27280 - Seminars (1) (G.C)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the seminar students will be able to interpret issues related to specific historical phenomena in a diachronic and transversal perspective, thought the elaboration and synthesis of the data coming from the analysis of written records and material sources and from the collective debate originated from the contact with other people. They will be able to formulate autonomously and in an organized way a research path or an intellectual work, using the specific acquired tools with methodological rigour, precision and accuracy.

Course contents

The course aims to provide undergraduate students in History with an overview of the evolution of the historical profession from antiquity to the present day, with particular emphasis on the schools and historiographical traditions that have developed within academic scholarship since the nineteenth century.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired an understanding of the history of historiography in relation to the major turning points of modern and contemporary history. Through active participation in class, they will be able to understand the priorities, methodologies, continuities, and transformations of historical scholarship over time, and to critically assess the broader intellectual currents informing contemporary historiographical approaches.

There are no specific prerequisites for successfully undertaking the course.

Readings/Bibliography

Group 1: manuale

Romagnani G.P., Storia della storiografia. Dall’antichità a oggi, Carocci 2019.

 

Group 2: One book of your choice among the following:

P. Burke, Una rivoluzione storiografica. La scuola delle «Annales» 1929-1989, Laterza 2019.

M. Bloch, Apologia della storia o Mestiere di storico, Einaudi 2016.

F. Benigno, Parole nel tempo. Un lessico per pensare la storia, Viella 2013.

[in aggionamento]

Teaching methods

The course consists of lectures, as well as the reading and discussion of primary sources and scholarly texts.

As this course is conducted as a seminar, the instructor will provide an introductory series of lectures, after which students will be expected to participate actively in class discussions. The instructor will assign a number of short readings (journal articles or book chapters), which all attending students are expected to read in advance. These readings will then be discussed collectively during class. The complete list of assigned texts will be published on the instructor's course webpage and presented during the first class meeting.

All teaching materials and the texts discussed in class will be made available through the University's Virtuale platform or will be accessible via the University's online library collections.

Regular attendance is strongly encouraged. Students who attend at least 75% of the classes will be considered attending students. Participation in the in-class presentation and discussion of the assigned readings is also a mandatory requirement for obtaining attending-student status.

Assessment methods

Assessment consists of an oral examination designed to evaluate the student's critical thinking and methodological skills.

Particular attention will be paid to the student's ability to navigate the primary sources and the required bibliography, identify relevant information, illustrate key themes and issues, and establish meaningful connections between them.

Assessment will focus on the following criteria:

• Mastery of the course content.
• Ability to analyse and synthesise themes and concepts.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively using language appropriate to the subject.

For non-attending students, the assessment is based on the study of the books listed in the Texts/Bibliography section.

Attending students may replace the study of the texts listed in Section 2 with a short research paper focusing on one of the historiographical traditions examined during the seminar. The paper must not exceed 20,000 characters (including spaces) and must be submitted at least two weeks before the examination session in which the student intends to take the assessment. During the oral examination, students will be assessed on both the contents of their research paper and the course textbook. Students are considered attending students only if they have attended at least 75% of the scheduled classes.

The Summer 2027 examination session will be the last opportunity to complete the assessment under the attending-student scheme. Thereafter, all students will be assessed according to the requirements for non-attending students.

Assessment sessions are scheduled throughout the academic year in the following periods:

• September (all students)
• November/December (all students)
• January/February (all students)
• March (all students)
• April (all students)
• May (all students)
• June (all students)
  

With regard to assessment, limited, transparent, and non-substantive use of artificial intelligence tools is permitted for support activities such as translation and language editing. The substantive use of AI for completing any part of the assessed work is not permitted.

Teaching tools

Course information and teaching materials will be available through Virtuale, AlmaStart, and the professor's webpage.

Students with specific learning disorders (SLDs) or temporary or permanent disabilities are strongly encouraged to contact the University's dedicated support office at an early stage (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ). The office will propose any appropriate accommodations for eligible students. Such accommodations must be submitted to the instructor for approval at least 15 days in advance. The instructor will assess their appropriateness in light of the course's intended learning outcomes.

Office hours

See the website of Jacopo Lorenzini