CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL ISSUES IN ITALY

1) Developing an advanced comprehension of Italian Modern and Contemporary Political and Social History in connection with Global History and particularly with European History and the mail historical processes (the end of ‘Cold War’, European Union and the Euro; Mediterranean genealogy);
2) Mastering a deeper comprehension and develop an analysis skill on the historical, political, social and economic conditions of Italy in an international context;
3) Developing a personal ability to value and critically discuss the main topics of the course and the text books, or other books suggested during the lessons;
4) Ability in ‘storytelling’ the relevant and general aspects of Contemporary Italian History;
5) To develop autonomously the acquired skills on International history

A general Knowledge of the Country's Political History.

The course aims to present historical and political phenomena related to Italian Contemporary Social and Political History through the International
System. Lessons will be organized in different steps which will present the following topics:
1. Introduction: From Fascism to the birth of Republican Italy. The first step will introduce the wider topic with an historical reconstruction of the Fascist Regime Legacy and the origins of the Democratic process and its motivation in Italy, as different paths to Modernization. The course will establish the theoretical basis needed to deepen social, economic, cultural and psychological aspect of Italian Political History;
2. 1947-1964: From Reconstruction to the Economic Boom and Beyond: The building of a new economy and society as the premises of modernization;
3. 1964-1980: From the ‘60s to the ‘70s. The deep social, cultural and political transformation of the Country and the search for an independent role in the International System.
This part of the course will stress on the ‘Cultural’ and Social transformation of Italy and the new International Political context (European Integration Process; the Italian role in the Mediterranean area; the Italian ‘Ostpolitik’);
4. 1980-1994: The End of the Cold War and the ‘First Republic’ Crisis. The fragmented society and the ‘Italian Revolution’: searching a new equilibrium in a ‘House Divided’;
5. 1994-2001: The Decline. The ‘Second Republic’ and the economic decline of Contemporary Italy: European Integration as the pivot of the new political and economic dimension; the end of a Mediterranean Policy; Italy and the ‘90s wars. New fears, new perspectives: Globalization,
Migration and the transformation of Italian society;
6. 2001-2018: The ‘Euro’s Year’: A Long Economic decline. Italy from the financial crisis of 2001 to the ‘Big Crash’ of 2007/2008. The failure of the ‘Reforms’ and European Union growing political role. Looking for a ‘New Democracy’ for a ‘New Society’ or the ‘Decline of Democracy’?: the Birth of
Populism as a political anti-elitist reaction to social instability, through the Greek Crisis to the 2018 political elections

Paul Ginsborg, A history of contemporary italy
Perry Anderson, The Italian disaster, London Review of Books.
Further informations about the reading list will be given during classes.

The course’s educational objectives will be tested through an oral
examination lasting 15/20 minutes. The examination will aim to show the
students skills in presenting a reconstruction and the wider historical
context related to the course topics.

Traditional lectures, video and photos.