OVERVIEW

The classes aim at presenting an overview of the fundamental events in the history of the twentieth century and at providing students with the basic tools to get acquainted with the methods and sources of historical work. Specific attention will be paid to historical theories and methods of historical research concerning the contemporary era.

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 modern history.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The classes have two main purposes. On the one hand, they intend to offer students a few basic clues concerning the most relevant methodological and theoretical tools for the knowledge of contemporary history, with specific attention to the acquisition of skills about the analytical categories as well as about a number of sources characterizing the discipline and their availability along with their use and interpretation. On the other hand, they will provide a brief overview of the most important events and historiographical issues related to the twentieth century. They will also suggest possible periodizations to define the major historical trends of this century. By the end of the classes the students will have the knowledge and the most relevant methodological and theoretical tools to master the most important analytical categories, events and historiographical issues related to the twentieth century. They will also acquire skills about the availability, use and interpretation of sources and will be able to discuss the most significant interpretative paradigms. They will eventually be successful in drawing upon a wide range of factual information in order to identify the turning points and the ensuing possible periodizations, for a better understanding of the major historical trends of this era.

PREREQUISITES

None. A basic knowledge of contemporary history is desirable but not compulsory.

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal teaching, for as many as 54 hours, with the support of audio-visual equipment.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The "brief twentieth century" within the realm of the contemporary era. The classes have two main purposes. On the one hand, they aim at offering students a few basic clues concerning the most relevant methodological and theoretical tools for the knowledge of contemporary history, with specific attention to the acquisition of skills about the analytical categories as well as about a number of sources characterizing the discipline and their availability along with their use and interpretation. In particular, they will address the issue of the usefulness of history, the identification of the sphere of contemporary history, the legitimacy of this subject matter and its possible periodizations, the main features of the contemporary era starting with the multifaceted dimensions of mass society, the public use of history as opposed to public history, deconstruction, revisionism, and negationism. They will also introduce students to a sample of sources that, in addition to more “conventional” kinds such as diplomatic records and newspapers, will also include some other typologies such as diaries and memoirs, documentaries and historical movies, oral, photographic, iconographic, and digital sources within the context of the hypetrophy of the documentation for the study of contemporary history. On the other hand, the classes will provide a concise overview of the main events and the most relevant issues of what British historian Eric Hobsbawm has called "the short twentieth century". Specific attention will be paid to World War I, the 1917 Russian revolutions, the rise, consolidation and fall of the totalitarian regimes, the economic depression of the 1930s, World War II, the Shoah and other genocides, the dynamics of the confrontation between the blocs during the Cold War, the “golden age” and its decline, decolonization, the Non-Aligned movement, the process of European integration, the establishment of a unipolar moment in the world arena following the collapse of the Soviet Union. A few classes will focus on the Italian experience with particular reference to the entry into World War I, the Red Biennium and the collapse of the Liberal regime, the Fascist regime, the participation in World War II, anti-Fascism and the Resistance, the coming of the Republic, the Atlantic choice, the “economic miracle”, the strategy of tension and the “years of the bullet”, and the end of the “first” Republic.

The UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 4: Quality Education. Obtaining a quality education is the foundation to improving people’s lives and sustainable development; Goal 5: Gender Equality. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world; Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable institutions at all levels.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Federico Chabod, Lezioni di metodo storico, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2021 (o ed. precedenti).

2. And a book to choose from:

- Marc Bloch, Apologia della storia o mestiere di storico, Einaudi, Torino 2009 (o ed. precedenti);

- Edward H. Carr, Sei lezioni sulla storia, Einaudi, Torino, 2000 (o ed. precedenti).

3. And a book to choose from:

- Giuliana Albini, Alice Raviola, Nel tempo e nello spazio. Manuale di metodologia dello studio della storia, Pearson editore, Torino, 2022;

- Piero Bevilacqua, L’utilità della storia. Il passato e gli altri mondi possibili, Donzelli, Roma, 2007;

- Pietro Corrao e Paolo Viola, Introduzione agli studi di storia, Donzelli, Roma, 2005;

- Sergio Luzzatto (ed.), Prima lezione di metodo storico, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2010.

FOR NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS:

The students who absolutely cannot attend class, must contact the teacher before the start of the course.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

February, 2025.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam and non-mandatory written test, both rigorously individual and without any aid (except for students who are entitled to such support as, for instance, conceptual diagrams on the basis of specific prescription). The non-mandatory written test is for students attending classes only. The non-mandatory written test will be scheduled between the end of the classes and the date of the first oral exam session. Attendees taking the non-mandatory written test will have the opportunity to supplement its outcome by means of an oral interview during the scheduled oral exam sessions. The outcome of the non-mandatory written test will be valid until the last exam session of the academic year 2024-2025.

STUDENTS WITH DSA:

Students with DSA, disability or other special educational needs are recommended to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course, in order to organize teaching and assessment, taking in account both the class aims and the student's needs and providing suitable compensatory instruments.

More information: Linee guida per la richiesta di servizi, di strumenti compensativi e/o di misure dispensative e di ausili specifici

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Oral exam and non-mandatory written test, both rigorously individual and without any aid (except for students who are entitled to such support as, for instance, conceptual diagrams on the basis of specific prescription). The non-mandatory written test is for students attending classes only. Students not attending classes will be allowed to take the oral exam only. The length of each oral exam will be inversely proportional to the student’s knowledge. The oral exam will focus on the issues addressed during classes for students attending lessons and on the contents of the texts listed in the “recommended Reading / Bibliography” section for students not attending lessons. The questions – for both the non-mandatory written test and the oral exam – will aim at assessing students’ familiarity with the leading analytical categories and typologies of sources as well as the knowledge and understanding of the historical trends, the turning points in the twentieth century and the ensuing possible periodizations, the most important historical phenomena, the main events, and the most relevant historiographical interpretations. The final grade will result from the combination of the assessment of all these factors. Clarity in expressing one’s ideas and arguments will be a further element of evaluation that will affect the final grade.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students attending at least 65 percent of frontal-teaching classes will be regarded as “studenti frequentanti”. Attendance will be noted at the beginning of each class.

All the students must visit the Aulaweb page (www.aulaweb.unige.it) regularly. All the information and materials related to this course are exclusively published on this website.