69065 - Economic history

Learning outcomes

The course aims at providing students with an up-to-date understanding of the main aspects and trends of the world economy during the 20th and early 21st centuries. At the end of the course students should understand the origin of the most important economic institutions and the features of the economic cycles so far experienced by the world economy. Topics addressed in more detail will include the failure of the command economies, the construction of the European Union, the evolution and transformation of financial systems, the globalization, the regulation of labour market in different countries.

Course contents

The course has two parts:

Part I – Foundations of World Economic History (17th–21st centuries). In the first part students will gain a general understanding of long-term developments in the global economy, focusing on:
- Geography and long-term patterns of economic development
- European expansion and the development of states
- Political institutions and their influence on economic performance
- Phases and drivers of economic growth
- Innovation and its role in economic transformation
- The demographic transition and population dynamics

Part II – Thematic Approaches to Modern Economic History.
In the second part of the course, students will explore specific themes and challenges in greater depth, including:
-Economic inequality and its historical roots
- Gender inequality and the role of women in economic history
- The role of the state in shaping economic systems, and the emergence and evolution of the welfare state
- Migration and its economic impact
- Environmental challenges and their historical context
- The development of public health and health systems

Readings/Bibliography

Allen, R. C. (2011). Global economic history: A very short introduction. Oxford University Press.

Clark, G. (2008). A farewell to alms: A brief economic history of the world. Princeton University Press.

Marks, R. B. (2006). The origins of the modern world: A global and ecological narrative from the fifteenth to the twenty-first century. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Amatori, F., & Colli, A. (2019). The Global Economy: A Concise History. Giappichelli-Routledge.

Teaching methods

The course combines traditional lectures with interactive and practice-oriented activities to support student learning.

Teaching will include:

- Lectures supported by PowerPoint presentations and audiovisual materials to illustrate key concepts, historical data, and case studies.

- Essay-writing training in English: students will develop academic writing skills through the preparation and submission of five short papers during the course. These assignments are designed to enhance critical thinking, argumentation, and clarity of expression.

- Quizzes with multiple-choice questions to reinforce knowledge and assess understanding of the course material in a formative way.

Assessment methods

The exam is aimed at evaluating the skills and the critical abilities developed by the students

There is a written exam composed of both multiple choice and open questions, covering the topics of the lectures.

At the end of the first part it will be possible to take the I MIDTERM EXAM and at the end of the second part the II MIDTERM EXAM.

Exams will be held according to the following format:

Mid-term (60 minutes)
10 multiple choice questions (1 point each; only one right answer, no penalties for wrong answers) and 2 essay questions (max 11 points each)

Full exam (120 minutes)
20 multiple choice (half point each; only one right answer, no penalties for wrong answers) and 4 essay questions (max 5.5 points each)

The mark is out of 30 points, and the minimum required to pass the exam is 18 / 30.

Grades are graduated as it follows:

<18: failed
18-23: sufficient
24-27: good
28-30: very good
30 cum laude: excellent

Teaching tools

PC, projector.

Slides and additional recommended readings available on the Virtuale platform.

Office hours

See the website of Elena Korchmina