UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI ROMA TOR VERGATA| Teachers: Prof. Daniela Felisini; Prof. Paolo Paesani |
| E-mail: felisini@uniroma2.it; paolo.paesani@uniroma2.it |
| CFU: 6 Course code: 804002449 Degree: Master’s Degree “Scienze della Storia e del documento” Course delivery modalities: In-presence |
Language: English Pre-requisites: Knowledge of contemporary history in its global dimension Attendance: Optional Assessment method: Mid-term test; Oral examination |
| Period: 1st term |
| Starting day: Monday, 9 September 2024 |
Classes Calendar
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| Program: |
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The course, taught by Prof. Daniela Felisini (2 CFU) and Paolo Paesani (4 CFU), covers comparative business history from the commercial revolution of the 17th century to the beginning of the 21st century, surfing across the two main historical dimensions of time and space. From the perspective of the history of economics (economic history and history of economic thought), the course discusses changing views of markets, firms, the economic role of the state and compares varieties of capitalism. Specific case studies will be the subject of in-depth study with active student participation. The course programme is divided into four inter-related parts as follows:
The course is spread over seven weeks. Each week there are three lectures of two academic hours each. During each lecture, the lecturer presents the planned content with the aid of power point presentations and invites students to critical reflection and dialogue. |
| Text books: |
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Students will study ONE of the following textbooks:
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| Bibliography: |
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| Educational goals and expected learning outcomes: |
| A) Learning Outcomes: The course contributes to the achievement of the objectives of the degree course, in line with the professional profiles and employment outlets envisaged, providing students with notions useful for an in-depth and critical understanding of some major debates in the history of economic thought, including: 1. Competition, innovation, development 2. Evolution of firms and business organisations 3. Industrial revolutions and globalisations 4. Logic of state intervention in the economy 5. Emerging market economies and varieties of capitalism B) Knowledge and Understanding: At the end of the course, students will get to know and understand the fundamental stages in the development of business history from mercantilism to more recent developments, in a comparative and critical perspective. C) Applying Knowledge and Understanding: The course provides tools to understand the complexity of interactions between firms, markets and States, taking into account the evolving domestic and global context. Following the lectures, students will consolidate their knowledge of the fundamental concepts of business history and their ability to independently apply the knowledge they have acquired to the critical analysis of economic phenomena of the present and the past. D) Making Judgements: the ability to draw independent judgments and conclusions about the major debates in business history and the relevance of these debates in today’s world is stimulated by highlighting the connections between the concepts developed during the course, the notions acquired in previous courses and the links between these notions and the major contemporary economic problems. E) Communication Skills: By attending the course and interacting with the two lecturers, students will develop their communication skills and their ability to organise and share articulate reasoning, combining notions of economic history, history of economic thought and economics. F) Learning Skills: Through the study of the business history, in the double perspective of the history of economic ideas and facts, the students will acquire the ability to independently analyse and investigate specific topics related to the course contents. |
| Methods and criteria for verifying the learning: |
| The exam assesses the student’s overall preparation, the ability to combine knowledge about each part of the syllabus, the coherence of argumentation, the analytical ability, and the autonomy of judgment. In addition, the student’s command of language and clarity of presentation are also assessed, in adherence with the Dublin descriptors (1. knowledge and understanding; 2. applying knowledge and experience; 3. making judgments; 4. learning skills; 5: communication skills). The final grade will be based 70% on the student’s depth of knowledge and 30% on the student’s ability for expression (written and oral) and independent critical thinking. The exam will be evaluated according to the following criteria: – Failed: significant deficiencies and inaccuracies in the knowledge and the understanding of the subject matter; poor analytical and synthesizing skills, recurrent generalizations, limited critical and judgmental skills; the arguments are exposed inconsistently and with inappropriate language. – 18-20: Knowledge and understanding of topics barely adequate, with occasional generalizations and imperfections possible; sufficient capacity for analysis synthesis and autonomy of judgment, the arguments are frequently exposed in an incoherent manner and with inappropriate/non technical language. – 21-23: Fair knowledge and understanding of the subject; proper analysis and synthesis skills with coherent, logical argumentation, but with language that is often inappropriate/non technical. – 24-26: Moderate knowledge and understanding of the subjects; good analytical and synthesis skills with arguments expressed rigorously but with language that is not always appropriate/technical. – 27-29: Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the subjects; remarkable analytical and synthesis skills. Good autonomy of judgment. Topics expounded rigorously and with appropriate/technical language. 30-30L: Excellent level of in-depth knowledge and understanding of the subjects. Excellent skills in analysis, synthesis, and independent judgment. Arguments are expressed in an original way and with appropriate technical language. |
| Teaching methods: |
| The course combines different teaching methods: lectures; seminars; student presentations. The lectures will provide the students with the necessary information and reading guidelines on the phenomena under study, while seminars will see students critically engage with this knowledge and encourage/participate in class debates. Students are expected to attend each class, to come to class prepared and to participate in discussions. Students will agree the topic of their presentations with the lecturers and give assessed Power-point presentations in which they will critically evaluate the content and argument of a chosen topic and introduce related questions for the class discussion. |
| Attendance modalities: |
| Attendance, which is optional, is strongly recommended. |
| Previous year | Following year |