ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL HISTORY

The course falls within the elective courses of the degree program in Languages, Civilizations and Sciences of Language and aims to provide students with tools for advanced understanding of European economic and social history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Key issues of economic, social and mental transformations between the industrial revolution and globalization will be addressed. The aim is also to provide knowledge on the main dynamics of globalization and of the social transformations caused by it. Objectives of the course are: to develop critical reflection skills on European economic and social history and on the process of globalization. Achieving these goals allows the student to acquire advanced knowledge for the historical understanding of the current European economy and society, and to reflect on its conditions independently.

The course aims at the following learning objectives:
a) knowledge and understanding at an advanced undergraduate level of the major trends of European economic and social history after 1750 and of economic globalization;
b) to apply this knowledge to present society and economy through an improved understanding of how they have been influenced by past developments;
c) to promote the autonomy of judgment by classroom discussions;
d) to promote communication abilities by offering the opportunity of proposing classroom presentations on a volunteer basis;
e) to promote the learning ability so as to develop and consolidate competence in the field of historical, sociological and economics reading, and elaborating a critical judgment in oral and written form.

Good knowledge of the general features of modern and contemporary history acquired in previous history courses.

During the first part of the course will be dissected the economic changes which produced the industrial and urban transformation of Europe. The most important social changes which the economic transformation brought about will be considered. Another part of the course will be dedicated to the social changes which occurred more recently, producing a "liquid" post-industrial society, increasing uncertainty, and the revival of a desire for community. The course will end with a reflection on the economic changes provoked by the processes of financialization and deindustrialization of western capitalism during the period of globalization.

Mandatory readings:
Compendium "Industria e industrializzazione. Alcuni concetti", downloadable from the Moodle platform related to this course;
E. DE SIMONE, Storia economica. Dalla rivoluzione industriale alla rivoluzione informatica, Milano, FrancoAngeli, second edition, pp. 35-207, for later editions se the Italian version of this syllabus.
C. HEYWOOD, Society, in: The Nineteenth Century, ed by T.C.W. Blanning, Oxford University Press, Oxford-New York 2000, pp. 47-77.
R. BESSEL, Society, in: Europe 1900-1945, ed by Julian Jackson, Oxford University Press, Oxford-New York 2002, pp. 116-137.
H. KAELBLE, Social history, in: Europe since 1945, ed by Mary Fulbrook, Oxford University Press, Oxford-New York 2001, pp. 53-94.
Z. BAUMAN, Modernita liquida, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2002, pp. 160-216
R.E. BALDWIN and P. MARTIN, Two waves of Globalization: Superficial Similarities, Fundamental Differences, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge (MA) 1999 Working Paper 6904, 33 pp.; the paper can be downloaded at http://www.nber.org/papers/w6904.pdf ;
L. SEGRETO, L'economia mondiale dopo la guerra fredda, il Mulino, Bologna 2018, pp. 99-127 (chapter 4);
M. HUDSON: The Road to Debt Deflation, Debt Peonage, and Neofeudalism, Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, Working Paper 708, 2012, pp. 1-30, http://www.levyinstitute.org/publications/the-road-to-debt-deflation-debt-peonage-and-neofeudalism .

The exam consists of two parts:
1) answers of about 100-120 words to five different questions, referable to the various topics covered by the referral texts in the program;
2) an in-depth topic to be carried out during the exam, on a topic made known during the session, chosen from the themes proposed by the compulsory readings in the program.

written

The final exam uses a score of up to 30. The minimum passing grade is 18. The overall grade indicates sufficient (18-23), fair (23-26) or excellent (27-30) knowledge of the main changes in economic and social history after 1750 and the ability to conceptually understand and critically discuss the topics contained in the mandatory texts in the program. In particular, the following can be obtained:
1) up to 15 points, for knowledge of the facts and structures of economic and social history after 1750, to be demonstrated in the answers to open questions covering the range of topics treated by the referral texts;
2) up to 15 points, for the ability to thoroughly understand the content of the text or texts proposed by the teacher (among the mandatory readings), in particular for the demonstration of a good understanding of the intention behind the text and for the ability to critically discuss it.
Honors can be obtained for a particularly brilliant demonstration of one's understanding and evaluation skills.

The prevailing teaching method is frontal lecturing.

It is recommended to carefully consult and read the Moodle materials related to this course.

PLEASE NOTE: Students intent to apply for final exam, Erasmus etc. are asked to inquire with the offices on the deadlines for registering the vote useful for the application, and to register for appeals not too close to those deadlines. Note that this teacher will carry out only those registration operations that the esse3 software allows him to carry out autonomously.