Contemporary History

The course provides students with an overview and the necessary tools for the understanding of the main (political, economic, social and religious) aspects of contemporary civilisation from the beginning of the 19th to the second half of the 20th century.

At the end of the course students will have acquired the knowledge of the political-institutional, socio-economic and cultural development of contemporary history, from the impact of the French revolution to the second half of the 20th century. Students will also be able to contextualise the most representative characters and events both chronologically and geographically. They will be able to use linguistic tools (correct language and specific lexicon) in order to express, in a clear and effective way, political, institutional, economic and religious concepts; they will learn how to read critically historiographical works and to approach the research and analysis of the historical sources. These skills will be acquired through a direct and continuous dialogue with the teacher in the classroom. Non attending students will have the opportunity to exploit the didactic tools provided by the teacher on Ariel, to explore the main themes covered by the course thanks to specific readings agreed with the teacher, and of course to discuss any issues with the teacher both via email and during office hours.