HISTORY OF LABOUR AND LABOUR MOVEMENT

The course is among the Core Educational Activities of the Master's degree Programme in Historical Studies: Middle Ages, Early Modern and Modern Ages.
The aim of the course is the knowledge of the major transformations of labour in the contemporary age, with particular regard to the processes of change from the 1970s to present time.

Knowledge and understanding:
- knowledge of the main transformations of work in Italian society and their political and cultural manifestations
- knowledge of the historiographical debate concerning the transformations of work
- understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of the topic of work (history, sociology, economics, anthropology, Cultural Studies)
- understanding of the diversity of stakeholders involved in the regulation of work (workers, trade unions and professional associations, policy-makers)

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
- ability to understand the public debate on labour
- ability to distinguish between the perspectives of those involved in the world of work
- ability to design an interdisciplinary research project on labour issues

Communication and interpersonal skills:
- ability to contribute to a discussion using appropriate terminology
- ability to recognise, interpret and comment on historical records
- ability to formulate research questions

Knowledge of the main developments in the history of Republican Italy.

Anti-Industrial Protests in Italy: Environment, Labour, Community

This course focuses on the history of protest movements against hazardous and polluting industries. It will examine three types of protest that occurred alongside the establishment, development and decline of harmful industries: popular–rural, bourgeois–protectionist and working-class.
It will also reconstruct the reasons for, and forms taken by, the 'environmental issue' in the 1970s, as well as its subsequent transformations in relation to industrial restructuring and deindustrialization. Particular attention will be devoted to the role of workers and trade unions, tensions between labour and the environment, and issues of environmental justice.
Some of the lectures will be dedicated to long-term reconstructions of selected territorial contexts that have been particularly significant in Italy's anti-industrial protest.

One text from the following:

Stefania Barca, Proletari di tutta la terra. Lavoro, ecologia e riproduzione nell’era della crisi planetaria, Codice Edizioni, Torino 2026
Giorgio Bigatti (a cura di), Lavoro sicurezza salute nell'Italia delle fabbriche, Mimesis, Sesto San Giovanni 2024
Chiara Giorgi, Salute per tutti. Storia della sanità in Italia dal dopoguerra a oggi, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2024
Saverio Luzzi, Il virus del benessere. Ambiente, salute, sviluppo nell'Italia repubblicana, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2009
Salvatore Romeo, L’altra faccia del benessere. Una storia ambientale nell’Italia contemporanea (1950-1979), Carocci, Roma 2024

During the course, additional bibliographic references will be provided, and materials to support the preparation of the final paper will be made available on Moodle.

The examination will be conducted orally and will consist of two parts:

1. an oral discussion of the selected book
2. a presentation of an original paper (minimum 3000 and maximum 5000 words) on a case of environmental protest against an economic activity, chosen by the student. The paper must be submitted to the instructor at least one week before the examination. During the course, examples and guidance on the preparation of the paper will be provided. Students who do not attend classes are encouraged to arrange an office-hour appointment to discuss and define the topic of their paper.

oral

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

<18 – FAIL
Poor understanding of the contents; unclear oral presentation; weak written argumentation skills, with frequent syntactic and grammatical errors.
18–20 – PASS
Limited understanding of the contents and limited oral presentation skills; weak written argumentation skills.
21–23 – SATISFACTORY
Adequate understanding of the contents, but some uncertainty in oral presentation; weak written argumentation skills.
24–26 – GOOD
Good understanding of the contents, but some uncertainty in oral presentation; good written argumentation skills.
27–28 – VERY GOOD
Thorough understanding of the contents; good oral presentation and written argumentation skills.
29–30 – EXCELLENT
Thorough understanding of the contents; well-structured oral presentation and critical reflection skills; excellent writing proficiency.
30 WITH HONORS – OUTSTANDING
Thorough understanding of the contents; well-structured oral presentation and critical reflection skills; excellent writing proficiency; originality.

The oral discussion of the selected book will account for 30% of the final grade, while the written paper will account for 70%.

The course will have a seminar structure, alternating lectures with moments of discussion. Attendance is strongly recommended.

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