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2022/2023

Historical Perspective of the Contemporary World

Code: 104982 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2501933 Journalism OT 3 2
2501933 Journalism OT 4 2

Contact

Name:
Pau Casanellas Peņalver
Email:
pau.casanellas@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Prerequisites

None.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The course aims to provide students with a rigorous knowledge of recent world history, from the emergence of the great political alternatives that marked the twentieth century (communisms, fascism, parliamentary democracy) to the present. The syllabus proposes a journey through the main historical processes and events that took place during this period, with special emphasis on their relationship with the main current issues, as well as on the role of the media in the development and perception of events. The classes will combine political, social, economic, and cultural history, and will adopt a non-Eurocentric approach and a gender perspective.

The main goal is for students to be able to analyse current events – political, social, economic, and cultural – with a broader intellectual background and a broader and more rigorous historical knowledge, in order to be able to explain the present with more tools and be able to perceive the causes and precedents of current affairs.

Competences

    Journalism
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
  • Demonstrate adequate knowledge of Catalonia's socio-communicative reality in the Spanish, European and global context.
  • Demonstrate adequate knowledge of the modern world and its recent historic development in terms of social, economic, political and cultural aspects.
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Value diversity and multiculturalism as a foundation for teamwork.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
  2. Establish links between communicative knowledge and historic analysis.
  3. Explain the state of the world and its historic development from a perspective appropriate to the different associated specialised journalisms.
  4. Identify the principal forms of sex- or gender-based inequality and discrimination present in society.
  5. Identify the social, economic and environmental implications of academic and professional activities within one's own area of knowledge.
  6. Link topical debates with historic knowledge.
  7. Memorise historic knowledge that allow the historic dimension of communication and journalism to be contextualised.
  8. Read, analyse, interpret and discuss texts featuring historic content and present the summary of the analysis in writing and in public.
  9. Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  10. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  11. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  12. Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  13. Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  14. Value diversity and multiculturalism as a foundation for teamwork.
  15. Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.

Content

The programme of the course will be organised as follows:

1. The great political alternatives of the twentieth century: comunisms, fascism, parliamentary democracy

2. The foundations of present-day world: the international order after World War II

3. The emergence of the Third World: decolonisation and revolutionary scenarios

4. The long 68: cultural change and political struggles

5. The end of the Cold War and the consolidation of neo-liberalism

6. The new world (dis)order: current conflicts and issues

Methodology

Lessons will be lectures with the support of different materials, combined with student participation.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures 40 1.6 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 8, 7, 13, 12, 11, 9, 10, 6, 15
Type: Supervised      
Office hours 10 0.4 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 8, 13, 12, 11, 9, 10, 6, 15, 14
Type: Autonomous      
Personal study and reading of papers/books and news 54 2.16 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 8, 7, 13, 12, 11, 9, 10, 6, 15
Search for and use of sources in order to write a paper 36 1.44 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 8, 13, 12, 11, 9, 10, 6, 15, 14

Assessment

Students will follow a continuous evaluation based on three items:

-A first written exercise on the first half of the syllabus: 30% of the final mark.

-A second written exercise on the second half of the syllabus: 30% of the final mark.

-A paper: 40% of the final mark.

Should the final mark be less than 5, students will be able to take a resit exam.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
First written exercise 30% 3 0.12 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 8, 7, 13, 12, 11, 9, 10, 6, 15
Paper 40% 4 0.16 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 8, 13, 12, 11, 9, 10, 6, 15, 14
Second written exercise 30% 3 0.12 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 8, 7, 13, 12, 11, 9, 10, 6, 15, 14

Bibliography

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ARRUZZA, Cinzia; CIRILLO, Lidia: Dos siglos de feminismos. Los ejemplos más significativos, los problemas más actuales. Barcelona: Sylone, 2018.

BANTIGNY, Ludivine: 1968. De grands soirs en petits matins. Paris: Seuil, 2018.

CANFORA, Luciano: La democracia. Historia de una ideología. Barcelona: Crítica, 2004.

CHOMSKY, Noam: El nuevo orden mundial (y el viejo). Barcelona: Crítica, 2003.

EICHENGREEN, Barry: La globalización del capital. Historia del Sistema Monetario Internacional. Barcelona: Antoni Bosch, 2000.

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FREEDMAN, Estelle B.: No Turning Back. The History of Feminism and the Future of Women. New York: Ballantine, 2003.

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HESSEL, Stéphane: ¡Indignaos! Un alegato contra la indiferencia y a favor de la insurrección pacífica. Barcelona: Destino, 2011.

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HORN, Gerd-Rainer: The Spirit of ’68. Rebellion in Western Europe and North America, 1956-1976. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.

HUSTVEDT, Siri: Los espejismos de la certeza. Reflexiones sobre la relación entre el cuerpo y la mente. Barcelona: Seix Barral, 2021.

KAPUŚCIŃSKI, Ryszard: La guerra del fútbol y otros reportajes. Barcelona: Anagrama, 1992.

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KERSHAW, Ian: Descenso a los infiernos. Europa 1914-1949. Barcelona: Crítica, 2016.

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KLEIN, Naomi: La doctrina del shock. El auge del capitalismo del desastre. Barcelona: Paidós, 2007.

LEWONTIN, R.C.; ROSE, Steven; KAMIN, Leon J.: No está en los genes. Crítica del racismo biológico. Barcelona: Grijalbo, 1996.

MANN, Michael: El lado oscuro de la democracia. Un estudio sobre la limpieza étnica. Valencia: PUV, 2009.

MURAD, Nadia: Yo seré la última. Historia de mi cautiverio y mi lucha contra el Estado Islámico. Barcelona: Plaza y Janés, 2017.

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SÁNCHEZ CERVELLÓ, Josep: La descolonización y el surgimiento del Tercer Mundo. Barcelona: Hipòtesi, 1997.

SERRA, Clara; GARAIZÁBAL, Cristina; MACAYA, Laura (coords.): Alianzas rebeldes. Un feminismo más allá de la identidad. Manresa: Bellaterra, 2021.

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ZINN, Howard: La otra historia de los Estados Unidos (Desde 1492 hasta hoy). Hondarribia: Hiru, 2005.

Software

Basic knowledge of word processor (Word, LibreOffice, etc.) and use of online sources.