81860 - Historians and Historiographic Practices (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student demonstrates full understanding of the relationship between historiography and sources. Second, the student must be able to reconstruct the evolution of the historical method through the centuries. Thirdly, one must be able to distinguish the quality of the various sources available, both in positive (reliability) and in negative (possible falsifications).

Course contents

The course focuses on the historiography on Italian fascism. In the last years, the discussion around what is fascism led to a vast reconsideration of the meaning and the experience of Italian fascism in the European and global context. The lessons will interrogate the history of Fascism to understand in which way Fascism was able to mould the historical context in which it was born, how and if it transformed political, cultural, social elements that were already present in Italy.

The themes considered are violence, empire, politics, economy, culture, but also the impact of Fascism abroad in the Twenties and in the Thirties. The study of the incredibly complex and diverse nature of historical transformations during the interwar years provides an excellent perspective on historiography’s recent developments.

After a general course introduction, students (guided by the teacher) will be asked to read, and comment in depth some relevant texts in recent historiography.

This is an integrated course (STORICI E STORIOGRAFIA). Therefore, the final mark will result from the average of the marks in both courses (STORICI E PRATICA STORIOGRAFICA and STORIA DELLA STORIOGRAFIA).

Readings/Bibliography

1) Giulia Albanese (a cura di), Il fascismo italiano Storia e interpretazioni, Carocci, Roma 2021

2) Matteo Pasetti, Storia dei fascismi in Europa, Archetipo, Bologna 2009

3)Constantin Iordachi, Comparative Fascist Studies. New Perspectives, Routledge, London-New York 2009; or, Renzo De Felice, Le interpretazioni del fascismo, Laterza, Roma-Bari (qualsiasi edizione)

4) Aristotle Kallis, The ‘Fascist Effect’: On the Dynamics of Political Hybridization in Inter-War Europe, in Antonio Costa Pinto, Aristotle Kallis (eds), Rethinking Fascism and Dictatorship in Europe, Palgrave Macmillan, London 2014, pp. 13-41 (available on Virtuale)

Teaching methods

After a few introductive lessons, the course will be articulated through lectures and seminars discussions. Students are expected to participate actively by attending all lessons, reading the assignated texts and take an active part in class discussions.

Those unable to do so can always opt for an oral exam at a later stage, as foreseen by the programme.

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 12 lessons are considered to be attending.

Students attending the seminar will read and discuss the assignements every lesson. At the end they will write a paper (approximately 10.000 signs), that critically a book related to the course topics. The review should also take into account what was discussed in class.

The review will be given a grade, which will be averaged with the grade earned in the exam for the second module. The grade will take into account the consistency and quality of participation in the seminar discussion.

For students not attending at least 12 classes of the seminar, the exam will be oral.

Thorough in-depth knowledge of the topics covered in the course, together with analytical and critical skills and command of the specific language, will qualify for top marks (30-30L).

A good grasp of the topics covered in the course, together with good critical analysis and command of the specific language, will qualify for high marks (27-29).

A more mechanical and less articulate grasp, and/or correct use of language though not always appropriate, will qualify for a medium-range mark (23-26).

Weak analytical capacity and frequently inappropriate language – together with some knowledge of exam material – will receive a pass mark or little more (18-22).

Mistakes of spelling and syntax (by native Italian students) will be heavily penalized, as befits a university examination, especially in a humanistic subject.

This is an integrated course (STORICI E STORIOGRAFIA). Therefore, the final mark will result from the average of the marks in both courses (STORICI E PRATICA STORIOGRAFICA and STORIA DELLA STORIOGRAFIA).

Teaching tools

Readings, analysis and discussion of articles and book chapters

Office hours

See the website of Alessio Gagliardi