The course provides students with the skills to critically understand and think about facts, processes and interpretations of the twentieth century. It also recalls the problem of a public use of history, with the aim of acquiring critical reading skills of the phenomenon. The course focuses in particular on the two world wars of which the perspective of social history will be privileged.

The course provides students with the essential tools and knowledge to interpret the history of the twentieth century, through an analysis which takes into account the changes on the political, social, economic field, in lifestyle and attitude. Specifically, it addresses some central interpretive nodes such as the world wars, the totalitarianism, focusing on the perspective of the link between political history, social history and cultural history.

The course dedicates an in-depth study to the gender perspective through the analysis of the political militancy of a protagonist of the twentieth century like Teresa Noce and of the relationship between women, war and welfare.

No bridging courses.

Students have to reach these goals:

1. Understanding of the main issues and problems relating to research methodology in contemporary history. Knowledge of the main tools to do scientific research in contemporary history. 

1.1. Students will attain this knowledge by participating in lectures and studying the scientific texts proposed by the teacher and discussed in the classroom.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding: students should consolidate skills and ability to define simple research projects and to deal with some typical problems.

2.1. Classroom discussions, tutorials, study of texts. 

3. Capacity of judgment: students should achieve criticism about the methods used in the most common empirical investigations.

4. Communication skills: discussion coordinated by the teacher on the course topics.

4.1. Development of opportunities for dialogue in the classroom.

5. Learning skills: development of critical skills, logic and problem analysis.

5.1. Classroom discussions, tutorials, study of texts

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Video – Multimedia – Mixed media.

Teaching

Traditional lesson with the teacher teaching the whole class, seminars, conferences with external scholars, support of multimedia materials.

Attendance

There is no obligation to attend.

Course books

T. Detti e G. Gozzini, Storia contemporanea. Il Novecento (II volume), Bruno Mondadori, Milano, 2017 (anche nell'edizione del 2002); cap. 1-10 (no cap. 8) (see the blended learnig for more details).

A. Tonelli, Nome di battaglia Estella. Teresa Noce, una donna comunista del Novecento, Firenze, Le Monnier, 2020.

M. Mafai,  Pane nero. Donne e vita quotidiana nella seconda guerra mondiale, prefazione di Annalisa Cuzzocrea, Milano, Rizzoli, 2022.

Assessment

For students that have attended at least 3/4 of the lessons, it will be possible to undertake the following examination procedure: 

 a final written exam (of one hour and half), that will take place in the final lessons of the course, with open questions that will evaluate the learning of the course textbook on the history of the twentieth century and the learning of the monographic part of the course through the two exam texts (Tonelli and Mafai); . 

The exam will be evaluated in marks out of thirty. Those who pass both test can accept the grade, for their records.

Students can refuse this grade. In that case, they will have to take a final exam on the entire programme during the standard exam periods, through one oral exam. This will also be the outcome for those students who do not pass one of the written exams.

The exam will be held through an individual interview based on the textbooks suggested. The aim is to evaluate both student's comprehension of the content and his ability to rework concepts and to argue. 

Excellent grades will be given in the presence of: a good critical perspective and in-depth study; knowing how to link among them the main subjects addressed during the course; the use of appropriate language.

Good grades will be given in the presence of:  good mnemonic knowledge of the contents; a relatively good critical perspective and connection skills related to the treated topics; the use of appropriate language.

Sufficient grades will be given in the presence of: the achievement of a minimal knowledge on the treated themes, even in presence of some gaps; the use of a not appropriate language.

Negative grades will be given in the presence of: a difficult orientation related to the treated topics; knowledge gaps; the use of a not appropriate language.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

The program is the same.

Attendance

There is no obligation to attend.

Course books

T. Detti e G. Gozzini, Storia contemporanea. Il Novecento (II volume), Bruno Mondadori, Milano, 2017 (anche nell'edizione del 2002); cap. 1-10 (no cap. 8)

A. Tonelli, Nome di battaglia Estella. Teresa Noce, una donna comunista del Novecento, Firenze, Le Monnier, 2020.

M. Mafai,  Pane nero. Donne e vita quotidiana nella seconda guerra mondiale, prefazione di Annalisa Cuzzocrea, Milano, Rizzoli, 2022.

Assessment

The exam will be held through an individual interview based on textbooks suggested. The aim is to evaluate both student's comprehension of the content and his ability in reworking concepts and in argumenting. It is possible to present a written document on a topic agreed with the teacher. 

Excellent grades will be given in presence of: a good critical perspective and in depth study; knowing how to link among them the main subjects addressed during the course; the use of an appropriate language.

Good grades will be given in presence of:  good mnemonic knowledge of the contents; a relatively good critical perspective and connection skills related to the treated topics; the use of appropriate language.

Sufficient grades will be given in presence of: the achievement of a minimal knowledge on the treated themes, even in presence of some gaps; the use of a not appropriate language.

Negative grades will be given in presence of: a difficult orientation related to the treated topics; knowledge gaps; the use of a not appropriate language.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

The student can request to sit the final exam in English with an alternative bibliography.