CONTEMPORARY HISTORY

This is a course of Modern and Contemporary History. It is called "Contemporary History" according to the Italian nomenclature, which comprises the period between the late eighteenth century and the present day. It aims to clarify the long-term developments that still determine the contemporary debate. It highlights the cultural, political, and socioeconomic paths of various geographical areas over the last two and a half centuries. It helps to develop a general vision and historical background of international relations, and a better understanding of international societies and their political choices.

The course aims at the following learning objectives:
a) knowledge and understanding at an advanced undergraduate level of the major trends of world history after 1750, and more recent changes especially in Western societies;
b) to apply this knowledge to present society and politics through an improved understanding of how they have been influenced by past developments;
c) to promote the autonomy of judgment by classroom discussions and the elaboration of a paper regarding one of the course’s reference texts;
d) to promote communication abilities, such as how to communicate in English, by offering the opportunity of proposing classroom presentations on a volunteer basis;
e) to promote the learning ability so as to develop and consolidate competence in the field of historical reading and quoting text sources, reflecting on the history of concepts, and elaborating a critical judgment in oral and written form.

Language skills, according to the admission requirements; basic knowledge of modern and contemporary history.

01 Introduction; the Italian concept of "Contemporary History"
02 At the roots of globalization: European colonialism, 1450-1750
03 The concept of 'Europe'
04 European Timeline, 1776-1914: Major events; Europe and eurocentricsm
05 The concept of 'Industrial Revolution'
06 Industrial Revolution in Europe, 1750-1914
07 The American Revolution of 1776
08 The French Revolution of 1789
09 Liberalism, Socialism, Feminism
10 The concept of 'Nation' and nationalism
11 Social changes in Europe, 1800-1914
12 World Timeline, 1750-1914
13 Global changes: Colonialism and imperialism
14 Global changes: Population and modernization
15 Global changes: Economy
16 Theories of imperialism
17 World Timeline 1914-2000: Major events
18 World War I
19 Economic crisis of 1929, right-wing dictatorships, World War II, Shoah
20 The affirmation of Communism and the USA-USSR confrontation
21 Third World', political Islam, decline of Soviet communism
22 Global changes: demographic, social, and political changes
23 Global changes: political changes
24 Two waves of economic globalization
25 Social changes in Europe 1945-2000
26 From 'solid' to 'liquid modernity'
27 Community
28 Equality and hierarchy in the global society
29 Race, culture, multi-culturalism
30 Final discussion

Richard E. BALDWIN, Philippe MARTIN, Two waves of Globalization: Superficial Similarities, Fundamental Differences, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge (MA) 1999, Working Paper 6904, 33 pp.;
Zygmunt BAUMAN, Liquid Modernity, Polity Press, Cambridge 2006, pp. 130-199;
Colin HEYWOOD, ‘Society’, in: The Nineteenth Century, ed. by T.C.W. Blanning, Oxford University Press, Oxford-New York 2000, pp. 47-77;
Hartmut KAELBLE, ‘Social history’, in: Europe since 1945, ed. by Mary Fulbrook, Oxford University Press, Oxford-New York 2001, pp. 53-94;
Alana LENTIN, Gavan TITLEY, The Crisis of Multiculturalism. Racism in a Neoliberal Age, Zed Books, London-New York 2010, pp. 11-48, 160-192;
Rolf PETRI, A Short History of Wester Ideology: A Critical Account, Bloomsbury, London 2018, pp. 101-169;
Kevin REILLY, The Human Journey. A Concise Introduction to World History, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham 2012, pp. 275-408.

The PROFICIENCY TEST is graded up to 30 points. It consists of THREE PARTS, the weight of which is up to 10 points each (one third of the maximum final mark):
1) a test to be carried out halfway of the course, through the Moodle platform, consisting of five open questions related to the topics dealt with up to that moment (relevant readings: Reilly 248-338; Heywood; Petri 149-69); the questions must be answered with max 100 words each.
2) a test to be carried out during the final exam, through the Moodle platform, consisting of five open questions related to the issues covered in the second part of the course (relevant readings: Reilly 342-404; Baldwin-Martin; Kälble; Bauman, Petri 101-47; Lentin-Titley); the questions must be answered with max 120 words each.
3) a home written paper of not less than 1,300 words and not more than 1,500 words (all included), which summarizes, and comments on, one of the texts from the reading list; it has to be delivered in Word, RTF or PDF format on the day of the examination (see the list of topics and the instructions for the paper on the Moodle platform).

Students enrolled in the exam who have not participated in the intermediate test will complete part 1 during the final exam, together with 2) and the handing in of part 3.

The questions of part 2 (and of part 1, where it applies) will be communicated to the registered students through the Moodle platform with a Word document, which must be returned filled in and sent back, together with part 3, by the closing time of the exam. The closing time is 75 minutes after the start for those who complete part 2 and attach part 3 (prepared beforehand); and 140 minutes for those who complete part 1 and 2 and attach part 3 (prepared beforehand).

The exam is valid only if also part 3 is handed in by the closing time. It cannot be handed in another moment.

Simultaneously with the duration of the exam, the teacher will be available in the “virtual classroom” to answer quests for clarification.

The lessons are held online, partly in synchronous video conference, partly by asynchronous webcasting. The latter will consist of recorded lesson units accessible on the Moodle platform, and other material to work on providing input for questions to be explored in the Moodle chat and also in the interactive online videoconference between students and teacher. The latter will be held during the assigned lesson slots, as communicated under "Timetable". They include live lesson units, the discussion and in-depth analysis of open questions, and presentations by the students. Halfway of the course, a test will be carried out through the Moodle platform regarding the ‘long nineteenth century’.

By agreement with the teacher, students will have the opportunity to present in the virtual classroom, on a voluntary basis, some topics attaining to the study program and have them discussed by their peers and the teacher during the video conference. These presentations can be held live and/or prepared in PPT or other audio-video formats.

Al lessons will be recorded and made available to the students in an audio-video format, for learning purposes only. Additional materials will also be made available by the teacher on the Moodle platform (lesson program, notes, slides, pdf, instructions for the exam, etc.).

English

It is recommended that you download and carefully read the Moodle materials related to this course.

NOTA BENE: Students intent on applying for final exam, Erasmus etc. are asked to inquire with the offices on the deadline for recording the grade useful for the application, and to register for exams not too close to those deadlines. Note that this teacher will perform only those recording operations that the software esse3 allows him to perform autonomously.



Ca’ Foscari applica la Legge Italiana (Legge 17/1999; Legge 170/2010) per i servizi di supporto e di accomodamento disponibili agli studenti con disabilità o con disturbi specifici dell’apprendimento. Se hai una disabilità motoria, visiva, dell’udito o altre disabilità (Legge 17/1999) o un disturbo specifico dell’apprendimento (Legge 170/2010) e richiedi supporto (assistenza in aula, ausili tecnologici per lo svolgimento di esami o esami individualizzati, materiale in formato accessibile, recupero appunti, tutorato specialistico a supporto dello studio, interpreti o altro) contatta l’ufficio Disabilità e DSA disabilita@unive.it.

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