OVERVIEW

The course addresses from an historical perspective the main stages of globalization and analyzes the important phenomenon of regional integration, wondering about the increasing role played by regional organizations in the international system.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at increasing students' knowledge about the development of global interdependence, starting from the industrial revolution and focussing on the setting up of international organizations, regional integration and globalization in the Twentieth century, paying particular attention to the evolution of the international system's constituent unit: the sovereign State. Students will increase their critical knowledge of some of the main world's policy issues related to international governance, as regionalism, the role played by regional integration and the relationship between regional and international organizations.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Provide the students an adequate knowledge and develop the skills that will help them to:

• Understand the historical origins, through an adequate knowledge of the past, of the problems facing contemporary international society;
• To move in the complex contemporary international system and to evaluate the connections between past and present historical facts;
• Be aware of the challenges posed by globalization and regionalism and thus be able to evaluate critically the responses provided by the international community to these challenges;
• Be able to use various historical sources, bibliographic and documentary, in particular digital, knowing how to interpret and to use them for writing a paper to be presented to the class.

TEACHING METHODS

Unless otherwise indicated, due to the sanitary emergency, the class will take place in presence.

Attending the class is not mandatory, although recommended.

About two-thirds of the course is composed by traditional lectures, which will provide the students the necessary knowledge of regional integration and globalization. However, the students will intervene, through questions on wooclap and will be asked to develop personal evaluations.

Conferences, seminars and books presentations will be part of the course.

One-third of the course is devoted to paper presentations, in Italian or in English, by the students, on specific case studies, agreed with the teacher. Paper presentation provides the students particular cross-cutting skills: ability to work in group, aptitude to speak in public, ability to synthetise, in order to respect the time devoted to the presentation, critical skills (personal evaluations and critical use of the documentary sources), use of power point.

Power point presentations will be available on Aulaweb.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course is divided in two parts: the first one deals with the issue of globalization, anlyzed from an historical perspective. In particular it analyzes the main stages of global interdependence and the role played by international organizations established to rule such an interdependence, as the League of Nations, the United Nations, NATO, the EU, etc. Particular attention is paid to the end of the Cold War and to the new regionalism which has emerged in the post-Cold War period.

The second part of the course deals with the increasing issue of regionalism after the end of the Cold War, analyzing the main regional organizations established in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America and wondering whether the EU has represented a model.

Students will present to the class a 10 pages paper on several case studies, agreed with the teacher, followed by class debate.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The attending students will have to present a paper and study the following books:

M. Steger, La globalizzazione, Bologna, il Mulino, 2013 and three chapters (according to their interest) of the volume: G. Finizio (ed.), L'organizzazione internazionale tra universalismo e regionalismo, Padova, Cedam, 2020.

 Non-attending students will have to study the following books: J. Osterhammel and N. Petersson, Storia della globalizzazione, Bologna, il Mulino, 2005, M. Steger, La globalizzazione, Bologna, il Mulino, 2013; G. Finizio (ed.), L'organizzazione internazionale tra universalismo e regionalismo, Padova, Cedam, 2020.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MARIA ELEONORA GUASCONI (President)

GUIDO LEVI

LARA PICCARDO

LESSONS

LESSONS START

II semester, approx March 9, 2021.

Class schedule

HISTORY OF GLOBALISATION AND REGIONAL INTEGRATION

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam is oral. The teacher will evaluate the quality of the seminar work done by the students during the course. The Commission is appointed by the Department and chaired by the professor of the course.

Exam schedule