This course examines motherhood and the special role of the Italian mother - la mamma italiana - in past and present italian society. Through readings from a wide variety of disciplines - theology, history, medicine, and literature - as well as an examination of art and film, we will analyze the origins and conflicted nature of Italian attitudes toward motherhood. Topics include: maternal love and self-sacrifice, beliefs about generation and their influence on maternal and paternal roles, Italian family structure. Mussolini's promotion of motherhood, the phenomenon of mammismo or "Mama's boys", and Italian-American mothers, including Carmela Soprano. Writing intensive.