Learning objectives
a) Knowledge and Understanding
The student will have the opportunity to learn and understand the economic, social, cultural, institutional, and political-legal processes that characterize European integration, with particular reference to issues related to food and nutrition.
b) Application of Knowledge and Understanding
The student will be able to apply what they have learned to better understand the complexities of community dynamics, including in relation to other courses they have taken.
c) Independent Judgment
The student will be capable of assessing community dynamics and developing a critical analysis of the influencing factors that characterize their evolution.
d) Communication Skills
The student will acquire a vital lexical and conceptual foundation necessary for the education and communication of a specialist in Political Science.
e) Learning Ability
The student will experience an innovative teaching method focused on group work.
Prerequisites
None
Course unit content
Why did European states decide to establish a political and monetary union? What have been the long-term historical dynamics characterizing the European integration process, both from political and cultural perspectives as well as from an economic standpoint?
There are numerous traces testifying to the existence of a commonality of spirits, cultures, experiences, and identities among the various European peoples. Can we say the same in the field of food?
The course will analyze the gradual maturation of the idea of "European unity," focusing on the driving forces and resistances encountered over the centuries, with particular reference to the post-World War II construction of European institutions, examining the opportunities offered to different continental economies to grow, expand, and integrate.
Great attention will be devoted to the construction of a common agricultural and food policy and its implications for food security. Finally, the course will delve into the relationship between the integration of the European space and the cross-contamination of gastronomic grammars
Full programme
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Bibliography
Compulsory:
(1) Giuliana Laschi, Storia dell’integrazione europea, Milano, Le Monnier Università, 2021 (IT)
The book (1)" can be replaced with the following in English:
(1) Ivan T. Berend, The Economics and Politics of European Integration. Populism, Nationalism and the History of the EU, New York, Routledge, 2021 (ENG)
(2) Kiran Klaus Patel, Fertile ground for Europe? The history of European integration and the common agricultural policy since 1945, Baden-Baden, Nomos, 2009 (pp. 1-23; 61-78; 161-179) (ENG)
(3) Piero Bevilacqua, La mucca è savia. Ragioni storiche della crisi alimentare europea, Roma, Donzelli, 2002 (IT)
Materials, slides, and lecture notes published on Elly.
Students who do not take the midterm exam will need to read, in addition to the required books, one text of their choice from the following:
(1) Pascal Griset, Jean-Pierre Williot, Yves Bouvier, Face aux risques. Une histoire de la sûreté alimentaire à la santé environnementale, Paris, Le Cherche Midi, 2020 (FR).
(2) Piero Bevilacqua, Il cibo e la terra. Agricoltura, ambiente e salute negli scenari del nuovo millennio, Roma, Donzelli, 2018 (IT)
(3) Luisa Stagi, Food Porn. L’ossessione del cibo in Tv e nei social media, Milano, Egea, 2016 (IT)
(4) Elisabetta Moro, La dieta mediterranea. Mito e storia di uno stile di vita, Bologna, il Mulino, 2014 (IT)
(5) Massimo Montanari, Il mito delle origini. Breve storia degli spaghetti al pomodoro, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2019 (IT).
Teaching methods
In the first part of the course (approximately 50% of the total hours), activities will consist of lectures (with the possibility of occasional guest speakers), culminating in a midterm exercise.
The second part (approximately 50% of the total hours) will be dedicated to student presentations, organized in small groups, based on agreed-upon bibliographic and documentary guidelines with the instructor. These presentations and discussions will take place in the classroom.
Students who do not pass the midterm exercise (<18) will need to retake the test, and in the case of a negative outcome, will have to take the FULL EXAM.
The final grade, for those choosing the midterm exercise + presentation mode, will be composed as follows: 50% midterm exercise, 40% presentation, 10% participation in classroom activities.
All educational materials used will be available on the Elly portal.
Assessment methods and criteria
There are two modes for passing the exam:
(1) MIDTERM EXERCISE + PRESENTATION
The MIDTERM EXERCISE, which is a written test, aims to assess the knowledge acquired in the first part of the course and must be passed with a minimum score of 18/30. This part of the exam holds a 50% weight.
Presentations will be evaluated based on the quality of the following elements:
a) Originality and innovativeness of the work (the ability to develop the proposed topic in an original manner compared to the literature and documentation used).
b) Clarity and communicative effectiveness of the slides (style, language).
c) Quality and clarity of the abstract (in presenting the objectives, sources used, and results obtained).
d) Consistency between the sources used, the analysis, and the proposed synthesis.
e) Consistency between research questions and the analysis presented (e.g., if the goal is to study the quality of shoe leather, you cannot then analyze the cotton of the shirt). This part of the exam holds a 40% weight.
CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION
The evaluation of participation will consider the contributions made to discussions and the quality/innovativeness of the arguments used. This part of the exam holds a 10% weight.
(2) FULL EXAM
The full exam consists of a written test and an oral interview. To prepare for it, study all the required texts indicated + 1 book of your choice from those listed.
Other information
Any additional materials and extra activities will be communicated at the beginning of the course and posted on the course's Elly website.
