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Insegnamento a.a. 2018-2019

30067 - STORIA ECONOMICA / ECONOMIC HISTORY

Dipartimento di Scienze sociali e politiche / Department of Social and Political Sciences

Per la lingua del corso verificare le informazioni sulle classi/
For the instruction language of the course see class group/s below

Vai alle classi / Go to class group/s: 15 - 16 - 17 - 18

BIEM (6 cfu - I sem. - OBBC  |  SECS-P/12)
Docente responsabile dell'insegnamento / Course Director:
LUCA FANTACCI

Classes: 15 (I sem.) - 16 (I sem.) - 17 (I sem.) - 18 (I sem.)
Instructors:
Class 15: MICHELE D'ALESSANDRO, Class 16: TAMAS VONYO, Class 17: TAMAS VONYO, Class 18: TAMAS VONYO

Class group/s taught in English

Lezioni della classe erogate in presenza

Mission & Content Summary
MISSION

Why are some countries rich while others are poor? Since the publication of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith, the sources of global inequality have always been a key subject in economics. As Robert Lucas Jr. has famously claimed, once we start thinking about them, ‘it is hard to think about anything else’. This makes the study of economic growth and development over the long run relevant for economics and the social sciences alike. The course in economic history introduces tools and methods of describing and analysing growth and development and it helps students develop critical thinking by demonstrating both the potential and limitations of economic theory in explaining economic change in the real world.

CONTENT SUMMARY

The course offers an overview of Western economic development from the early modern period, ca. 1500, to the present. We focus on the drivers of industrialisation and of increased prosperity in the Western world and on the historical origins of the disparity in the wealth of nations today. The course is organised in two parts. The first part discusses the drivers of long-run development: the commercial, agricultural, and industrial revolutions, the role of institutions, and the origins of globalisation. The second part illustrates the impact of major shocks on economic development in the 20th century: the World Wars, the Great Depression, and the challenges of the new globalisation since the 1970s. The course covers the following topics:

  • Part I The Rise of the Western World:
  1. The Great Divergence.
  2. Pre-modern growth.
  3. The Industrial Revolution.
  4. The role of institutions.
  5. The rise of the global economy.
  • Part II The Twentieth Century:
  1. The world economy between the wars.
  2. The Great Depression.
  3. Post-war growth.
  4. New challenges in a global economy.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Identify the main forces of global economic development throughout modern history.
  • Explain the origins of modern economic growth and the role of institutions in comparative economic development.
  • Discuss the impact of major historical events, such as the World Wars, or the Great Depression, on economic development.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Explain the aims and limitations of simple economic measurement.
  • Apply basic economic theory to empirical evidence.
  • Compare different interpretations on the same topic by examining alternative sources.
  • Develop skills in academic writing.

Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face lectures
  • Individual assignments
DETAILS

The learning experience in this course includes, in addition to lectures and class discussions, an individual assignment in which students are required to write an essay of maximum 1000 words using selected readings. The question requires students to summarise narrative interpretations discussed in scientific journal articles on topics discussed in the course, to recognise links between different topics, and to develop an argument using evidence presented in the selected readings to answer a critical question. The lectures themselves prepare students for this exercise: (1) they both convey basic knowledge and develop narratives from evidence in the course readings, and (2) they encourage student participation by discussing the texts that students are required to read in advance of each class.


Assessment methods
  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
  •   x  
  • Individual assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
  •   x  
    ATTENDING STUDENTS

    In order to evaluate the acquisition of the aforementioned learning outcomes, the assessment of attending students comprises two components:

    • Partial examinations (70% of the final grade) using a mix of open-ended and multiple-choice questions to test both basic knowledge of the course material, the understanding of key concepts discussed in the course readings, and the ability to summarise the narrative interpretations discussed in detail in class. We run two partial exams, one in the mid-term break to assess students on Part I of the course content, and a final exam to assess students on Part II of the course content.
    • Individual essay assignment (30% of the final grade) of maximum 1000 words on 1 out of 3 questions announced by the course lecturer that students submit in the second half of the term. The assignment tests the ability of students to synthesize narrative interpretations discussed in scientific journal articles, to recognise links between them and topics of the class discussions, and to construct an argument based on the evidence from the selected literature. The aim of this assignment is also to improve the skills of students in academic writing one year before the preparation of the final papers. We provide students with detailed information on Bboard on how to prepare the assignment and devote a full class to these preparations, using practical illustrations.
    NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

    General final exam (100% of the final grade) using a mix of open-ended and multiple-choice questions to test both basic knowledge of the course material, the understanding of key concepts discussed in the course readings, and the ability to summarise narrative interpretations from the course readings.


    Teaching materials
    ATTENDING STUDENTS

    Because of the nature of our subject, and to provide our students with a comprehensive introduction to western economic history, our syllabus comprises a selection of chapters from different textbooks. These include, among others:

    • R.C. ALLEN, The British industrial revolution in global perspective.
    • C.H. FEINSTEIN, P. TEMIN, G. TONIOLO, The world economy between the world wars.
    •  B. EICHENGREEN, The European economy since 1945.

    The course literature is accessible for students as E-books or through Course Reserves. We arrange these readings by topic and normally discuss one text per class. Lecturers provide additional information in class aimed at helping students better understand the texts. Students can access all the course material through the Bboard.

    NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

    The syllabus is comprised of the same selection of chapters from different textbooks that we offer to attending students.

    Last change 19/06/2018 07:24