COMPARATIVE HISTORY OF MEDITERRANEAN EUROPE

The general topic of the course is: Genealogies of political cultures of the European right. It is scheduled for the second year, Mediterranean curriculum, and it fits into the objectives of the RIC by examining key themes of international political and cultural history as:
The knowledge of democratisation processes and their opponents;
The knowledge of the debates on the forms of state and representation in European political thought;
Theknowledge of the historical roots of the political cultures of the European right.
Particular reference will be made to the area of Mediterranean Europe, to long-term transnational dynamics, and to issues that promotes a critical knowledge of the roots of the present.

At the end of the course the following learning outcomes are expected:
The critical knowledge of different historiographic interpretations of phenomena and the ability to compare them in relation to the context
The ability to critically locate in time and space the historical roots of the issues dealt with in the lecture, in particular: democracy and anti-democracy, plans for a state and political representation, the thinking of the European right.
The ability to critically read a source - analysed in class - and to connect it critically to the historical and cultural context;
The ability to understand the relationships between historical, political and cultural phenomena, and to operate a form of critical conceptualization;
Practical and communicative skills are expected:
The ability to interact actively and profitably with the lessons and especially with the comments and analysis of texts;
The ability to present effectively, personally and appropriately the topics, during the oral exam.
It is encouraged the identification of topics of particular interest, which can be further examined in the thesis work

It is advisable to have passed a 6 CFU exam in history, as required for the enrollment in the master degree course.

The course investigates the historical roots of the European right. The disciplinary approach is the history of political cultures, framed within the context of contemporary history. The thematic and geographical perspective favours the national contexts of the countries of Mediterranean Europe - especially Italy, France and Spain - without neglecting the links with continental Europe. Three thematic issues will be addressed:
- The genealogies of democracy and anti-democracy since the French Revolution to the mid-XXth Century: organicism, nationalism, imperialism, anti-semitism, racism ;
- Postwar: Individualism, Inequality, Cold war and neo-liberal thought
- Case studies: projects of state and political representation, with particular reference to fascisms and corporatisms of the interwar period;

All students:
Z. Sternhell, Contro l’illuminismo. Dal XVIII secolo alla guerra fredda, Baldini Castoldi Dalai, Milano, 2007;

Students attending classes will also study a selection of articles uploaded in Moodle. The selection will be indicated during classes.

Students non attending classes will also study:
Genealogie e geografie dell'anti-democrazia nella crisi europea degli anni Trenta. Fascismi, Corporativismi, laburismi, a cura di L. Cerasi, ECF Edizioni Ca' Foscari, Venezia, 2019, open access: https://edizionicafoscari.unive.it/en/edizioni/libri/978-88-6969-318-2/
J.W. Müller, L’enigma democrazia. Le idee politiche nell’Europa del Novecento, Einaudi, Torino 2012
(Three books in total)

The exam includes an oral presentation of 10-15 minutes on a topic dealt with in class, based on texts agreed with the teacher during office hours. The presentation will take place at the end of the course, during class, and will be worth about half the final score. The exam is an oral interview of 20 minutes with at least two questions answered, to prove the achievement of the above mentioned didactical purposes. More specifically, the first question checks the mastery of a well defined topic’s outline, the ability to frame it in its historical background, and to express oneself clearly and effectively; the second question checks the command of advanced historical notions, the proficiency in operating interrelations among them and the ability to conceptualize. When necessary (particularly for non-attending students, If necessary (in particular for non-attendants, who are not required to perform the oral presentation, but to study the above mentioned three books) the third question checks the ability to analyze and comment sources and historiographical documents.

Academic lectures combined with seminar lessons. Sources and documents analysed during classes will be uploaded on line.
Disclaimer: please check Ca' Foscari policy for academic activity during Covid-19 emergency

Italian

At the end of the course, students interested in the topics addressed in class are welcome to ask for an appointment to agree upon a subject suitable for the MA thesis

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