Economic History
A.Y. 2019/2020
Learning objectives
The course explores the history of economic development during the past two centuries on local and global scale, with a particular focus on the last decades. A monographic approach is used to study the major issues, to identify turning points and be continuities, connecting economic, social, cultural, political processes.
Expected learning outcomes
Students are going to acquire some basic competences: Identify and explain the main themes in contemporary Economic History in a chronological context; explain and critique the different and multiple
causes of economic events; evaluate alternative perspectives on Economic History; relate past events and processes to current issues.
causes of economic events; evaluate alternative perspectives on Economic History; relate past events and processes to current issues.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
Course title: Anthropocene. Between economic history and environmental history
For the 2019-2020 academic year, the Economic History course crosses economic history, and in particular the history of industry over the past two centuries, with the history of environmental changes in this same period. It intends to do so starting from the concept of Anthropocene, a concept that has been increasingly discussed since the 2000s.
However, the course will focus mainly on the period after 1945 as the historically most anomalous period in the relationship between human economic activity and the biosphere. It will retrace the history of industrial revolutions in their impact on energy consumption, on the population growth of the planet, on climate change in relation to those of the global economy; will also consider urban sprawl and environmental cultures in historical perspective.
The teaching will therefore be organized into three parts:
- First part (20 hours): Energy and population,
- Second part (20 hours): Climate and industrial revolutions,
- Third part (20 hours): City, global economy and environmentalism.
Programme for 3 CFU: part I.
Programme for 6 CFU: part I, II.
Programme for 9 CFU: part I, II, III.
The program is valid until February 2021.
For the 2019-2020 academic year, the Economic History course crosses economic history, and in particular the history of industry over the past two centuries, with the history of environmental changes in this same period. It intends to do so starting from the concept of Anthropocene, a concept that has been increasingly discussed since the 2000s.
However, the course will focus mainly on the period after 1945 as the historically most anomalous period in the relationship between human economic activity and the biosphere. It will retrace the history of industrial revolutions in their impact on energy consumption, on the population growth of the planet, on climate change in relation to those of the global economy; will also consider urban sprawl and environmental cultures in historical perspective.
The teaching will therefore be organized into three parts:
- First part (20 hours): Energy and population,
- Second part (20 hours): Climate and industrial revolutions,
- Third part (20 hours): City, global economy and environmentalism.
Programme for 3 CFU: part I.
Programme for 6 CFU: part I, II.
Programme for 9 CFU: part I, II, III.
The program is valid until February 2021.
Prerequisites for admission
The knowledge of contemporary history in its general outlines is taken for granted.
Teaching methods
Lectures, class participation, classroom discussions.
Attendance to classes is strongly recommended although not compulsory. The teaching is mainly delivered through frontal lectures aimed at the acquisition of knowledge, competence and specific language of the subject. Discussion with the teacher in the classroom is integrant part of the didactic method and aims at promoting a critical attitude and the capacity to apply the acquired competence and knowledge.
Attendance to classes is strongly recommended although not compulsory. The teaching is mainly delivered through frontal lectures aimed at the acquisition of knowledge, competence and specific language of the subject. Discussion with the teacher in the classroom is integrant part of the didactic method and aims at promoting a critical attitude and the capacity to apply the acquired competence and knowledge.
Teaching Resources
ATTENDING STUDENTS:
Knowledge of the topics covered in class, of the audiovisual materials considered and of the reference manual and further readings.
Part I:
- Franco Amatori, Andrea Colli (a cura di), Il mondo globale. Una storia economica, Giappichelli, Torino 2017, from p. 1 to p. 122.
- John Mc Neill, Peter Engelke, La grande accelerazione. Una storia ambientale dell'Antropocene dopo il 1945, Torino, Einaudi, 2018, pp. 8-59.
Part II:
- Franco Amatori, Andrea Colli (a cura di), Il mondo globale. Una storia economica, Giappichelli, Torino 2017, from p. 123 to p. 222.
- John Mc Neill, Peter Engelke, La grande accelerazione. Una storia ambientale dell'Antropocene dopo il 1945, Torino, Einaudi, 2018, pp. 60-96.
Part III:
- Franco Amatori, Andrea Colli (a cura di), Il mondo globale. Una storia economica, Giappichelli, Torino 2017, from p. 223 to p. 330.
- John Mc Neill, Peter Engelke, La grande accelerazione. Una storia ambientale dell'Antropocene dopo il 1945, Torino, Einaudi, 2018, pp. 97-144.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS:
Part I
- Franco Amatori, Andrea Colli (a cura di), Il mondo globale. Una storia economica, Giappichelli, Torino 2017, from p. 1 to p. 122.
- John Mc Neill, Peter Engelke, La grande accelerazione. Una storia ambientale dell'Antropocene dopo il 1945, Torino, Einaudi, 2018, pp. 8-59.
- Stephen Mosley, Storia globale dell'ambiente, il Mulino, Bologna, 2013 (chapters 1 and 2).
- Gabriella Corona, Breve storia dell'ambiente in Italia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2015 (chapters 1 and 2).
Parte II:
- Franco Amatori, Andrea Colli (a cura di), Il mondo globale. Una storia economica, Giappichelli, Torino 2017, from p. 123 to p. 222.
- John Mc Neill, Peter Engelke, La grande accelerazione. Una storia ambientale dell'Antropocene dopo il 1945, Torino, Einaudi, 2018, pp. 60-96.
- Stephen Mosley, Storia globale dell'ambiente, il Mulino, Bologna, 2013 (chapters 3 and 4).
- Gabriella Corona, Breve storia dell'ambiente in Italia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2015 (ch. 3).
Parte III:
- Franco Amatori, Andrea Colli (a cura di), Il mondo globale. Una storia economica, Giappichelli, Torino 2017, from p. 223 to p. 330.
- John Mc Neill, Peter Engelke, La grande accelerazione. Una storia ambientale dell'Antropocene dopo il 1945, Torino, Einaudi, 2018, pp. 97-144.
- Stephen Mosley, Storia globale dell'ambiente, il Mulino, Bologna, 2013 (chapters 5 and 6)
- Gabriella Corona, Breve storia dell'ambiente in Italia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2015 (ch. 4).
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, ERASMUS STUDENTS, STUDENTS WITH CERTIFIED SPECIFIC NEEDS
They are invited to promptly get in touch with the professor in charge of the course in order to consider a reading plan for exam preparation.
Knowledge of the topics covered in class, of the audiovisual materials considered and of the reference manual and further readings.
Part I:
- Franco Amatori, Andrea Colli (a cura di), Il mondo globale. Una storia economica, Giappichelli, Torino 2017, from p. 1 to p. 122.
- John Mc Neill, Peter Engelke, La grande accelerazione. Una storia ambientale dell'Antropocene dopo il 1945, Torino, Einaudi, 2018, pp. 8-59.
Part II:
- Franco Amatori, Andrea Colli (a cura di), Il mondo globale. Una storia economica, Giappichelli, Torino 2017, from p. 123 to p. 222.
- John Mc Neill, Peter Engelke, La grande accelerazione. Una storia ambientale dell'Antropocene dopo il 1945, Torino, Einaudi, 2018, pp. 60-96.
Part III:
- Franco Amatori, Andrea Colli (a cura di), Il mondo globale. Una storia economica, Giappichelli, Torino 2017, from p. 223 to p. 330.
- John Mc Neill, Peter Engelke, La grande accelerazione. Una storia ambientale dell'Antropocene dopo il 1945, Torino, Einaudi, 2018, pp. 97-144.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS:
Part I
- Franco Amatori, Andrea Colli (a cura di), Il mondo globale. Una storia economica, Giappichelli, Torino 2017, from p. 1 to p. 122.
- John Mc Neill, Peter Engelke, La grande accelerazione. Una storia ambientale dell'Antropocene dopo il 1945, Torino, Einaudi, 2018, pp. 8-59.
- Stephen Mosley, Storia globale dell'ambiente, il Mulino, Bologna, 2013 (chapters 1 and 2).
- Gabriella Corona, Breve storia dell'ambiente in Italia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2015 (chapters 1 and 2).
Parte II:
- Franco Amatori, Andrea Colli (a cura di), Il mondo globale. Una storia economica, Giappichelli, Torino 2017, from p. 123 to p. 222.
- John Mc Neill, Peter Engelke, La grande accelerazione. Una storia ambientale dell'Antropocene dopo il 1945, Torino, Einaudi, 2018, pp. 60-96.
- Stephen Mosley, Storia globale dell'ambiente, il Mulino, Bologna, 2013 (chapters 3 and 4).
- Gabriella Corona, Breve storia dell'ambiente in Italia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2015 (ch. 3).
Parte III:
- Franco Amatori, Andrea Colli (a cura di), Il mondo globale. Una storia economica, Giappichelli, Torino 2017, from p. 223 to p. 330.
- John Mc Neill, Peter Engelke, La grande accelerazione. Una storia ambientale dell'Antropocene dopo il 1945, Torino, Einaudi, 2018, pp. 97-144.
- Stephen Mosley, Storia globale dell'ambiente, il Mulino, Bologna, 2013 (chapters 5 and 6)
- Gabriella Corona, Breve storia dell'ambiente in Italia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2015 (ch. 4).
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, ERASMUS STUDENTS, STUDENTS WITH CERTIFIED SPECIFIC NEEDS
They are invited to promptly get in touch with the professor in charge of the course in order to consider a reading plan for exam preparation.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The course is divided into three parts of 20 hours each. Students can choose to be evualuated in two alternative ways: a) via (written) coursework, or b) via a (written) general exam.
a) For attending students, each part of the course will end with an intermediate written test. The calendar of these tests will be scheduled at the beginning of the course and published on ARIEL. Every written test will include two open questions, which will refer to the topics taught in lectures and the readings listed on the syllabus. The task will consist of a short text that will be assessed on the basis of the ability to synthesize topics and concepts, but also of precision and completeness.
b) The general exam is also written. It will include open questions, each related to one of the readings on the syllabus. The task will consist of a short text (as answer to each question) that will be assessed on the basis of the ability to synthesize topics and concepts, and also of precision and completeness. The final mark will be the sum of the average of every component of the exam.
Evaluation criteria:
capacity to demonstrate and elaborate knowledge; capacity for critical reflection on the completed work; quality of exposition, competence in the use of specialised vocabulary, efficacy, clarity, etc;
Type of evaluation method: mark in 30s.
The format of the exam for students with disabilities should be arranged in advance with the professor, as well as the relevant office.
a) For attending students, each part of the course will end with an intermediate written test. The calendar of these tests will be scheduled at the beginning of the course and published on ARIEL. Every written test will include two open questions, which will refer to the topics taught in lectures and the readings listed on the syllabus. The task will consist of a short text that will be assessed on the basis of the ability to synthesize topics and concepts, but also of precision and completeness.
b) The general exam is also written. It will include open questions, each related to one of the readings on the syllabus. The task will consist of a short text (as answer to each question) that will be assessed on the basis of the ability to synthesize topics and concepts, and also of precision and completeness. The final mark will be the sum of the average of every component of the exam.
Evaluation criteria:
capacity to demonstrate and elaborate knowledge; capacity for critical reflection on the completed work; quality of exposition, competence in the use of specialised vocabulary, efficacy, clarity, etc;
Type of evaluation method: mark in 30s.
The format of the exam for students with disabilities should be arranged in advance with the professor, as well as the relevant office.
Teaching Unit 1
SECS-P/12 - ECONOMIC HISTORY - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Teaching Unit 2
SECS-P/12 - ECONOMIC HISTORY - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Teaching Unit 3
SECS-P/12 - ECONOMIC HISTORY - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)