OVERVIEW

The teaching aims to present an overview of the fundamental concepts concerning the historical discipline and to provide students with the basic tools to know methods and sources of historical work, with a particular attention to the centuries of the modern age.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The lessons aim to give students the methodological and theoretical tools to acquire and develop skills on how to reconstruct and narrate past events as well as a basic knowledge on the orientations and transformations of the scientific debate on these issues over time. In this context, they specifically aim to provide stimuli to promote reflections, informed by a critical awareness, on the meaning of history, its legitimacy and its yearning for objectivity. In particular, the lessons aim to enable students to master the use of sources, methods of investigation, analytical categories and interpretative perspectives of history.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Teaching has two main objectives. On the one hand, it aims to offer students some basic indications regarding the most relevant methodological and theoretical tools for the knowledge of history, with particular regard to the acquisition of skills on analytical categories as well as on a series of sources that characterize the discipline, their availability, use and interpretation. They will also have acquired skills on the availability, use and interpretation of the sources and will be able to discuss the most significant interpretative paradigms, with particular attention to the centuries of the modern age. Finally, they will be able to draw on a wide range of factual information to identify turning points and possible subsequent periods, aimed at a better understanding of major historical developments.

PREREQUISITES

A basic knowledge of the events and issues of world history from antiquity to the present day.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures, totalling 54 hours, using PowerPoint.

Lectures will be held in presence

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Periodisations, historiographical categories, the history of historiography.
Historical sources and their uses

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

G. ALBINI, A. RAVIOLA, Nel tempo e nello spazio. Manuale di metodologia dello studio della storia, Pearson editore

For an in-depth study of sources J. TOSH, Introduzione alla ricerca storica, Firenze, La Nuova Italia (the teacher can provide a pdf copy of the volume). In particular chapters 2 and 3 should be considered

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

PAOLO CALCAGNO (President)

FRANCESCA FERRANDO (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

II semester

28 February 2023

Class schedule

METHODOLOGY AND THEORY OF THE HISTORY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination may be taken in written or oral form.

Those who wish to do so may take a first intermediate written examination at the end of the lessons of the first module (the one devoted to the Albini-Raviola book) and a second written examination at the end of the lessons of the second module (focusing on the sources). In this case, the assessment will be based on the mathematical average of the results of the two written tests.

Otherwise, the examination may be taken orally: in this case, the subject of the interview will be the book by Albini-Raviola and chapters 2-3 of the book by J. Tosh

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Assessment of theoretical and practical skills relating to historical research methodologies and theories through two written tests and through a final oral examination.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who attend at least 65% of the face-to-face classes will be considered as attending students. Attendance will be verified at the beginning of each lesson.