Mario B Mignone's legacy on teaching and learning Italian culture

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present Mario B Mignone the “teacher,” particularly through his course on modern Italy at Stony Brook University, which led to various editions of his landmark volume on the history and culture of post-War Italy: Italy Today. Since its initial release by Peter Lang as Italy Today: A Country in Transition (1995), followed by two revised editions in Italy Today: At the Crossroads of the New Millennium (1998) and Italy Today: Facing the Challenges of the New Millennium (2008), Mignone has received consistent, resounding praise from critics for the unparalleled high standard through which his volume introduces Italian culture and history to new adult learners, applying a scientific lens to its ambitious scope and substantial content.

It is difficult not to speak in superlatives when discussing Mario B Mignone's achievements. Mignone's curriculum vitae speaks for itself: through his unique synthesis of diverse influences, he has put an indelible imprint on the promotion of Italian studies in North America; he has contributed to the field as an exceptional teacher with over 50 years of experience; he has published some of the most important books in the field; his articles and scholarly presentations have found a large and receptive audience. ¹ In terms of service to his profession in the United States and beyond, Mignone is, quite simply, a national treasure. ² Mignone knew everyone in the profession and maintained cordial contact with countless scholars. Mario Mignone is without any doubt one of the great North American Italianists of the 20th and 21st centuries, ranking at the very top among such peers as the late Olga Ragusa, Edoardo A Lebano, and Albert N Mancini. His contributions helped transform the field of Italian studies and served as a model for all those who aspire to be more than a skilled teacher, a solid researcher, a dedicated journal editor, or a sound administrator. Mignone was all of these and more.

The purpose of this article is not, however, to consider the “entire” Mignone. The aim here is to briefly present Mignone the “teacher,” especially through his Stony Brook course on modern Italy, which resulted in the publication of his monumental Italy Today in various editions: Italy Today: A Country in Transition (1995), Italy Today: At the Crossroads of the New Millennium (revised edition, 1998), and Italy Today: Facing the Challenges of the New Millennium (revised edition, 2008). Upon its initial release by Peter Lang in 1995, Italy Today—conceived for the adult learner who has never studied Italian culture and history before—was quickly acclaimed by critics for its unparalleled high standard, with praise given particularly to its scientific merit, breadth, and wealth of content.

Salvatore Bancheri (1996: 143), in his thorough, clear, and insightful review of the first edition of the book, describes its introduction as “quanto mai valida ed essenziale […] vòlta a sfatare alcune concezioni stereotipe che gli Americani hanno dell’Italia e soprattutto a fare un excursus della situazione politico-economico-sociale dell’Italia moderna.” “L’excursus storico,” Bancheri (1996: 143) adds, “presenta a grandi linee, partendo dal Risorgimento, quegli elementi essenziali che caratterizzeranno la storia dell’Italia moderna e che saranno appunto oggetto di analisi dettagliata nei vari capitoli del volume.” Bancheri (1996: 143) refers to Mignone's analysis as being “chiara e puntuale”; he brings to the attention of the reader also the “ottima bibliografia” (Bancheri, 1996: 144) that accompanies the volume, and praises Mignone as an author who, endowed with a superior critical ability, “ci presenta un’immagine positiva e reale dell’Italia” (Bancheri, 1996: 144). Bancheri (1996: 144) concludes: “Il lavoro del Mignone acquista maggiore valore anche in vista del fatto che in tantissime università nordamericane si insegna un corso di cultura italiana e che i libri di testo idonei per simili corsi sono scarsi.” Bancheri's observation (that “i libri di testo idonei per simili corsi sono scarsi”) is, alas, still valid today, 28 years after the publication of his review.

The second edition of Italy Today (1998)—revised, updated, expanded, and featuring a new subtitle—receives similar plaudits from another outstanding North American scholar, Antonio Carlo Vitti (1999: 391): “Mignone's study is well written, informative and provocative. It constitutes a fresh and new approach to the study of modern Italy by addressing the culturally interrelated dynamics of many complex national realities.”

Positive editorial reviews from authoritative critics also greeted the most recent 2008 edition, which is presented in the Preface by the author as the “third edition” of Italy Today, “recast as a textbook to respond to requests and feedback by colleagues and students who have used the book in their course on post-war Italy” (Mignone, 2008: xv). Across all these reviews, Mignone's book is praised for its exceptional quality. Sebastiano Martelli (2008) characterizes it as:

a serious and documented panorama of Italy since World War II that is both informative and challenging. It unravels the most complex historical and social problems by approaching them from more than one direction and by using lucid and balanced judgment. (2008: back cover)

Marcello Saija (2008) notes several signal strengths of Mignone's book—a work widely regarded for its remarkable breadth, engaging style, richness, authoritativeness, and usefulness—in the following description:

Divided into four major sections devoted to an analysis of politics, economics, society, and mass culture, this volume examines a broad range of subjects such as political institutions, parliament, education, trade unions, women, family, the Church, and mass culture, and provides a fascinating account of Italy's overwhelming need for political reform, and the repeated failure to achieve it, and how Italy has coped, or has failed to cope, with the challenges of globalization. Mignone illustrates how the decline of Communism and Catholicism and the surge of immigration are shaping a new national identity for the new millennium. Copiously illustrated and enriched with “profiles” of various Italian institutions and “snapshots” of aspects of Italian life, this fascinating and authoritative work is essential for anyone interested in modern and contemporary Italian society and culture. (2008: back cover)

Additionally, Giuliano Manacorda (2008: back cover) notes that “[r]eaders will find [Mignone's book] admirable for its mastery of the material and the sobriety of its judgments.” ³

Equally notable are two other, more recent reviews that also single out the usefulness and importance of the volume as a teaching and learning resource.

In reviewing Italy Today for Annali d’Italianistica, Amy Chambless (2008: 559) commends Mignone's writing style (which she describes as “lucid and familiar”), his attempt to sensitize “the reader to the question of Italian national identity and the causes for an often negative national self-image,” and several enhancements seen in the 2008 revised edition, some relating to graphic design and editorial presentation. ⁴

Finally, James Magee (2008: 225) writes that, in its ability to speak to some of the most common myths and stereotypes associated with the varied and complicated phenomena of Italian life and culture, there is no “better single book in print” than Mario B Mignone's third edition of Italy Today. According to Magee (2008: 225), this edition of the book succeeds in helping the reader recognize and evaluate all kinds of generalizations and stereotypes: it examines, discusses, and explains accurately and in detail:

nearly every square inch of the flesh, bones, and vital internal organs of contemporary Italy – from the arts, education, religion and the Church […], the resilient but ever-challenged economy, society […], urbanization, regional diversity […], terrorism […], organized crime […], trade […], and immigration […], to the seemingly incomprehensible political system […].

Mignone's accomplishment in the latest edition of the book, Magee (2008: 226) adds, is to “craft into a single, highly readable, immensely informative, and entertaining volume the best overall portrayal available of the intriguing and interlaced fabrics that comprise contemporary Italy.” In sum, in the words of James Magee (2008: 226), Italy Today “is an invaluable resource to anyone searching for a penetrating and balanced account of one of the world's most durable and […] diverse […] civilizations.”

Upon reading just these few evaluative accounts, it becomes clear that, if we were discussing biographies instead of national histories, the Mignone volume would be the “authorized” version. It is a weighty volume, by turns inspiring, erudite, comprehensive, even exciting, often rising to a level of elegance rarely found in any other book of its type.

Mario Mignone's heartfelt and lasting commitment to his students is palpable in Italy Today. All three editions of the book characterize a scholar and teacher who is not only concerned with imparting content knowledge but also eager to provide the support required to sustain and nurture critical thinking. In his treatment of the various cultural topics, he takes into consideration a wide range of important contextual factors. The material presented in both his published books and his coursework is meaningful and effective, and reflects both the process and product of extensive research and analysis. His teaching philosophy is conveyed in the broad array of activities undertaken within the courses he designed to expand and improve the ways in which culture and civilization are taught and learned. ⁵

The most recent edition of Italy Today (Mignone, 2008) is divided into 10 coherent sections. The narrative unfolds logically. Both the overall design of the project and the execution of individual parts and chapters show deep knowledge and respect for a variety of meaningful topics. The underlying principles of the process of teaching about culture are perfectly summarized in the Preface (Mignone, 2008: xv–xvii), a purposeful and well-defined philosophical statement, saturated with key pedagogical practices that make for an effective learning experience. The section titled “Profile of the Nation” (Mignone, 2008: 1–11) offers a schematic and illuminating portrait of Italy's people, government, economy, and history. The Introduction (“Italians – Who Are They?”; Mignone, 2008: 13–28) gets quickly down to business, addressing many of the misconceptions people have about Italy, while adding immeasurable richness to our understanding of “who Italians are.” Following the Introduction are four parts, which in turn are divided into 16 chapters: Part 1 (Chapters 1–4, pp. 31–122) discusses politics and government; Part 2 (Chapters 5–8, pp. 123–230) focuses on economic and social transformation; Part 3 (Chapters 9–12, pp. 231–341) is dedicated to Italian society; Part 4 (Chapters 13–15, pp. 343–426) is concerned with communications and cultural changes. The book closes with a brief Conclusion (Part 4, Chapter 16, pp. 427–434), followed by a rich Bibliography (pp. 435–440), and an excellent Index (pp. 441–461) that helps readers find their way easily to specific subjects and references.

In Mignone's (2008: xv) latest edition of Italy Today, the traditional and ordinary way of perceiving:

Italian politics, economics, and society in a linear way, as if history went forward in a consistent manner under the exclusive influence of palpable dynamics, has been broadened to make the fullness of the Italian experience more accessible to the general reader. ⁶

In so doing, Mignone (2008: xv) has expanded the cultural context: “The understanding of a country as reflected through its politics, economics, and society,” he writes, “will certainly be richer if the assessment is conducted in the wider context of its culture; after all, culture is dynamic; it is both shaped by and shapes society.”

Mignone's Preface effectively introduces his concept of teaching and learning the culture of Italy. “The word culture,” he points out:

here is meant to imply the complex whole that includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society (“fine arts”, “serious” music, philosophy as well as popular music, social rituals, popular traditions, folklore, eating habits, celebrations, and dress codes). (Mignone, 2008: xv)

These undertakings need to be decoded not just in terms of their intrinsic value and meaning but “also sociologically and anthropologically in terms of such things as norms of social behaviour, the allocation of status and power in society, and the reproduction of values and beliefs” (Mignone, 2008: xv). Mignone specifies that the appreciation of a country is greater when we build into our classroom lessons:

the study of culture, which stresses heterogeneity, change, intercultural borrowing, and the way people manipulate cultural forms in pursuing diverse and often conflicting interests. Our picture of Italy should include the way Italians use cultural forms as they make daily sense of diverse, often contradictory experiences in social, political, and economic contexts that are in confusing motion. (Mignone, 2008: xv–xvi).

With this in mind, in his teaching of Italian culture, Mignone (2008: xvi–xvii) takes into account a variety of other important factors:

[N]ot only must we rely on the contribution and practice of recent cultural studies, but we must both broaden the focus of our attention and deflate old clichés and perspectives. […] We must also avoid making the mistake of many Anglo-American anthropologists who focused on small communities and tended to treat local cultural forms as homogeneous and fixed. […] While questioning assessments based on the polarized oppositions of traditional and modern, it is important to see how past and present interpenetrate, how the traditional may be formulated as people pursue their own interests in very modern circumstances. […] In trying to define the Italian national identity, it is very important to identify those social problems that tend to be particularly sensitized and important to Italy's national identity.

Mignone brings to the complex responsibility of his teaching modus operandi a wealth of experience as a teacher, scholar, and administrator. He integrates his teaching and research by enhancing practice through theory, and by grounding theory in practice. As his Italy Today and his entire curriculum vitae clearly substantiate, Mignone truly practices what he preaches and preaches what he practices.

Mario Mignone's Italy Today represents an enormous investment of thought and care about, and passion and love for, the teaching and learning of Italian culture. It is a remarkable achievement of long-term scholarship, and a huge advance in the field. In sum, the book and, by extension, his Stony Brook course on modern Italy are a deeply serious, beautifully organized inquiry into the way we must narrate and teach Italy's “stunning transformation from the ashes of World War II to the leading and cultural power it is today” (Mignone, 2008: back cover).

Mignone, one of the most significant Italianists of his or any other generation, has been a pillar of our academic community for more than 50 years. Many in Italian studies and beyond have been and will continue to be deeply influenced by his ideas and extensive body of work. During what can only be described as a stellar career, reflected in the numerous awards, honors, and accolades he has received, his contribution in teaching, scholarship, and service was truly extraordinary. His legacy will live on.