World Economic History
Code: 106184 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics | FB | 1 | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- Anna Maria Aubanell Jubany
- Email:
- anna.aubanell@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject. Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2023.
Prerequisites
A B2 level of English of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is required, although no specific test of English proficiency level is held to access the degree.
There are no offcial prerequisits. However, it is recommended that students have a basic knowledge of Economics, History and Geography, in order to get the most out of the lectures, readings and exercises.
Objectives and Contextualisation
- Analyse the complexity and dynamics of economic processes.
- Identify and explain the main determinants that have made possible periods of growth, economic stability, recession and crisis, on a national and international scale.
- Establish the explanatory factors of the economic globalisation processes.
- Analyse the causes and consequences of inequality amongst countries and between individuals generated by capitalist economic development.
- Study technological revolutions and their impact on the economy and on business organisation.
- Assess and compare the sustainability of historical economic development models.
- Examine the differences between women and men (gender differences) in the labour market, in access to economic resources and in general welfare.
Competences
- Distinguish between and analyse the type of relations that have been established over the last century among the different social, political and economic agents on national, regional and international frameworks.
- Explain and summarise knowledge acquired in English language at an advanced level.
- Recognise and contextualise texts referring to recent contemporary history.
- Relate fundamental questions of the current economic situation with previous economic developments on the basis of the main elements of contemporary economic history.
- 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.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe the evolution of the economic institutions and the variety of economic experiences in the past to understand the present.
- Express an opinion based on the nature, perspective and rigour of texts referring to the course content.
- Make a brief comparison of national and/or regional cases within the same international framework.
- Make a historical analysis of current economic problems to better assess the evolutionary possibilities of economic systems.
- Recognise and explain different national and regional cases of relations between different social agents in contemporary history.
- 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.
- Write a review of a publication, documentary video or event (conference or seminar) in English adapted to the content of one or more subjects on this course.
Content
1. PRE-INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY
1.1. The limits of population growth: The Malthusian ceiling
1.2. Agriculture, trade and manufacture
2. THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
2.1 Agriculture revolution
2.2 Demographic transition
2.3 Determinants of the Industrial Revolution
2.4 Technological and organisational change
2.5 Modern economic growth and living standards
3. THE SPREAD OF INDUSTRIALIZATION (1830-1913)
3.1. Diffusion of industrialization in Europe
3.2. The beginnings of the Second Technological revolution
3.3. The rise of the United States
4. The International Economy (1860 - 1913)
4.1. Transport and Communications Revolution
4.2. Regional and International Migrations Regional and Intercontinental Migrations
4.3. International Trade
4.4. Capital Markets
4.5. The International Monetary System: the Gold Standard
4.6. The Great Divergence in Economic Development
5. The Crisis of Traditional Liberal Capitalism (1914 - 1945)
5.1. World War I and its economic consequences
5.2. The 1920s economic growth
5.3. The Great Depression 1929-33 and anticrisis policies
5.4. Second World War II (1939-45): economic factors
5.5. The role of the United States and the European economic recovery
6. THE NEW WORLD ORDER AND ECONOMIC GROWTH (1945-1973)
6.1. The Bretton Woods agreement and the new international relations
6.2. Golden Age of Capitalism
6.3. Centralised planned economies
6.4. Decolonisation and underdevelopment of the Third World
7. Structural Change, Third Technological Revolution and Second Globalisation (the last 50 years)
7.1. The 1973-84 crisis and the responses
7.2. New actors in the new growth model
7.3 The Third Technological Revolution and Globalisation
Methodology
1. Lectures
The professor will develop an analytical conceptualisation and a synthesis for every topic in the programme. The aim is to facilitate the transmission of knowledge and to motivate the student in historical analysis.
2. Exercise sessions
The aim of the exercise sessions is to help students to achieve the specific knowledge of the subject and acquire transferable skills. There will be questions set for each topic and it is expected that students will work on them before class with the help of the lectures and reading material.
3. Studying from lectures and readings
The work done in class has to be complemented by the student individually or in-group work. The student should gain independence in the learning process and in the process attain the analytical tools to develop the critical thinking. This work should amount to hundred hours in addition to lectures and tutorials.
4. Tutorship
Students can use the professor's office hours to solve specific questions. Office hours will be announced in Campus virtual.
5. Campus Virtual
Campus Virtual is a useful tool to help students to get easy information about the logistics of the course and the basic materials that the professor considers essential for learning.
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 | |||
| Exercise sessions | 17 | 0.68 | 4, 3, 1, 7, 2, 6, 5 |
| Lectures | 33 | 1.32 | 4, 3, 1, 2, 6, 5 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorship | 10.5 | 0.42 | 4, 3, 1, 2, 6, 5 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Preparation of exercises | 28 | 1.12 | 4, 3, 1, 2, 6, 5 |
| Reading and independent study | 58 | 2.32 | 4, 3, 1, 7, 2, 6, 5 |
Assessment
The evaluation will consist of:
- 4 exercises. Each exercise has a weight of 5% of the course grade.
- The Midterm exam has two parts, each worth 50% of the exam mark. The first part consists of twenty multiple-choice questions with the following scoring: 0.5 points for a correct answer, -0.17 points for an incorrect answer and 0 for an unanswered question. The second part consists of four short-answer questions with a maximum score of 2,5 points each. The weight of the midterm exam is 40% of the course grade.
- The final exam has two parts, each worth 50% of the exam mark. The first part consists of twenty multiple-choice questions with the following scoring: 0.5 points for a correct answer, -0.17 points for an incorrect answer and 0 for an unanswered question. The second part consists of four short-answer questions with a maximum score of 2,5 points each. The weight of the final exam is 40% of the course grade.
The questions will be on the topics explained in the theory and practical sessions and on the content of the readings and teaching materials indicated by the professor.
Synthesis test: From the second registration of a subject, students can request a synthesis exam to the professor by email before the 28th February. It will consist of 40 multiple-choice questions (40% weight), six short-answer questions (40% weight), and the completion of two practical exercises (20% weight).
Comprehensive Assessment: Students who opt for the unique evaluation must submit a request through a form within the specified period set by the School. The Comprehensive Assessment consists of three components: a 40-question multiple-choice exam (40% weight), a six-question short-answer exam (40% weight), and two practical exercises (20% weight).
Assessment activities Schedule:
The dates for the four evaluation exercises will be published on the Campus Virtual on the first day of class.These tests will not be rescheduled for any reason. If a student cannot attend on the day to take the test, they will receive a score of zero and will not have the opportunity to take the test on another day.
The dates for the midterm and final exams will be published on the Campus Virtual on the first day of class.
The date of the synthesis exam and the Comprehensive Assessment will be held on the same as the final exam, which will be published Campus Virtual on the first day of class.
The date of the recovery exam will be determined by the Dean Office.
"The scheduling of assessment tests may not be modified, unless there is an exceptional and duly justified reason why an assessment event cannot take place. In this case, the persons responsible for the degree programmes, after consulting the teaching staff and students affected, shall propose a new schedule within the corresponding academic period. "Article 115.1. Calendar of assessment activities (UAB Academic Regulations)
Marks revision process
On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Campus Virtual) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.
Retake Process
"To be eligible to participate in the retake process, Students must have previously been evaluated in a set of activities that represent at least two thirds of the total evaluation activities of the subject. "Section 3 of Article 112 ter. The retake (UAB Academic Regulations). Students who opt for the comprehensive assessment must have completed all the tests of the comprehensive assessment. Additionally, it is required that the student to have achieved an average grade of the subject between 3.5 and 4.9
The same assessment method as continuous assessment will be used for students who opt for Comprehensive assessment or Synthesis exam.
The retake exam consists of two parts, each worth 50% of the exam grade. The first part consists of twenty multiple-choice questions with a scoring system of 0.5 points for a correct answer, -0.17 points for an incorrect answer, and 0 points for an unanswered question. The second part consists of four short-answer questions worth 2.5 points each.
A student who takes and passes the retake exam will pass the subject with a grade of 5. Otherwise, they will keep the final grade they received. The same retake system will be applied to students who opt for the synthesis exam or the comprehensive assessment.
Students will obtain a Not assessed/Not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 1/3 of the assessment items.
Irregularities in evaluation activities
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excercise 1 | 5% of the final mark | 0 | 0 | 4, 3, 7, 2, 6, 5 |
| Excercise 2 | 5% of the final mark | 0 | 0 | 4, 3, 1, 2, 5 |
| Excercise 3 | 5% of the final mark | 0 | 0 | 4, 3, 1, 2, 6, 5 |
| Excercise 4 | 5% of the final mark | 0 | 0 | 4, 3, 1, 6, 5 |
| Final exam | 40% of the final mark | 2 | 0.08 | 4, 3, 1, 2, 6, 5 |
| Midterm exam | 40% of the final mark | 1.5 | 0.06 | 4, 3, 1, 2, 6, 5 |
Bibliography
Allen, Robert (2011) Global Economic History. A very short Introduction, Oxford: OUP.
Di Vittorio, Antonio (ed.) (2006) An Economic History of Europe. London: Routledge. https://login.are.uab.cat/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsebk&AN=171273&site=eds-live
Livi Bacci, Massimo (2017) A Concise history of world population. Malden: Blackwell. https://login.are.uab.cat/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsebk&AN=1453379&site=eds-live
Zamagni, Vera (2018) An Economic History of Europe since 1700, Agenda Publishing.
Software
Excel, Word and PowerPoint.