Checking date: 12/05/2022


Course: 2022/2023

Contemporary History
(13001)
Dual Bachelor in Political Science and Sociology (2009 Study Plan) (Plan: 192 - Estudio: 247)


Coordinating teacher: RIBAGORDA ESTEBAN, ALVARO

Department assigned to the subject: Humanities: History, Geography and Art Department

Type: Basic Core
ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:

Branch of knowledge: Social Sciences and Law



Requirements (Subjects that are assumed to be known)
Contemporary history (high school)
Objectives
Contemporary history is the basis from which to begin the studies of political science and sociology, by providing a series of concepts in development, and allowing analysis of recent historical processes that allow us to approach the knowledge of current political organizations and societies. The formation of the student in History not only is focused in the acquisition of certain knowledge; also it is necessary this study because the student acquires intellectual habits as they are the critic and synthesis capacity. These capacities are essential to understand and to interpret the past in general and, particularly, the social, political, economic and cultural behaviours of the different social groups.
Skills and learning outcomes
Description of contents: programme
1. The crisis of the Ancient Regime and the Industrial Revolution 2. The Atlantic Revolutions 3. Liberalism and nationalism in the 19th century 4. The social movements 5. The era of progress 6. Colonial empires 7. The 1st World War 8. The Soviet Revolution 9. The crisis of liberalism and fascism 10. 1929's crack and the Great Depression 11. German collapse and Nazism 12. The 2nd World War 13. Cold War and the bipolar world 14. Decolonization in Asia and Africa. Latin America 15. Neoliberalism and fall of communist 16. Globalization and 21st century crises
Learning activities and methodology
In the master classes the students will approach the basic knowledge of contemporary history, considering historiographic debates, general reflections, and in-depth analysis of the most significant processes. In the practical part, the teacher will provide period documents: texts, works of art, posters, photographs, documentaries, etc. along with other materials such as readings, news, films or debates, through which students will carry out various written or oral practices, inside and outside the classroom, through which the in-depth study of processes and especially relevant aspects of the recent history, and deepen in different topics of interest for the knowledge of the past, and its relation to the political, social, economic and cultural phenomena of the present. The realization of the practices will require various readings and analysis exercises to delve into the proposed topics. Sometimes master classes and practices will be combined, when it is especially convenient. In some of the practical classes, various readings and sources will be provided on the topics studied, which will be compulsory reading for everyone, and some students may also be commissioned to prepare an analysis of them for their presentation in class and subsequent general debate. Students will have two hours of weekly, individual or group tutoring.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination 60
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 40
Calendar of Continuous assessment
Basic Bibliography
  • BLANNING, C. W. (Ed.). The Oxford History of Modern Europe. Oxford Univ. Press. 2000
  • EVANS, Richard J.. The pursuit of power 1815-1914. Penguin. 2017
  • HOBSBAWM, Eric. The Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century 1914-1991. . Penguin. 1994
Additional Bibliography
  • VOUILLARD, Eric. El orden del día. Tusquets. 2020
  • ZWEIG, Stefan. The world of yesterday. Memoirs of an European. Pushkin. 2011

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.