Course 2018-2019 a.y.

• I caratteri strutturali dell’economia preindustriale.
• Le radici della grande divergenza: quando l’Occidente ha superato l’Oriente.
• Istituzioni e crescita economica.
• Le rivoluzioni industriali.
• Tecnologia e crescita economica.
• L’organizzazione del lavoro.
• La prima globalizzazione.
• I sistemi monetari internazionali.
• Le conseguenze economiche della Prima Guerra Mondiale.
• La crisi del 1929.
• Il ruolo dello Stato nell’economia.
• La ricostruzione economica post 1945.
• L’evoluzione delle politiche economiche: dal keynesismo al liberismo.
• Lo sviluppo del Terzo Mondo.
• Gli anni Novanta: l’impetuoso sviluppo dei paesi asiatici.
• La globalizzazione oggi.
• Le crisi finanziarie.

• Identificare le principali dinamiche economiche, sociali e culturali che hanno contraddistinto l'evolversi del sistema economico internazionale in epoca moderna e contemporanea.
• Spiegare i fattori tecnologici e istituzionali alla base della "crescita economica moderna".
• Valutare l'impatto dei più importanti eventi storici, dalle guerre mondiali alla grande depressione, sullo sviluppo economico.
• Comprendere e discutere le cause e i principali effetti dell'attuale fase di globalizzazione economica.

• Spiegare l'utilità e i limiti dei principali indicatori economici.
• Impiegare concetti di teoria economica nell'analisi dei fatti storici.
• Confrontare differenti approcci storiografici e di teoria economica.
• Essere in grado di realizzare una ricerca originale a partire da letteratura scientifica e database.
• Essere in grado di presentare una ricerca originale attraverso un poster scientifico.

• Lezioni frontali
• Analisi casi studio / Incidents guidati (tradizionali, multimediali)
• Lavori/Assignment di gruppo
• Altre attivita' d'aula interattive (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)

Nella seconda parte del corso gli studenti svolgono lavori di gruppo su temi legati alla globalizzazione e al suo impatto su imprese e settori.

Lo studente è frequentante se ha superato la prova scritta parziale con esito 18/30 e ha svolto il lavoro di gruppo.

• La prova scritta parziale verte sugli argomenti trattati nelle lezioni e nel testo d’esame. La prova scritta parziale concorre alla determinazione del voto finale nella misura del 70%.
• Il lavoro di gruppo svolto nella seconda parte del corso concorre alla determinazione del voto finale nella misura del rimanente 30%.

Lo studente è non frequentante se non ha sostenuto oppure non ha superato la prova scritta parziale, oppure non ha svolto il lavoro di gruppo.

• Gli studenti non frequentanti e gli studenti in debito d’esame devono sostenere la prova generale finale in forma scritta.

F. AMATORI, A. COLLI (a cura di), Il mondo globale. Una storia economica, Torino, Giappichelli, 2017.

• F. AMATORI, A. COLLI (a cura di), Il mondo globale. Una storia economica, Torino, Giappichelli, 2017.
• L. NEAL, Storia della finanza internazionale. Dalle Origini ad oggi, Bologna, Il Mulino,  2017.

The course offers an overview of Western economic development from the early modern period, ca. 1500, to the present. We focus on the drivers of industrialisation and of increased prosperity in the Western world and on the historical origins of the disparity in the wealth of nations today. The course is organised in two parts. The first part discusses the drivers of long-run development: the commercial, agricultural, and industrial revolutions, the role of institutions, and the origins of globalisation. The second part illustrates the impact of major shocks on economic development in the 20th century: the World Wars, the Great Depression, and the challenges of the new globalisation since the 1970s. The course covers the following topics:

• Part I The Rise of the Western World:

1. The Great Divergence.
2. Pre-modern growth.
3. The Industrial Revolution.
4. The role of institutions.
5. The rise of the global economy.

• Part II The Twentieth Century:

1. The world economy between the wars.
2. The Great Depression.
3. Post-war growth.
4. New challenges in a global economy.

• Identify the main forces of global economic development throughout modern history.
• Explain the origins of modern economic growth and the role of institutions in comparative economic development.
• Discuss the impact of major historical events, such as the World Wars, or the Great Depression, on economic development.

• Explain the aims and limitations of simple economic measurement.
• Apply basic economic theory to empirical evidence.
• Compare different interpretations on the same topic by examining alternative sources.
• Develop skills in academic writing.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Individual assignments

The learning experience in this course includes, in addition to lectures and class discussions, an individual assignment in which students are required to write an essay of maximum 1000 words using selected readings. The question requires students to summarise narrative interpretations discussed in scientific journal articles on topics discussed in the course, to recognise links between different topics, and to develop an argument using evidence presented in the selected readings to answer a critical question. The lectures themselves prepare students for this exercise: (1) they both convey basic knowledge and develop narratives from evidence in the course readings, and (2) they encourage student participation by discussing the texts that students are required to read in advance of each class.

In order to evaluate the acquisition of the aforementioned learning outcomes, the assessment of attending students comprises two components:

• Partial examinations (70% of the final grade) using a mix of open-ended and multiple-choice questions to test both basic knowledge of the course material, the understanding of key concepts discussed in the course readings, and the ability to summarise the narrative interpretations discussed in detail in class. We run two partial exams, one in the mid-term break to assess students on Part I of the course content, and a final exam to assess students on Part II of the course content.
• Individual essay assignment (30% of the final grade) of maximum 1000 words on 1 out of 3 questions announced by the course lecturer that students submit in the second half of the term. The assignment tests the ability of students to synthesize narrative interpretations discussed in scientific journal articles, to recognise links between them and topics of the class discussions, and to construct an argument based on the evidence from the selected literature. The aim of this assignment is also to improve the skills of students in academic writing one year before the preparation of the final papers. We provide students with detailed information on Bboard on how to prepare the assignment and devote a full class to these preparations, using practical illustrations.

General final exam (100% of the final grade) using a mix of open-ended and multiple-choice questions to test both basic knowledge of the course material, the understanding of key concepts discussed in the course readings, and the ability to summarise narrative interpretations from the course readings.

Because of the nature of our subject, and to provide our students with a comprehensive introduction to western economic history, our syllabus comprises a selection of chapters from different textbooks. These include, among others:

• R.C. ALLEN, The British industrial revolution in global perspective.
• C.H. FEINSTEIN, P. TEMIN, G. TONIOLO, The world economy between the world wars.
•  B. EICHENGREEN, The European economy since 1945.

The course literature is accessible for students as E-books or through Course Reserves. We arrange these readings by topic and normally discuss one text per class. Lecturers provide additional information in class aimed at helping students better understand the texts. Students can access all the course material through the Bboard.

The syllabus is comprised of the same selection of chapters from different textbooks that we offer to attending students.