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Economic History

Code: 105784 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2501231 Accounting and Finances FB 1

Contact

Name:
Anna Maria Aubanell Jubany
Email:
anna.aubanell@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for taking the course successfully. Nonetheless it would be desirable if students were familiar with basic knowledge of Global Contemporary History, Economics and Geography.


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.


Learning Outcomes

  1. CM23 (Competence) Identify the main inequalities and discriminations on the grounds of sex/gender present in society.
  2. KM18 (Knowledge) Recognise the factors determining competitiveness in companies during economic globalisation processes.
  3. SM21 (Skill) Analyse new experiences of industrialisation in developing countries from a historical perspective.
  4. SM22 (Skill) Assess the most notable technological, organisational and spatial aspects of industrialisation processes, highlighting the relations between company and technology and organisational changes in business structures.

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.   CapitalMarkets

 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 

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Exercise sessions 17 0.68 SM21, SM22
Lectures 32.5 1.3 CM23, KM18, SM21, SM22
Type: Supervised      
Tutorship 10.5 0.42
Type: Autonomous      
Exercise Preparation 20.5 0.82 KM18, SM21, SM22
Reading and independent study 66 2.64 SM21

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 the intranet, 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.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Exercise 1 5% of the final mark 0 0 KM18, SM21, SM22
Exercise 2 5% of the final mark 0 0 CM23, SM21, SM22
Exercise 3 5% of the final mark 0 0 KM18, SM21, SM22
Exercise 4 5% of the final mark 0 0 CM23, KM18, SM21, SM22
Final exam 40% of the final mark 2 0.08 CM23, KM18, SM21, SM22
Midterm exam 40% of the final mark 1.5 0.06 CM23, KM18, SM21, SM22

The evaluation consists of:

- Four practical exercises. Each exercise weights 5% of the course grade.

- A midterm exam consisting of two parts, each worth 50% of the exam grade. The first part consists of twenty multiple-choice questions that will be scored as follows: 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 with a maximum score of 2.5 points each. The weight of the midterm exam is 40% of the course grade.

- A final exam consisting of two parts, each worth 50% of the exam grade. The first part consists of twenty multiple-choice questions that will be scored as follows: 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 with a maximum score of 2.5 points each. The weight of the final exam is 40% of the course grade.

 The questions will focus on the material covered in theory and practical sessions, as well as the content of the teaching materials indicated by the faculty.

 Synthesis Exam: From the second enrollment on students who wish to take the synthesis exam must request it via email to the professor before February 28th. The synthesis exam will be held on the same day as the final exam scheduled by the School. This exam will consist of 40 multiple-choice questions and eight short-answer questions covering both the theoretical and practical aspects of the subject.

 This course does not provide a single evaluation system.

 

Assessment Activities Schedule

The dates for the four evaluation exercises will be announced in advance by the professor. These tests will not be rescheduled for any reason. If a student is unable to attend on the announced date to take the test, they will receive a zero mark and will not have the opportunity to take the test on another day.

The dates for the midterm, final, and retake exams can be found in the School's exam calendars posted on the website.

"The scheduling of assessment tests cannot be modified unless there is an exceptional and duly justified reason that prevents the evaluation activity from taking place. In such cases, the persons responsible for the degree programs, after consulting with the teaching staff and the affected students, shall propose a new schedule within the corresponding teaching period." Section 1 of Article 115. (Academic Regulations UAB)

 Students of the School of Economics and Business who, in accordance with the previous paragraph, need to change an assessment date must submit a request by completing the document "Request for Exam Rescheduling" at:

https://eformularis.uab.cat/group/deganat_feie/nou-reprogramacio-de-proves

Procedure for reviewing marks:

After all grading activities have ended, students will be informed of the date and way in which the course marks will be published. Students will also be informed of the procedure, place, date and time of the revision of exams following University regulations.

 

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 grade for the subject." Section 3 of Article 112 ter. Retake (Academic Regulations UAB). Students must have obtained an average grade between 3.5 and 4.8. The retake system will be applied to students who choose the synthesis exam.

Students who take and pass the retake exam will pass the subject with a grade of 5. Otherwise, they will maintain their final grade.

The retake exam consists of two parts, each worth 50% of the exam grade. The first part consists of twenty multiple-choice questions that will be scored as follows: 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 with a maximum score of 2.5 points each.

Non assessed Mark

A student is considered "Non-Assessed" in this subject as long as she/he has not participated in any of the assessment activities. The qualification of "Non-Assesed" implies the exhaustion of the inherent rights related to the registration of this subject 

Irregularities in evaluation activities

Without prejudice to other disciplinary measures that may be deemed appropriate, and in accordance with current academic regulations, "in the event that the student carries out any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade of an evaluation activity, this evaluation activity will be marked with a 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be instructed. In the event of several irregularities in the evaluation activities of the same subject, the final grade of this subject will be 0". Section 10 of Article 116. Results of the evaluation. (UAB Academic Regulations)


Bibliography

Comín, Francisco (2011) Historia Económica Mundial. De los orígenes a la actualizad, ed. Alianza Editorial, Madrid.

Feliu, Gaspar i Carles Sudrià (2013) Introducció a la història econòmica mundial, ed. Publicacions de la Universitat de València, València. https://csuc-uab.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/34CSUC_UAB/avjcib/alma991000676159706709

Palafox, Jordi (ed) (2014) Los tiempos cambian. Historia de la economía, València: Tirant. Humanidades. https://login.are.uab.cat/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsebk&AN=2217426&site=eds-live

Zamagni, Vera (2016) Una historia económica. Europa de la Edad Media a la crisis del euro, ed. Crítica, Barcelona.


Software

Excel, Word and PowerPoint.


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 101 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 102 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 501 Catalan second semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 10 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 50 Catalan second semester afternoon