The course provides a critical introduction to the study of contemporary history, understood as general history from the 18th-century revolutions to today.
Individual study and (for attending students) active participation in classroom will enable students to:
- understand the contents and boundaries of contemporary history;
- understand issues such as the nature of contemporary history, the public use of contemporary history, the relationship between history and memory;
- be able to critically read a piece of research in contemporary history.
None.
Lectures (36 hours in total) and seminars (18 hours in total).
In the first part of the course, students will be introduced to some of the main debates surrounding the practice of contemporary history, such as the nature of contemporary history, the public use of contemporary history, and the relationship between history and memory.
In the second part, students will be given a historical introduction to the relationship between media, culture and society in the 20th and early 21st centuries. Special attention will be paid to the Italian case in transnational perspective.
1) An introduction to contemporary history:
a) Vittorio Vidotto, Guida allo studio della storia contemporanea, Laterza, or
b) Claudio Pavone, Prima lezione di storia contemporanea, Laterza;
2) Lyn Gorman e David McLean, Media e società nel mondo contemporaneo, il Mulino;
3) David Forgacs e Stephen Gundle, Cultura di massa e società italiana. 1936-1954, il Mulino.
Attending students may replace 1) with their lecture notes.
SANTE LESTI (President)
FRANCESCO CASSATA
GURI SCHWARZ
17 September 2019.
Oral exam.
In the first part of the oral exam, students will be asked to show their knowledge of the issues treated in the first part of the course. Students will then be asked to show their skills in critical reading, when confronted to a piece of research in contemporary history.
