OVERVIEW

The course aims to provide students with a basic framework for the understanding of the contemporary history of European and non-European countries, through a perspective that highlights the plurality of methodological approaches in historical analysis.The chronological scope of the course ranges from the French Revolution (1789) to the end of the Cold War (1989-91) and includes an analysis of the main historical events and the treatment of the most relevant historiographical issues for the contemporary age
 

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of this course is to provide a basic framework for the understanding of the main political, social, economic and cultural phenomena of the contemporary age (from the French Revolution to the end of the Cold War), setting them into a national as well as into a global perspective.

This course (Storia contemporanea frazione B) is destined to those students whose last names have initials ranging from the letters K to the letter Z.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Aims
The aim of this course is to provide a basic framework for the understanding of the main political, social, economic and cultural phenomena of the contemporary age (from the French Revolution to the end of the Cold War), in a national as well as global perspective.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will be able to:

- demonstrate a solid understanding of the main turning points of contemporary history (knowledge and understanding)
- develop the ability to build links between phenomena and propose analysis that takes into account historical development also in in comparative terms (knowledge and ability of applied comprehension)
- recognize the nature of the sources for contemporary history and be able to assess the importance of the specific problems faced (knowledge and skills of applied comprehension)
- develop a critical approach to historiographic interpretations (autonomy of judgment).
- use an appropriate disciplinary language articulating the problems analyzed according to their different aspects (institutional, economic, cultural ...) and highlighting their connections (written and oral communication skills)

PREREQUISITES

This course (Storia contemporanea frazione B) is destined to those students whose last names have initials ranging from the letters K to the letter Z.

TEACHING METHODS

The course consists of lectures for a total of 72 hours.The use of primary sources, web resources and of audiovisual material is envisaged; powerpoint presentations will be used.Seminars and lectures by scholars and external experts will be possible for the exemplification of interpretative paths and research experiences on specific problems.Continuity of attendance is recommended.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

THE PROGRAM IS THE SAME FOR THOSE ATTENDING THE LECTURES AND THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT ATTENDING. This course (Storia contemporanea frazione B) is destined to those students whose last names have initials ranging from the letters K to the letter Z.

For all modules (6, 9, 12 cfu) the program is organized following the topics considered in the textbook. The different modules are differentiated by the diverse level of historiographical understanding.


For the 6 cfu module students are required to prepare only the textbook (2 volumes).
For the 9 cfu module students are required to prepare the two volumes of the textbook plus 1 monograph of their choice.
For the 12 cfu module students are required to prepare the two volumes of the textbook plus 2 monographs of their choice.

For the 6 cfu module the student is required to be able to orientate himself/herself with respect to the main temporal articulations of the modern/contemporary age.

For the 9 cfu module, the student is required to orientate himself/herself with respect to the main temporal articulations of the modern/contemporary age; the has to prove an adequate understanding of causal links that determine the development of historical processes.

For the 12 cfu module the student is required to be able to orientate himself/herself with respect to the main temporal articulations of the modern/contemporary age; to prove an adequate understanding of causal links that determine the development of historical processes; to have learned the rudiments of the historical method and to be able to orientate with respect to the main historiographical debates.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

THE PROGRAM IS THE SAME FOR THOSE ATTENDING THE LECTURES AND FOR THOSE NOT ATTENDING.

Reference Manual:  A. M. Banti, L’età contemporanea, vol I (Dalle rivoluzioni settecentesche all’imperialismo) e vol. II (Dalla Grande Guerra a oggi), Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2012.
 

List of monographs to choose from:

For the 6 cfu program the student must prepare only Banti's textbook.

For the 9 cfu program, the student must prepare, in addition to Banti's textbook on which he/she will be examined in the written test, 1 monographs chosen from the list below.

For the 12 cfu program, the student must prepare, in addition to Banti's textbook on which he/she will be examined in the written test, 2 monographs chosen from the list below.

Students may choose to read the monographs in the original language in which they were published.

C. Aydin, Il lungo Ottocento. Una storia politica internazionale, Einaudi, Torino, 2019.

Christophe Charle, Gli intellettuali nell’Ottocento: saggio di storia comparata europea, Il Mulino, Bologna 2002 [1998].

Wolfgang Reinhard, Storia del colonialismo, Torino, Einaudi, 2002 [1996].

Alberto Mario Banti, La nazione del Risorgimento. Parentela, santità e onore alle origini dell’Italia unita, Einaudi, Torino 2011 [2000].

Eugen Weber, Da contadini a francesi. La modernizzazione della Francia rurale, 1870-1914, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1989 [1976].

Arno J. Mayer, Il potere dell’Ancien Régime fino alla prima guerra mondiale, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 1999 [1981].

George D. H. Cole, Storia del pensiero socialista, Laterza, Bari, 1973 (vol. 1 e vol. 2) [1953-1959].

Sven Beckert, L’impero del cotone. Una storia globale, Einaudi, Torino, 2016 [2014].

Benny Morris, Vittime. Storia del conflitto arabo-sionista.1881-2001, Rizzoli, Milano 2003 [2001].

Jay Winter, Il lutto e la memoria. La Grande guerra nella storia culturale europea, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2014 [1995]

Robert Paxton, Il fascismo in azione. Che cosa hanno veramente fatto i movimenti fascisti per affermarsi in Europa, Mondadori, Milano, 2005.

Eric D. Weitz, La Germania di Weimar. Utopia e tragedia,Torino, Einaudi, 2008 [2007].

Karl Polanyi, La grande trasformazione. Le origini economiche e politiche della nostra epoca, Einaudi, Torino, 2010 [1944].

Ian Kershaw, Che cos'è il nazismo ? Problemi interpretativi e prospettive di ricerca, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2003 [1985].

Cristopher R. Browning, Le origini della Soluzione finale. L’evoluzione della politica antiebraica del nazismo. Settembre 1939 – Marzo 1942, il Saggiatore, Milano, 2012 [2004].

Eric J. Hobsbawn, Il trionfo della borghesia (1848-1875), Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2003 [1975].

Hannah Arendt, Le origini del totalitarismo, Torino, Einaudi, 2017 [1951].

Claudio Pavone, Una guerra civile. Saggio storico sulla moralità nella Resistenza, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino, 2013 [1991].

Federico Romero, Storia della guerra fredda. L’ultimo conflitto per l’Europa, Torino, Einaudi, 2009.

Victoria de Grazia, L'impero irresistibile: la società dei consumi americana alla conquista del mondo, Torino, Einaudi, 2006 [2005].

Tony Judt, Postwar. La nostra storia 1945-2005,Roma-Bari, Laterza 2017, [2005].

David S. Landes, Prometeo liberato. Trasformazioni tecnologiche e sviluppo industriale nell’Europa occidentale dal 1750 ai giorni nostri, Einaudi, Torino, 2016 [1969].

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

GURI SCHWARZ (President)

NICOLA BASSONI

FRANCESCO CASSATA

LESSONS

LESSONS START

March 11, 2019

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

For students who do not attend classes the exam is exclusively oral. It will be dedicated to verifying the student's knowledge and critical processing ability.

Students who attend classes have the option to sustain a portion of the exam as a written test. 

The written test is aimed at verifying the acquisition of the essential notions for the understanding of the main articulations of
modern/contemporary history, studied through the textbook, and is structured with short answer questions.

The written test will be divided in two parts: the first one on the first volume of the textbook will take place at mid course; the second one, on the second volume of the textook, will take place at the end of the course.

Each test consists of three short-answer questions, each question is worth a maximum of 5 points. Each test is considered passed if the students obtains at least 9 points.
 

For students of the 6 cfu module: passing the two written test implies that the exam has been passed, they will not be required to take the oral exam; their grade will be determined on the basis of the points obtained in the two tests summed together.
Therefore, if they pass both written tests, the students of the 6 cfu module will not have to sustain the oral exam. If they have passed only one of the two written tests, they must sustain an oral exam on the volume of the textbook relating to the failed test. Finally, if they have not passed either of the two tests, they will go have to sustain an oral exam on both volumes of the manual.

For students of modules of 9 cfu and 12 cfu: the written tests will count toward their final grade (but only if passed) together with with the oral exam. Each test will count for 25% of the vote, therefore both tests will be worth 50% together.

If both students of the 9 cfu and 12 cfu modules pass both written tests, they will have to take an oral exam on the selected monographs (one for the 9 cfu module and two for the 12 cfu module). Who among the students of the 9 cfu and 12 cfu modules passes both written tests will have to prepare only the monographic texts of their choice to the oral exam. Those who pass only one of the written tests must prepare the monographic texts of their choice to the oral exam, plus the volume of the textbook relating to the test that was not passed . Obviously, those who do not pass any of the two tests will have to prepare both volumes of the textbook for the oral exam, plus the monographs of their choice.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The examination committee verifies the achievement of the course’s objectives, taking into account the following factors: a) level of mastery of the fundamental notions;b) ability to apply knowledge (source analysis);c) ability of critical reasoning on the topics studies;d) ability to organize knowledge discursively, using a specific language appropriate for the discipline.

Exam schedule