Learning objectives
a) Knowledge and comprehension skills
The student will learn and understand the economic, social, institutional, and political- regulatory processes that characterise the development of the global economy.
b) Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
The student will be able to apply what s/he has learnt to better understand the complexity of economic dynamics, also in relation to the other courses taken.
c) Autonomy of judgment
The student will be able to evaluate economic processes and develop a critical analysis of the influencing factors that characterise their evolution.
d) Communication skills
The student will acquire the vocabulary and concepts essential for the training and communication of an undergraduate student in economics.
e) Learning skills
The student will experience an innovative teaching method based on teamwork activities and cooperative learning.
Prerequisites
None
Course unit content
Why some countries are rich and others poor? What factors enabled Europe and then North America to complete the great leap towards industrialisation and social development between the 18th and 19th century? And what are the reasons that in recent decades are allowing the rise of countries whose development (India, China, BRICS) is reshaping the world geography of wealth?
The course presents and analyses the factors – geography, globalisation, technical progress, economic policies, institutions – that have fostered the economic development of different areas of the world.
The course takes a global approach to analysing the rise of the West and the spread of industrialisation in America, with the resulting change in international hegemony. The cases of Russia and Japan – emblematic cases of late development – will also be analysed, as well as those of Africa, the affirmation of the “Asian tigers” and the current rise of China.
The globalisation phenomenon will be comprehensively addressed to illustrate its political, cultural, ecological, and ideological dimensions, along with the economic one.
The course is split in two parts.
(1) The first, which ends with an intermediate test, presents and analyses the themes of globalisation and modern global economic development.
(2) The second comprises different options. It will be possible to participate in teamwork activities or take a course on the history of famine in the world.
Full programme
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Bibliography
Mandatory:
(1) Robert C. Allen, Storia economica globale, Bologna, il Mulino, 2013.
(2) Manfred B. Steger, La globalizzazione, Bologna, il Mulino, 2016.
Books of your choice:
(1) Andrea Goldstein, Quando l'importante è vincere. Politica ed economia delle Olimpiadi, Bologna, il Mulino, 2024.
(2) Giada Messetti, La Cina è già qui, Milano, Mondadori, 2022.
(3) Chiara Saraceno, Il welfare. Tra vecchie e nuove disuguaglianze, Bologna, il Mulino, 2021.
(4) Giovanna Sissa, Le emissioni segrete. L'impatto ambientale dell'universo digitale, Bologna, il Mulino, 2024.
(5) Stefano Vicari, Maria Pontillo, Adolescenti che non escono di casa. Non solo Hikikomori, Bologna, il Mulino, 2022.
Teaching methods
The course is divided into two parts, each comprising approximately 50% of the total hours.
The first part consists of frontal lectures, at the end of which there is an intermediate multiple-choice test.
The second part offers different possibilities:
(a) students who pass the intermediate test with a mark of 23/30 or higher are allowed to participate in TEAMWORK activities. Students (with the guidance of the lecturer) will form small teams, choose a topic, prepare and present in class a short Power Point presentation accompanied by a brief abstract in English. Class attendance is required for this activity (at least 70% of the scheduled hours).
(b) students who pass the intermediate test with a mark of between 18 and 22/30 may attend the module on the History of famines (Storia delle carestie) taught by prof. Claudio Bargelli and take a final multiple-choice test.
In both cases, (a) and (b), the mark obtained in the intermediate test will count towards the final mark. Students who pass the intermediate test with a mark equal or higher than 23/30 may also decide to take the ‘History of famines’ module.
In all other cases (intermediate test not taken or not passed; History of famines test not passed; failure to reach the minimum attendance threshold; refusal of the mark), it will be necessary to take the full exam from the first winter session.
The teaching material used in the lectures and any videotaped and/or additional materials will be published on the Elly platform.
Assessment methods and criteria
1. Intermediate test + in-class presentation (teamwork)
Intermediate test
Knowledge and comprehension skills will be assessed with a multiple-choice test (30 questions, 15 minutes). The questions will be designed to test the ability to learn and make cross-connections. This part of the exam is worth 50%. The books to be studied are: 2 mandatory books.
In-class presentation (Teamwork)
In-class presentations will be assessed on five elements, each worth 20%: a) originality and innovativeness of the work (ability to develop the proposed theme in an original way with respect to the literature and documentation used); b) clarity and effectiveness of the slides (style, language); c) quality and clarity of the abstract (in presenting the objectives, the sources used, the results obtained); d) coherence between sources, analysis and synthesis; e) coherence between research questions and analysis (i.e., if I propose to study the quality of the leather of the shoes I am wearing, I cannot then analyse the cotton of my shirt). This part of the exam will be worth 50%.
The final mark will be the weighted average of the student’s results in the two examinations (intermediate test & in-class presentation). The lecturer may also assess the participation of individual students in classwork, in lectures or during group presentations, with the possible award of a bonus.
2. Intermediate test + History of famines (prof. Bargelli)
Intermediate test
Knowledge and comprehension skills will be assessed with a multiple-choice test (30 questions, 15 minutes). The questions will be designed to test the ability to learn and make cross-connections. This part of the exam is worth 50%. The books to be studied are: 2 mandatory books.
History of famines (Prof. Bargelli)
This 30-hour module focuses on the history of famine, analysing different case-studies. The knowledge acquired will be assessed through a final multiple-choice test.
All students may attend this module, in particularly those who obtained a mark between 18 and 22 in the intermediate test.
The specific syllabus and the related bibliography will be communicated by the lecturer at the beginning of the module.
The specific program and bibliography will be communicated by the lecturer at the beginning of the module.
The final mark will be the weighted average of the student’s results in the two examinations (intermediate test & History of famines’ test). The lecturer may also assess the participation of individual students in classwork, with the possible award of a bonus.
(3) Final exam
Final written exam
Knowledge and comprehension skills will be assessed with a final written exam (multiple choice and/or open questions). Oral examinations may also be scheduled at the lecturer's discretion.
The books to be studied are: 2 mandatory books + 1 book of your choice (from the 5 listed above).
The final mark of 30 cum laude will be achieved when all parts of the exam (written test or oral exposition; teamwork or other forms of cooperative work) are more than excellent in terms of completeness, clarity, brilliance, and organisation of answers, as well as for the student’s ability to make multidisciplinary connections.
Other information
Additional readings and activities will be communicated at the beginning of the course and published on the Elly platform.
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
4. Quality education
5. Gender equality
12. Responsible consumption and production
