Global History A – 2023-24

General description:
Global History has come into its own as a scholarly enterprise at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Spurred by ongoing processes of globalization it flourishes as one of the most important developments in the discipline of history today. This course will introduce students to the literature on and practice of global history looking at the relation between Europe and the rest of the world, from the late eighteenth century to the beginning of the twenty first century. In this course, global Entanglements and local specificities, interactions and hierarchies will be expressed in critical historical approaches. Moreover, global history will be investigated on defined objects and multiple scales (of object themselves, of time and space). The course will be divided into two main parts. After a week dedicated to the historiographical debates related to Global history, the main focuses of the classes will be on Actors and Spaces in a global scale. Students will be expected to write a short research paper on a topic in global history.

Learning Objectives:
The course aims to provide students with solid knowledge and the ability to navigate the dynamics of global history from the late nineteenth century to the present day. By the end of the course, students will have a good knowledge of political and institutional events in a transnational and global dimension; they will be able to think globally at the historical-political and institutional transformations. The teaching activity of this module aims to strengthen the following skills:
Critical Thinking: Students will be developing their ability to analyze critically both historical and present events from a global perspective.
Reading: Students will become active readers that can articulate their own interpretations with an awareness and appreciation of multiple perspectives. Each lecture will include discussions to ensure students have completed their assigned reading. These discussions will also foster a collaborative classroom environment where students collectively analyze the significance of historical developments.
Writing: Students will be able to offer complex and informed analyses of historical documents. They will practice writing as a process of inquiry and engage other writers’ ideas as they explore and develop their voice as a writer. As shown below, over the course of the semester, students will complete a process-oriented writing assignment that emphasizes analysis over description. Communication: Students will demonstrate the skills needed to participate in a dialogue that builds knowledge collaboratively, listening carefully and respectfully to others’ viewpoints while articulating their own ideas and questions.

Teaching Method:
The teacher will combine lectures with readings, films, and discussion, and will analyze a variety of primary sources, such as novels, newspaper articles, documents, advertisements, and documentaries. Students are asked to actively participate in discussions and are strongly encouraged to read the extra readings the teacher will suggest every week.

Contents:
Every week consists in 3 classes (2 hours each).
Week 1: Why global history? The historiographical debate, and beyond
Week 2: Actors. Migration and exile: the making of the modern global world
Week 3: Actors. Transnational War Volunteers as global actors in Modern Times
Week 4: Actors. Global Radical lives
Week 5: Mid-Term test and “How to write a research paper”?
Week 6: Spaces. Revolutions in global perspective
Week 7: Spaces. Transatlantic circulation of Ideas during the 20th Century
Week 8: Spaces. The Cold War in the Global South
Week 9: A global approach to our times and general conclusions of the course

Text books:
1. Sebastian Conrad, What is global history? (Princeton, 2016).
2. Richard Drayton and David Motadel, “Discussion: the futures of global history”, in Journal of Global History, (2018) 13, pp. 1-21 [a copy of this article will be provided by the Teacher during the first week of classes].3. Students will also have to choose one book among the following list and to discuss it at the final oral exam (two books for non-attending students):
– Enrico Acciai, Garibaldi’s Radical Legacy: Traditions of War Volunteering in Southern Europe (New York, 2020).
– Federico Finchelstein, From Fascism to Populism in History (Oakland, 2017).
– Michael Goebel, Anti-imperial metropolis: interwar Paris and the seeds of third world nationalism (Cambridge, 2015).
– Tim Harper, Global Revolutionaries and the Assault on Empire (Cambridge, 2020).
– David Motadel, Revolutionary World. Global Upheaval in Modern Age (Cambridge 2021).
– Arne Odd Westad, The Global Cold War: Third World Interventions and the Making of Our Times (Cambridge, 2005)

Description of the 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/technical language.
21-23: Fair knowledge and understanding of the subject; proper analysis and synthesis skills with coherent, logical argumentation and appropriate/technical language.
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

Assessment methods:
A) ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment for this module is as follows:
Summative:
Mid-term Test (30% of the final mark)
Research Paper (60% of the final mark)
Final Oral Exam (10% of the final mark)
Description:
A short-written examination composed of 6 open questions will be held in mid-term to understand how familiar the students have become with the arguments of the course. The questions will be based on the teacher’s lessons and the mandatory readings by Sebastian Conrad and Gareth Austin. Only students who attended 80% of the classes will be admitted to the mid-term tests. The time at students’ disposal will be 45 minutes.
Every answer will be evaluated from 0 to 5. Therefore, the highest possible mark in each mid-term test will be 30/30. The student will pass the mid-term if he gets at least 18/30. Students who will succeed in the mid-term test will be admitted to the final oral exam, where they will be asked to discuss the second block of the course and the chosen book. The mid-term marks will be valid until September 2023 exam round.
Students who fail the mid-term test must undergo a final oral examination on all the programs and the chosen books.
A 2.500 to 3.000 words research paper (either in English or Italian) will be submitted by the last week of the term.
B) NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment for this module is as follows:
Summative:
Final Oral Exam (100% of the final mark)
Description:
Non-attending students will have to undergo an oral examination on the general textbooks of the course and the two chosen books.

Class hours (19 February – 9 May):

Monday 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., P3
Tuesday 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., P3
Thursday 3 p.m.- 5 p.m., T34

Office Hours:
Write to the teacher

Contacts: enrico.acciai@uniroma2.it