Economic History
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
This course aims to provide students with knowledge and skills to examine the development and complexities of some current global phenomena from a historical perspective. The course will give students the basics to examine the development of the world economy from the first Industrial Revolution to the present, as well as the tools to understand globalisation processes occurring between the 20th and 21st century, with greater emphasis on the post-1945 period and the years between the 1990s and 2000s. Finally, the course will focus on how businesses and the job market have been affected by such processes.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will have developed:
- an understanding of the complexity of current economic trends and issues, being able to identify their continuities and discontinuities, so as to interpret some present geo-economic scenarios;
- the ability to elaborate (along the time-space axis) on how institutions, technological and social innovations, the State, markets, businesses, entrepreneurship, and labour movements and organisations impact on the economic growth;
- the ability to use the acquired knowledge to develop arguments, write reports and discuss problems, and to apply such knowledge to different fields, evaluating inferences and consequences of the processes studied;
- the ability to identify and critically assess trustworthy information, and to make connections between information sources to develop personal and well-founded arguments;
- a good command of the subject-specific terminology and concepts for a clear communication.
- an understanding of the complexity of current economic trends and issues, being able to identify their continuities and discontinuities, so as to interpret some present geo-economic scenarios;
- the ability to elaborate (along the time-space axis) on how institutions, technological and social innovations, the State, markets, businesses, entrepreneurship, and labour movements and organisations impact on the economic growth;
- the ability to use the acquired knowledge to develop arguments, write reports and discuss problems, and to apply such knowledge to different fields, evaluating inferences and consequences of the processes studied;
- the ability to identify and critically assess trustworthy information, and to make connections between information sources to develop personal and well-founded arguments;
- a good command of the subject-specific terminology and concepts for a clear communication.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
· Introduction to the course: contents, assessment methods
· The great nineteenth-century divergence between the West and the rest of the world
· A look at the economic history of the last two centuries from the present day
· First Industrial Revolution
· Why Great Britain first
· European models of imitation
· Second Industrial Revolution
· Industrialisation beyond Europe: the United States
· The birth of large corporations and multinational companies, diversity in business history
· The other side of industrialisation: the environment, labour, inequality
· Industrialisation in Asia
· Nineteenth-century globalisation
· The economic and social consequences of the First World War
· The rise of the Soviet Union
· The economic and social consequences of the Second World War
· A new world order, the "Cold War", the age of growth, the process of European integration
· Decolonisation, "third worlds"
· Economic instability after the 1970s
· The new globalisation (end of the 20th Century)
· The multiple crises of the 2000s
· The great nineteenth-century divergence between the West and the rest of the world
· A look at the economic history of the last two centuries from the present day
· First Industrial Revolution
· Why Great Britain first
· European models of imitation
· Second Industrial Revolution
· Industrialisation beyond Europe: the United States
· The birth of large corporations and multinational companies, diversity in business history
· The other side of industrialisation: the environment, labour, inequality
· Industrialisation in Asia
· Nineteenth-century globalisation
· The economic and social consequences of the First World War
· The rise of the Soviet Union
· The economic and social consequences of the Second World War
· A new world order, the "Cold War", the age of growth, the process of European integration
· Decolonisation, "third worlds"
· Economic instability after the 1970s
· The new globalisation (end of the 20th Century)
· The multiple crises of the 2000s
Prerequisites for admission
There are no formal prerequisites for this course. Nonetheless, a thorough knowledge of modern history, particularly the historical developments of the 19th and 20th centuries, is important, as it provides essential contextual foundations for understanding the key processes and dynamics underpinning the economic history of this period.
Teaching methods
Lectures.
Regular attendance is strongly recommended.
Regular attendance is strongly recommended.
Teaching Resources
ATTENDING STUDENTS:
· Guido Alfani, Andrea Colli, Tra le onde della globalizzazione. Una storia economica del mondo, Torino, Giappichelli, 2024 (excluding section 1)
· Vera Zamagni, Forme d'impresa. Una prospettiva storico-economica, Bologna, il Mulino, 2020
NON ATTENDING STUDENTS:
· Guido Alfani, Andrea Colli, Tra le onde della globalizzazione. Una storia economica del mondo, Torino, Giappichelli, 2024 (esclusa la sezione 1)
· Carlo Fumian, Andrea Giuntini (a cura di), Storia economica globale del mondo contemporaneo, Roma, Carocci, 2019 (chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 only)
· Vera Zamagni, Forme d'impresa. Una prospettiva storico-economica, Bologna, il Mulino, 2020
· Guido Alfani, Andrea Colli, Tra le onde della globalizzazione. Una storia economica del mondo, Torino, Giappichelli, 2024 (excluding section 1)
· Vera Zamagni, Forme d'impresa. Una prospettiva storico-economica, Bologna, il Mulino, 2020
NON ATTENDING STUDENTS:
· Guido Alfani, Andrea Colli, Tra le onde della globalizzazione. Una storia economica del mondo, Torino, Giappichelli, 2024 (esclusa la sezione 1)
· Carlo Fumian, Andrea Giuntini (a cura di), Storia economica globale del mondo contemporaneo, Roma, Carocci, 2019 (chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 only)
· Vera Zamagni, Forme d'impresa. Una prospettiva storico-economica, Bologna, il Mulino, 2020
Assessment methods and Criteria
The Economic History exam is conducted in written form on the Moodle SEB platform and is divided into two parts. The grade, expressed in thirtieths, is given by the arithmetic mean of the grades of the two parts
ATTENDING STUDENTS: Attending students have the option of taking the exam in TWO PARTIAL EXAMS (one mid-term exam and one final exam).
· The first part of the exam is taken in an initial intermediate test, which will take place during the last week of the course, during class hours, and will cover only a portion of the programme for attending students. It consists of three open-ended questions, lasts 75 minutes, tests the knowledge of the textbook: Guido Alfani, Andrea Colli, Tra le onde della globalizzazione. Una storia economica del mondo, Turin, Giappichelli, 2024 (excluding section 1).
· The second test, which completes the exam, will take place during one of the official exam sessions; it will consist of 2 OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS and will focus on the second reading in the programme for attending students: Vera Zamagni, Forme d'impresa. Una prospettiva storico-economica, Bologna, il Mulino, 2020.
PLEASE NOTE: 1) The mid-term exam is optional, but it offers a BONUS: students who attend and take the mid-term exam will have their final exam grade increased by 2 points. The bonus only applies if the mid-term exam grade is sufficient (i.e. at least 18) and if the final grade is accepted; in other words, it is forfeited if the grade is rejected. 2) Students are considered non-attending if they choose not to take the first mid-term exam or if they fail the first mid-term exam.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS: Non-attending students will take both parts of the exam in a SINGLE GENERAL EXAM, covering the entire programme for non-attending students, in one of the exam sessions. The general exam is also divided into two parts.
· The first part tests knowledge of the textbook Guido Alfani, Andrea Colli, Tra le onde della globalizzazione. Una storia economica del mondo, Turin, Giappichelli, 2024 (excluding section 1), consists of 30 QUIZ QUESTIONS (multiple choice or true/false answers) and lasts 30 minutes.
· The second part tests knowledge of the other two readings from the programme for non-attending students: Vera Zamagni, Forme d'impresa. Una prospettiva storico-economica, Bologna, il Mulino, 2020 (in its entirety); Carlo Fumian, Andrea Giuntini (eds.), Storia economica globale del mondo contemporaneo, Rome, Carocci, 2019 (chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 only); consists of 3 OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS and lasts 45 minutes.
THE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA are designed to ascertain the mastery of knowledge and skills acquired through the study of the subject. They will take into account the completeness of the answers, the ability to summarise and focus on the issues being assessed, and the coherence and clarity of the presentation. Mastery of language and the ability to independently develop appropriate connections between the topics covered in the course will also contribute to the final assessment
ATTENDING STUDENTS: Attending students have the option of taking the exam in TWO PARTIAL EXAMS (one mid-term exam and one final exam).
· The first part of the exam is taken in an initial intermediate test, which will take place during the last week of the course, during class hours, and will cover only a portion of the programme for attending students. It consists of three open-ended questions, lasts 75 minutes, tests the knowledge of the textbook: Guido Alfani, Andrea Colli, Tra le onde della globalizzazione. Una storia economica del mondo, Turin, Giappichelli, 2024 (excluding section 1).
· The second test, which completes the exam, will take place during one of the official exam sessions; it will consist of 2 OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS and will focus on the second reading in the programme for attending students: Vera Zamagni, Forme d'impresa. Una prospettiva storico-economica, Bologna, il Mulino, 2020.
PLEASE NOTE: 1) The mid-term exam is optional, but it offers a BONUS: students who attend and take the mid-term exam will have their final exam grade increased by 2 points. The bonus only applies if the mid-term exam grade is sufficient (i.e. at least 18) and if the final grade is accepted; in other words, it is forfeited if the grade is rejected. 2) Students are considered non-attending if they choose not to take the first mid-term exam or if they fail the first mid-term exam.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS: Non-attending students will take both parts of the exam in a SINGLE GENERAL EXAM, covering the entire programme for non-attending students, in one of the exam sessions. The general exam is also divided into two parts.
· The first part tests knowledge of the textbook Guido Alfani, Andrea Colli, Tra le onde della globalizzazione. Una storia economica del mondo, Turin, Giappichelli, 2024 (excluding section 1), consists of 30 QUIZ QUESTIONS (multiple choice or true/false answers) and lasts 30 minutes.
· The second part tests knowledge of the other two readings from the programme for non-attending students: Vera Zamagni, Forme d'impresa. Una prospettiva storico-economica, Bologna, il Mulino, 2020 (in its entirety); Carlo Fumian, Andrea Giuntini (eds.), Storia economica globale del mondo contemporaneo, Rome, Carocci, 2019 (chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 only); consists of 3 OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS and lasts 45 minutes.
THE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA are designed to ascertain the mastery of knowledge and skills acquired through the study of the subject. They will take into account the completeness of the answers, the ability to summarise and focus on the issues being assessed, and the coherence and clarity of the presentation. Mastery of language and the ability to independently develop appropriate connections between the topics covered in the course will also contribute to the final assessment
Professor(s)