline:
Week 1 Introduction - How do we communicate?
- Gary Althen, American Ways. A Guide for Foreigners in the United States, Yarmouth, Maine,
Intercultural Press, 2003, Ch 2 "The Communicative Style of Americans"
- Carol Padden, Tom Humphries, Deaf in America. Voices from a Culture, Cambridge, Ma,
Harvard University Press, 1988, Ch. 6 "The meaning of sound"
- Erving Goffman, Stigma, New York, Touchstone, 1963, pp.1-19, 41-51.
Week 2 History of the Deaf and of the Educational System for the Deaf in Italy
Milan's Congress 1880
- Robert J. Ruben "Sign language: Its history and contribution to the understanding of the
biological nature of language", Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 2005; 125: 464-467.
- Lane H., When the Minds Hears. A History of the Deaf, pp. 386-402
Week 3 Italian Sign Language - before and after Milan
-Gary Althen, American Ways. A Guide for Fireigners in the United States, Yarmouth, Maine,
Intercultural Press, 2003, Ch 8 "Religion"
- H-Dirksen L. Bauman, "Audism: Exploring the Metaphysics of Oppression"
- Harlane Lane, "Do Deaf People have Disability?", Sign Language Studies Vol. 2 No. 4,
Summer 2002, pp. 356-379.
Week 4 Italian Deaf Community and Culture - Linguistic Impact
- Paddy Ladd, Understanding Deaf Culture. In Search of Deafhood, Multilingual matters, Ltd,
2003, pp.196-231.
- Carol Padden "The Deaf Community and the Culture of Deaf People", pp. 1-16.
- Barbara Kannapell "Inside the Deaf Community" , pp. 21-28, in Wilcox S. (Ed.) American
Deaf Culture, Burtonsville, Maryland, Linstok Press, 1989.
- Barbara Kannapell "Deaf Identity: an American Perspective"
- Breda Carty "The Development of Deaf Identity"
Week 5 Linguistics of the Italian Sign Language (LIS)
Sociolinguistic aspects
- Nora Ellen Groce, Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language. Hereditary Deafness on Martha's
Vineyard, Cambridge, Ma, Harvard University Press, 1985.
Week 6 Sign Language Status in Italy and Europe
"The status of sign languages in Europe, Council of Europe Publishing, 2005.
Week 7 Actual Educational Sytem in Italy and for the Deaf - Support teacher - Communication
Assistant - School Interpreter
- Lane, A., Hoffmeister, R., Bahan, B., A Journey into the Deaf-World, Ch. 10 "Bilingual and
Bicultural Education for Deaf Children"
Week 8 Visit to the "Pendola" Institute
Knowing the Sienese Deaf Community
Week 9 Traditions in the Italian Deaf Community
Arts and Social Life
Week 10 Deaf - hearing relations
Oppression and Empowerment Issues
- Beth Benedict, Marilyn Sass-Lehrer "Deaf and Hearing Partnership: Ethical and
Communication Considerations", American Annals of the Deaf, Vol. 152, No. 3. 2007, pp. 275282.
Week 11 Deaf Communities or Signing Communities.
Thoughts and observations.
Week 12 Exam Week
Assignments:
An individual presentation will be scheduled during the semester; the topic will be discussed in
class and with the teacher. More information about the presentation will be given at the
beginnning of the course.
The final paper should be 5 double-spaced pages and should both demonstrate the knowledge
you acquired throughout the course and contain your personal thoughts related to the topic.
Required materials:
Sacks, O, Seeing Voice, Picador, London, 1989 (or other edition)
References:
Ladd, P. Understanding Deaf Culture. Multilingual Matters LTD. Cleveland, 2003.
Lane, A., Hoffmeister, R., Bahan, B. A Journey into the Deaf-World. DawnSignPress. San
Diego, CA. 1996.
Lane, H. When the Mind Hears. Vintage Books. New York, 1989.
Grading system:
Participation 30%
Individual presentation 30%
Final essay 40%