45986 - History of Europe (1) (2nd cycle)

Course contents

The European city is the subject through which it will be possible to verify the building up of European identity during the centuries of modern era; in fact the city has always been the symbol of modernity in different cultures, and especially in Europe, both from the point of wiew of history (Febvre, Verga) as of literature (Berman, Moretti) or of social sciences (Weber). After the two main revolutions of the XVIIIth century (French revolution and industrial revolution) the city in Europe grows as the core of the nation state and the fulcrum of an exceptional technological acceleration which makes in the XXth century European societies more and more similar, notwithstanding civil wars (Capuzzo, Kaelble, Kern). Recent political and economic events (globalization) are radically modifying this landscape. Some scholar is even wondering: does the European city still exist? (Martinotti, Sassen, Le Galès)

Readings/Bibliography

a) On the building of European identity: Lucien Febvre, L'Europa. Storia di una civiltà, Donzelli; Id., Il Reno, Donzelli; Paul Valéry, Sguardi sul mondo attuale, Adelphi; Franco Moretti, Atlante del romanzo europeo, Einaudi; Marcello Verga, Storie d'Europa, Carocci

b) On modernity and its perception: M.Berman, L'esperienza della modernità, Mulino; P.Capuzzo, Culture del consumo, Mulino; S.Kern, Il tempo e lo spazio. La percezione del mondo tra 8 e 900, Mulino;  Max Weber, La città, Donzelli

c) European cities and globalization: Clemens Zimmermann, L'era delle metropoli, Mulino; Serena Vicari Haddock, La città contemporanea, Mulino; G.Martinotti, Metropoli.La nuova morfologia sociale della città, Mulino; Saskia Sassen, Le città nell'economia globale, Mulino; A.Amin, N.Thrift, Città. Ripensare la dimensione urbana, Mulino; P. Le Galès, Le città europee. Società urbane, globalizzazione, governi locali, Mulino; Periferie (“Parolechiave” n. 34, 2007)

d) Two industrializations and two crises: H.Kaelble, Verso una società europea, Laterza; D.Harvey, La crisi della modernità, Il Saggiatore; C.S. Maier, Due grandi crisi del XX secolo, in L. Baldissara (a cura di), Le radici della crisi, Carocci insieme a Id., Secolo corto o epoca lunga? in C.Pavone ( a cura,) ‘900. I tempi della storia, Donzelli; G.Arrighi, Il lungo ventesimo secolo, Sansoni

Teaching methods

Part of the lessons will be given as lectures and another part, in a seminarial form, on sources and methods, with the aim of developing new interests for research subjects and/or possible themes for the final thesis.

Assessment methods

For those who attend lessons it will be possible to prepare a paper (either for 6 or for 12 credits with prof. Capuzzo) on a subject (and sources) chosen during the course.

For those who do no attend lessons it will be required the study of 4 volumes, one each for the different listed themes.

Office hours

See the website of Maria Salvati