Modern History – A – a.y. 2025-2026 – Scienze dell'Educazione e della Formazione (EDU)

Teacher: Prof. Enrico Acciai
E-mail: enrico.acciai@uniroma2.it

CFU: 6
Course code: 8047851
Bachelor Degrees: Scienze dell’educazione e della formazione
Language: Italian

Course delivery modalities: in-presence
Attendance: Optional
Assessment method: Oral examination/Written test

Pre-requisites:
No Prerequisites Required

Program:
The course will address the main events and issues of contemporary history from the 1848 revolutions until the end of the Cold War. The lessons will take as the main interpretive category the growing interdependence between peoples and nations, true hallmark of contemporary history. Particular attention will be paid to the following themes: the birth of European nation-states; the second industrial revolution and the advent of mass society; the age of the world wars and the end of Eurocentric order; the United States rise to world power; the crisis of 1929 and the New Deal; the Russian Revolution and the great stages of Soviet history; the Fascist regime in Italy; Nazism and the Holocaust; the Global Cold War; decolonization; the process of European integration after 1945; the major issues of the history of republican Italy; the end of the Cold War and the rise of globalization.

Program:

The course will address the main events and issues of contemporary history from the 1848 revolutions until the end of the Cold War. The lessons will take as the main interpretive category the growing interdependence between peoples and nations, true hallmark of contemporary history. Particular attention will be paid to the following themes: the birth of European nation-states; the second industrial revolution and the advent of mass society; the age of the world wars and the end of Eurocentric order; the United States rise to world power; the crisis of 1929 and the New Deal; the Russian Revolution and the great stages of Soviet history; the Fascist regime in Italy; Nazism and the Holocaust; the Global Cold War; decolonization; the process of European integration after 1945; the major issues of the history of republican Italy; the end of the Cold War and the rise of globalization.

Text books:
Textbook: Giovanni Sabbatucci, Vittorio Vidotto, Il mondo contemporaneo, Laterza, 2020. A book of your choice from: Chiara Colombini e Carlo Greppi (a cura di), Storia Internazionale della Resistenza Italiana, Laterza 2024; Maya De Leo, Queer. Storia culturale della comunità LGBT, Einaudi 2021; Valeria Deplano e Alessandro Pes, Storia del Colonialismo italiano, Carocci 2024; Emily Rosenberg, In un mondo sempre più piccolo. Le correnti transnazionali dal 1870 al 1945, Einaudi 2022.

Text books:

Textbook: Giovanni Sabbatucci, Vittorio Vidotto, Il mondo contemporaneo, Laterza, 2020.
A book of your choice from: Chiara Colombini e Carlo Greppi (a cura di), Storia Internazionale della Resistenza Italiana, Laterza 2024; Maya De Leo, Queer. Storia culturale della comunità LGBT, Einaudi 2021; Valeria Deplano e Alessandro Pes, Storia del Colonialismo italiano, Carocci 2024; Emily Rosenberg, In un mondo sempre più piccolo. Le correnti transnazionali dal 1870 al 1945, Einaudi 2022.

Bibliography:
Additional texts will be provided in the course of the lessons.

Educational goals and expected learning outcomes:
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Achieve a good understanding of the main events and issues of modern history. Develop the students’ critical spirit and their ability to explain what has been learned. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Students attending the course will have to acquire a solid basic preparation on the main issues of contemporary history; they will also have to acquire awareness of the fundamental methodological tools of the discipline and of the existence of different historiographic trends and interpretations regarding the various events treated. All this will be the result, in addition to frontal teaching activities, also of the practical involvement of students through the reading and analysis in the classroom of historical documents and historiography. APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Students attending the course must be able to apply the acquired skills and methodological tools to the analysis and interpretation of historical documents and historiographic texts. MAKING JUDGEMENTS: Students attending the course will be able to collect and interpret data useful for the understanding and analysis of historical documents and historiographic texts, to comment critically in autonomy the contents and for the reflection on social, scientific, or ethical issues related to them, having acquired the ability to formulate independent judgments. This also through the address to an intense reading activity, with appropriate guidance to critical comment. COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Students attending the course will have to know how to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions concerning the main issues addressed, both to specialist interlocutors of the discipline and to non-specialists. For this purpose we will try to direct the student to structure and refine their communication skills, also through discussion and debate in the classroom. LEARNING SKILLS: Students attending the course will have made progress in developing the cognitive abilities and theoretical-critical skills necessary for an independent study of the historical disciplines; all this also conceived for the purpose of a positive access to subsequent cycles of study, with a high degree of autonomy.

Educational goals and expected learning outcomes:

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Achieve a good understanding of the main events and issues of modern history. Develop the students’ critical spirit and their ability to explain what has been learned.
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Students attending the course will have to acquire a solid basic preparation on the main issues of contemporary history; they will also have to acquire awareness of the fundamental methodological tools of the discipline and of the existence of different historiographic trends and interpretations regarding the various events treated. All this will be the result, in addition to frontal teaching activities, also of the practical involvement of students through the reading and analysis in the classroom of historical documents and historiography.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Students attending the course must be able to apply the acquired skills and methodological tools to the analysis and interpretation of historical documents and historiographic texts.
MAKING JUDGEMENTS: Students attending the course will be able to collect and interpret data useful for the understanding and analysis of historical documents and historiographic texts, to comment critically in autonomy the contents and for the reflection on social, scientific, or ethical issues related to them, having acquired the ability to formulate independent judgments. This also through the address to an intense reading activity, with appropriate guidance to critical comment.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Students attending the course will have to know how to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions concerning the main issues addressed, both to specialist interlocutors of the discipline and to non-specialists. For this purpose we will try to direct the student to structure and refine their communication skills, also through discussion and debate in the classroom.
LEARNING SKILLS: Students attending the course will have made progress in developing the cognitive abilities and theoretical-critical skills necessary for an independent study of the historical disciplines; all this also conceived for the purpose of a positive access to subsequent cycles of study, with a high degree of autonomy.

Methods and criteria for verifying the learning:
Teaching Methods: frontal lessons; practical involvement of students through the reading and analysis in the classroom of historical documents and historiographic texts. Methods and criteria for verification of learning outcomes: A short-written examination composed of 6 open questions will be held in mid-term in order to understand how familiar the students have become with the arguments of the course. The questions will be based on the lessons of the teacher and on the first chapters of the mandatory text book by Sabbatucci e Vidotto. Furthermore students will have to take an oral test which will focus on the main topics covered during the lessons and studied on textbooks. The final mark will be based on the knowledge shown and on the exposure skills. 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.

Methods and criteria for verifying the learning:

Teaching Methods: frontal lessons; practical involvement of students through the reading and analysis in the classroom of historical documents and historiographic texts.
Methods and criteria for verification of learning outcomes:
A short-written examination composed of 6 open questions will be held in mid-term in order to understand how familiar the students have become with the arguments of the course. The questions will be based on the lessons of the teacher and on the first chapters of the mandatory text book by Sabbatucci e Vidotto.
Furthermore students will have to take an oral test which will focus on the main topics covered during the lessons and studied on textbooks. The final mark will be based on the knowledge shown and on the exposure skills.
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.

Attendance modalities:
Teaching Methods: frontal lessons; practical involvement of students through the reading and analysis in the classroom of historical documents and historiographic texts. Methods and criteria for verification of learning outcomes: students will have to take both a written and an oral test which will focus on the main topics covered during the lessons and studied on textbooks. The final judgment will be based on the knowledge shown and on the exposure skills.The modulo is divided into 15 lessons of 2 hours, for a total of 30 hours. Attending students will have to participate in the frontal explanation parts, use the teaching materials provided by the teacher and animate the debate in the classroom.

Attendance modalities:

Teaching Methods: frontal lessons; practical involvement of students through the reading and analysis in the classroom of historical documents and historiographic texts.
Methods and criteria for verification of learning outcomes: students will have to take both a written and an oral test which will focus on the main topics covered during the lessons and studied on textbooks. The final judgment will be based on the knowledge shown and on the exposure skills.The modulo is divided into 15 lessons of 2 hours, for a total of 30 hours. Attending students will have to participate in the frontal explanation parts, use the teaching materials provided by the teacher and animate the debate in the classroom.