POPULATION HISTORY

The aim of the course is to provide students with an overview of the recent scholarly debates on Population History, that is the dynamics which led to the changes in world population in the premodern period, especially focusing on migration in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Among the driving factors considered are military conflicts, epidemics, discoveries, nutrition and agricultural production, socio-cultural factors (e.g. marriage patterns), migration, urbanization, economic growth and religious/ethnic conflicts. Readings will span between examples from Italy in a global context, including both primary written and visual sources as well as secondary literature. Students will develop a critical view of the topics discussed enabling them to analyze contemporary phenomena in a historical perspective.

Students will enhance their knowledge on topics related to population history and historical demography through an interdisciplinary perspective on early modern history. They will also acquire basic skills in three specific areas: public speaking, peer-to-peer feedback, guided discussion. More specifically students will acquire the following knowledge and skills:

1. Knowledge and understanding:
- a general understanding of population dynamics from a historical perspective
- foundational knowledge of population dynamics in the early modern period
- a basic understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of the topic
2. Ability of applying knowledge and understanding:
- the ability to engage in discussions applying specialist terminology
- the ability to connect historical phenomena to contemporary global challenges
- the ability to analyze historical topics through an interdisciplinary approach
3. Judgement abilities
- the ability to relate the course materials to contemporary global issues
- the ability to organize the course content in a coherent manner
4. Communicative abilities
- the ability to deliver short, independent presentations applying specialist language
- the ability to provide constructive peer feedback
5. Learning abilities
- the ability to take effective notes
- the ability to perform a critical reading of the assigned bibliography

A general knowledge of European history (15th – 19th centuries)

Historical demography, voluntary migration, forced migration (i.e. slavery), nutrition, agricultural production, commercial revolution, Proto-globalization, urbanization, epidemics, cultural norms (marriage, offspring, elderly care)

The final exam is based on the slides and reading assignments available on Moodle.

Bibliography

Bibliography
1. Alfani, Guido and Francesco Ammannati, Long-term trends in economic inequality: The case of the Florentine State, c. 1300-1800, The Economic History Review, Vol. 70, No. 4 (NOVEMBER 2017), pp. 1072-1102.
2. Alfani, Guido and Marco Percoco, Plague and long-term development: the lasting effects of the 1629-30 Epidemic on the Italian cities, The Economic History Review, Vol. 72, No. 4 (NOVEMBER 2019), 1175-1181.
3. Boserup, Ester, Introduction, The Conditions of Agricultural Growth. The Economics of Agrarian Change under Population Pressure, 1965, Introduction, pp. 4-7.
4. Boykov, Grigor, The Human Cost of Warfare: Population Loss During the Ottoman Conquest and the Demographic History of Bulgaria in the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Era, The Ottoman Conquest of the Balkans: Interpretations and Hypotheses, a cura di Oliver Jens Schmitt, 103–164. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2016, pp. 103-111.
5. Delogu, Giulia, Inventing Public Health in the Early Modern Age: Venice and the Northern Adriatic, Pavia-Como, 2022, pp. 23-39.
6. Gentilcore, David, The Impact of New World Plants, The new world in early modern Italy, 1492-1750, 2017
7. Malanima, Paolo, Pre-Modern European Economy: One Thousand Years (10th-19th Centuries), Leiden, Brill, 2009, Chapter 1, pp. 1-48.
8. Malanima, Paolo, Urbanisation and the Italian economy during the last millennium, European Review of Economic History, APRIL 2005, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 97-122.
9. Pargas, Damian A. and Juliane Schiel, eds., The Palgrave Handbook of Global Slavery Throughout History, Part III, Early Modern Societies (1500–1800 C.E.)
10. Pomeranz, Keneth, The Great Divergence: China, Europe, and the Making of the Modern World Economy, 2000, Princeton University Press, Part III.
11. Prajda, Katalin, Italy and Hungary in the Early Renaissance, Viella, 2023, 207-216.
12. Ravid, Benjamin, “Venice and its Minorities,” in Eric R. Dursteler, ed., A Companion to Venetian History, 1400-1797 (Leiden: Brill, 2013), 449-455.
13. Terpstra, Nicholas, Religious Refugees in the Early Modern World: An Alternative History of the Reformation, Cambridge University Press, 2015, Introduction, pp. 1-7.

1. Reading the assignment(s) for each class (5-10 pages) – verified through short quizzes
2. Active participation in the discussions
3. One oral presentation (ca.10 minutes)
4. Final oral exam

oral

The lecturer has a duty to ensure that the rules regarding the authenticity and originality of exam tests and papers are respected. Therefore, if there is suspicion of irregular conduct, an additional assessment may be conducted, which could differ from the original exam description.

Grading is based on a 0–30 scale and consists of three components

1. Active participation in class (Reading the assignment(s) & Participation in the debate) (20%)
2. Oral presentation (20%)
3. Final exam (60%)

In the absence of points 1. and 2., grading will be based entirely on the final exam.

Passing grade: 18-30

Guided discussion (in pairs, in group)
Power Point presentations
Short lectures
Case study analyses
Digital humanities

For questions and queries please contact me
at: katalin.prajda@unive.it
or via zoom: Thursdays 11am-1pm
in person: following each class

Students with disabilities can contact the Disability and Accessibility Office (disabilita@unive.it) to learn about the services available (e.g. alternative examination methods, readers, etc.).

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development