GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE HISTORY

The course is a core educational activity in the Master's degrees programme in "History from the Middle Ages to Present".
It analyses the climatic events (variations and extreme events) of the last millennium, at different scales and in relation to territorial diversity. Particular attention is paid to understanding the adaptive responses deployed by human societies and their social and economic outcomes. Consistent with its framing in the degree course, a geohistorical approach is favoured, particularly about the European area.

1. Knowledge and understanding:
1.1 Acquiring the fundamental concepts of geography and climate history, also with reference to the types of historical sources and their critical use
1.2 Know the main socio-cultural response models to climate change and environmental risks put in place by societies

2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
2.1 Use disciplinary tools to interpret the geo-historical evolution of the territories, with particular interest in socio-economic aspects
2.2 Recognize the main processes of transformation of society introduced, at different scales, by changes in the geographical-environmental frameworks
2.3 Know the main concepts that characterize the relationship between human communities and the living environment and apply them correctly in interpreting today's socio-environmental dynamics

3. Judgment skills:
3.1 Evaluate the role of environmental changes, and in particular climatic ones, in the permanent redefinition of the territories and their social components

4. Communication skills:
4.1. Exposing and problematizing in writing the acquired knowledge, using argumentative language

Basic knowledge of human and regional geography and the outlines of European history from the Middle Ages to the 20th century

The course deals with some important topics in Geography and Climate History and, from a methodological point of view, to the problem of sources. With specific reference to the European area, the role that climate change and extreme events have played and continue to play in redefining relations between space and society, in social crises and conflicts, and in relations between territories is highlighted.

a) dispensa messa a disposizione dal docente (con testi di E. Le Roy Ladurie, C. Pfister, L. Bonardi ecc.)
b) Ruddiman W., L'aratro, la peste, il petrolio. L'impatto umano sul clima, UBE, 2015
c) one text to be chosen from:
- Behringer W., Storia culturale del clima. Dall'era glaciale al riscaldamento globale, Bollati Boringhieri, 2013, pp. 1-225
- Pfister C., Wanner H., Climate and Society in Europe. The Last Thousand Years, Haupt Verlag, 2021

Written exam with open questions targeted at the measurement of knowledge, the ability to apply knowledge and understanding and the ability to judge.

written

Evaluation:
27-30 cum laude: excellent knowledge of the syllabus with the ability to analyse the texts in depth; organic vision of the themes addressed in class and/or studied in the texts; excellent disciplinary language and adequate semantic register

23-26: good knowledge of the syllabus and ability to analyse correctly but with some imperfections; fair ownership of disciplinary language with some uncertainty in exposition and/or imprecision

18-22: sufficient but sketchy knowledge of the syllabus; superficial understanding of texts and limited ability to analyse; expression not always appropriate.

negative assessment: poor knowledge of the programme; inadequate ability to analyse; incorrect or inappropriate written expression

Lectures with classroom discussions. The possibility of a fieldtrip will be considered