Learning objectives
a) Understanding ability and comprehension skills
The student will learn and understand the economic, social, institutional and political-regulatory processes that characterize the
global economy development.
b) Applying knowledge and comprehension skills
The student will use the studied issues to understand the economic processes complexity, also with regard to the other disciplines.
c) Independent judgment
The student will be able to evaluate the economic processes and develop a critical analysis of the powerful factors that characterize their evolution.
d) Communication skills
The student will get a lexical and conceptual property essential for the education and the communication of a triennial student in economic issues.
e) Learning skills
The student will explore an innovative teaching method based on group work and cooperative learning.
Prerequisites
None
Course unit content
Why are some countries rich and others poor? What factors have allowed Europe and North America, between the 18th and 19th centuries, to complete the great leap towards industrialization and social development? And what are the reasons that in the current decades are making possible the rise of economies whose development (India, China, Brics) is reshaping the global balance of wealth?
The course shows and takes into analysis factors – such as geography, globalization, technical progress, economic policies, institutions – that determined the economic development of the different regions of the world.
By adopting a global perspective of analysis, lessons will consider the so-called “rise of the Western world”, the following spread of industrialization in North America, with the consequent change in the hierarchy of world economies. Moreover the cases of Russia and Japan – typical of the late-comers’ development – will be considered, not leaving aside the dynamics occurring in the African continent, the achievements of so-called “Asian Dragons”, nor the upsurge of China.
Classes will be divided in two parts: the first one, followed by an intermediate test, will present and analyse the issues of globalization and modern global economic development. In the second part, which offers different options, it will be possible to take part to teamworks as well as to take classes on the history of famines in the world.
Full programme
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Bibliography
Mandatory for all:
- Robert C. Allen, Storia economica globale, Bologna, il Mulino, 2013.
- Jurgen Osterhammel, Niels P. Petersson, Storia della globalizzazione, Bologna, il Mulino, 2005.
Books of your choice:
- Marta Boneschi, Il comune senso del pudore, Bologna, il Mulino, 2018.
- Anna Vanzan, Diario persiano, Bologna, il Mulino, 2017.
- Giada Messetti, Nella testa del Dragone, Milano, Mondadori, 2020.
Teaching methods
The course is divided in two parts, covering each about 50% of the time.
The first part will be made of in class standard lectures. This part will be followed by an intermediate multiple-choice test on the Elly platform.
The second part offers several possibilities: (a) students who will pass the intermediate test with at least 23/30 will be allowed to take part to the teamwork, group activities envisaged to deepen, using cooperative methodologies, topics defined together with the teacher and presented to the classroom. The students will form small teams that, following the bibliographical and documentary indications provided by the teacher, will prepare and present a short in classroom Power Point presentation and a short abstract in English. In this phase the students will have to attend a minimum of 80% of the lessons; (b) students who will get a score between 18/30 and 22/30 in the intermediate test may attend the additional course on history of famines given by prof. Claudio Bargelli taking a multiple choice test. In both cases, (a) and (b), the two scores will be combined in a final one. Even the students scoring in the intermediate test a mark equal or greater than 23/30 are allowed to attend the course “Storia delle carestie”.
In all other cases (students who fail the intermediate test; students who fail the final test; students who, though having passed the intermediate test, do not reach the minimum requirements of attendance, or who decide not to attend classes; students who refuse the score obtained), it will be necessary to take the full exam beginning with the exams of the winter session.
The teaching material used in the in-presence lessons, as well as the video recordings of the lessons or other equivalent audio-video material, will be published on the Elly platform.
Assessment methods and criteria
1. Intermediate test + in class presentation (teamwork)
Intermediate test
Knowledge and comprehension abilities will be assessed through a 30 questions multiple choice test. Every question is worth 1 point. The questions will be conceived in order to assess the ability to learn and to make cross-connections. This part of the exam will be worth 50%. The books to be studied are: the 2 mandatory books.
In class presentation
The in class presentation will be assessed by the following elements (each of them will be worth 20% of the total): a) originality and innovativeness of work (ability to develop the topic originally with reference to the literature and documentation used); b) precision and effectiveness of the slides (style, language); c) quality and precision of the abstract (in presenting aims, sources, results of the work); d) coherence between sources, analysis and synthesis; e) coherence between research questions and proposed analysis (i.e.: if I want to study the skin quality of the shoes I am wearing, I cannot analyse the cotton of my shirt). This part of the exam will be worth 50%.
These scores will be merged in a final overall score (each of which will be worth 50%).
The teacher will also evaluate the in class level of participation of the students, during the lesson or the presentation of teamwork, assigning an extra bonus.
2. Intermediate test + Storia delle carestie (prof. Bargelli)
Intermediate test
Knowledge and comprehension abilities will be assessed through a 30 questions multiple choice test. Every question is worth 1 point. The questions will be conceived in order to check the ability to learn and to make cross-connections. This part of the exam will be worth 50%. The books to be studied are: the 2 mandatory books.
Storia delle carestie (Prof. Bargelli)
This part has 30 hours of lessons and wills focus on the history of famine, analysing many case-studies. Knowledge will be assessed through a 15 questions multiple choice test. Every question is worth 2 points. All the students are allowed to attend this part, and particularly those who achieved an intermediate test score ranging from 18 to 22.
The specific program and the bibliography will be provided by the teacher at the beginning of classes.
The final score will be the result of a weighted average of the two tests, each of which will be worth 50%. The teacher will also evaluate the degree of in class participation of the students, during the lesson or the presentation of teamwork, assigning an extra bonus.
(3) Final exam
Final written exam
Knowledge and understanding abilities will be assessed with a final written exam (multiple choice and/or open questions). At the discretion of the teacher, an oral interview will be possible. The books to be studied are: the 2 mandatory books + 1 book of your choice.
The final score will be 30 cum laude when all the parts of the exam (written exam or oral exposition; teamwork or other forms of cooperative work) are more than excellent for completeness, clarity, brightness, vividness and organization of the answers, capacity of multidisciplinary connections.
The final grade is published in esse3 within 8 days of taking the exam.
Devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, etc. are strictly forbidden.
Other information
Any extra readings and activities will be provided at the beginning of the course and posted on Elly site.
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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