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Spanish Economic History

Code: 102314 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Business Administration and Management OT 4
Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 3
Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 4

Contact

Name:
Carmen Sarasua Garcia
Email:
carmen.sarasua@uab.cat

Teachers

Lei Shi
Marc Rivas Lopez

Teaching groups languages

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


Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites to follow the course successfully. However it is desirable that students have some knowledge of World Economic History, World Contemporary History, Contemporary History of Spain, Geography of Spain and Economics. 


Objectives and Contextualisation

Economic History of Spain is part of the group of basic subjects in the first year for the studies of Economics and Business Administration. The objective of these subjects is for students to acquire the knowledge, analytical tools and basic methodology in order to develop the general and specific competencies of the degree program.

This course studies the development of the Spanish economy, starting in the 19th century but focusing on the 20th century. It appraises the different phases of modern economic growth, the impact of major historical facts in the economy as well as the transformation of economic institutions.

 


Competences

    Business Administration and Management
  • Capacity for adapting to changing environments.
  • Capacity for independent learning in the future, gaining more profound knowledge of previous areas or learning new topics.
  • Capacity for oral and written communication in Catalan, Spanish and English, which enables synthesis and oral and written presentation of the work carried out.
  • Contextualise economic problems in historical terms.
  • Demonstrate initiative and work individually when the situation requires it.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the interrelationships between different economies, the role of national and international economies, their evolution and the consequences that may be produced for the company.
  • Identify the economic agents that make up an economy, understanding how they have been interrelated to date, how they are currently interrelated and forecast futures according to new circumstances and their influence on a specific company.
  • Organise the work in terms of good time management, organisation and planning.
  • Select and generate the information necessary for each problem, analyse it and take decisions based on that information.
    Contemporary History, Politics and Economics
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • 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.
  • Distinguish between governmental decision-making systems in different social and political contexts from the mid-twentieth century to the present day in state-, substate and suprastate frameworks.
  • Explain and summarise knowledge acquired in English language at an advanced level.
  • Identify the role in the present of the different social memories referring to conflictive pasts, differentiating between the concepts of history and memory.
  • Manage and apply data to solve problems.
  • 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.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Work cooperatively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams implementing new projects.

Learning Outcomes

  1. A capacity of oral and written communication in Catalan, Spanish and English, which allows them to summarise and present the work conducted both orally and in writing.
  2. Analyse the labour markets and the international flows of workers in the different phases of contemporary economic growth.
  3. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  4. Apply, with historical perspective, new experiences of industrialisation to developing countries.
  5. Be familiar with the basic bibliography on historical evolution of governmental systems in the countries of reference for the subject.
  6. Capacity to adapt to changing environments.
  7. Capacity to continue future learning independently, acquiring further knowledge and exploring new areas of knowledge.
  8. Demonstrate capacity to adapt to changing environments.
  9. Demonstrate initiative and work independently when required.
  10. Describe the historical evolution of the strategic factors determining the development and location of industry.
  11. Differentiate between the literality of texts in their social and political senses based on a specific context.
  12. Engaging in debates about historical facts respecting the other participants' opinions.
  13. Evaluate and critically resolve the histiographical problems of studies of civil wars.
  14. Express an opinion based on the nature, perspective and rigour of texts referring to the course content.
  15. Identify the main causes of periods of economic stability, recession and crisis, on a regional, national and international scale.
  16. Identify the problems of economic agents on the basis of different historic experiences.
  17. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  18. Know different cases of memories in conflict between different places in the same state.
  19. Make a brief comparison of national and/or regional cases within the same international framework.
  20. Make comparisons between the levels of regional autonomy within a state.
  21. Organise work, in terms of good time management and organisation and planning.
  22. Perform an integrated analysis of the physical, financial, and migratory flows of the economy, on the basis of different historical experiences.
  23. Placing in historical perspective the new industrialisation experiences in the developing countries.
  24. Recognising and implementing the following teamwork skills: commitment to teamwork, habit of cooperation, ability to participate in the problem solving processes.
  25. Select and generate the information necessary for each problem, analyse it and take decisions based on that information.
  26. Select and generate the information needed for each problem, analyse it and make decisions based on this information.
  27. Summarise the different experiences of economic development, on a regional, national and international scale.
  28. Understand regional specificities within states.
  29. 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.
  30. Work in teams respecting all points of view. Use the specific vocabulary of history correctly.

Content

INTRODUCTION. The Spanish economy growth in the long run (19th and 20th centuries)

TOPIC 1. RESOURCES, INSTITUTIONS, INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT (1789-1890)

  1. Population, urbanization, human capital
  2. Natural conditions and the limits of agrarian growth
  3. State Reform: economic liberalization and disentailments
  4. Problems of the first industrialization: textile, iron, mining sector.
  5. Domestic and foreign trade. The transport system: railways and cabotage
  6. Banking and Treasury

TOPIC 2. FIRST GLOBALIZATION AND INTERWAR YEARS (1890-1936)

  1.  From the 1898 Colonial crisis to WWI
  2. The impact of WWI on a neutral economy
  3. Structural change and growth in the 1920s
  4. The Depression of the 1930s and the II Republic (1931-1936). The Agrarian reform (1932)

TOPIC 3. THE CIVIL WAR AND THE FIRST DECADE OF FRANCO’S DICTATORSHIP (1936-1951)

  1. The Spanish economy during the civil war (1936-1939)
  2. The political context: organization of the "New State”, International isolation and autarky.
  3. Market intervention: fall in output, rationing and inflation

TOPIC 4. IMPORT SUBSTITUTION INDUSTRIALIZATION (ISI) (1951-1959)

  1. Cold War, American Aid and the tempering of interventionism.
  2. Import Substitution Industrialization
  3. Growth of GDP and pc income, and structural change
  4. The end of autarky: The 1959 Stabilization Plan

TOPIC 5. ERA OF DEVELOPMENTALISM (1960-1973)

  1. Reintegration into the international economy and consolidation of liberalizing measures
  2. Modernization of agriculture
  3. Accelerated industrialization
  4. The service sector: the specialization in Tourism
  5. The labor market: internal and external migrations and participation rate
  6. The improvement of income per capita and living standards

TOPIC 6. ECONOMIC CRISIS AND POLITICAL TRANSITION (1975-1985)

  1. Impact of the Double Oil Shocks (1973, 1979)
  2. Adjustment policies: the Moncloa Pacts (1977)
  3. Fiscal reform and consolidation of the Welfare State
  4. Industrial and banking crisis, and mass unemployment
  5. Spain, towards the European integration

 TOPIC 7. INTEGRATION INTO THE EUROPEAN UNION (1986-1998)

  1. The construction of the European Union
  2. Economic effects of the integration into the EU
  3. Structural reforms
  4. Investment, the engine of growth
  5. Dominance of the tertiary sector

TOPIC 8. A BALANCE OF TWO CENTURIES: PRODUCTIVITY AND WELL-BEING

  1. Growth of productivity, income per capita and well-being
  2. Inequality in regions, households and individuals

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures 32.5 1.3 22, 2, 6, 1, 7, 10, 16, 15, 26, 27, 4
Practical classes 17 0.68 6, 1, 21, 26
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 8 0.32 7, 9, 21
Type: Autonomous      
Preparation of practical exercises 37.5 1.5 1, 21, 26
Reading and independent study 49.5 1.98 7, 21, 26

The planned methodology of Spanish Economic History is conventional and face-to-face learning and involves five complementary learning activities:

1. Lectures. 

2. Practical classes

3. Individual work by the students (reading and information search)

4. Tutorials

5. Campus virtual (webpage)

6. Use of AI. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is not allowed at any stage. Any assignment that includes AI-generated content will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty in the grade for the activity, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.

The proposed teaching methodology may undergo some modifications according to the restrictions imposed by the health authorities on on-campus courses.

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.

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
Midterm exam 1 40% 1.5 0.06 22, 2, 3, 13, 6, 1, 7, 19, 28, 18, 8, 9, 10, 11, 5, 20, 14, 16, 17, 15, 21, 12, 24, 26, 25, 27, 4, 23, 30, 29
Midterm exam 2 45% 2 0.08 22, 2, 3, 13, 6, 1, 7, 19, 28, 18, 8, 9, 10, 11, 5, 20, 14, 16, 17, 15, 21, 12, 24, 26, 25, 27, 4, 23, 30, 29
Three exercises at the classroom 15% of the final mark 2 0.08 22, 2, 3, 13, 6, 1, 7, 19, 28, 18, 8, 9, 10, 11, 5, 20, 14, 16, 17, 15, 21, 12, 24, 25, 26, 27, 4, 23, 30, 29

The evaluation will consist of:

Three 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 45% 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.

The course will be considered passed if the following two requirements are met:

1.         The average grade for the course is equal to or higher than 4.9

2.         The final exam grade is equal to or higher than 4.

If a student meets the first requirement but not the second, they will receive an average course grade of 4.5 and will be allowed to take the retake exam, in accordance with the provisions set out in the "Retake Process" section found below.

If a student meets the second requirement but not the first, or meets neither, they will receive the overall course graderesulting from the direct application of the previously stated weightings and will be allowed to take the retake exam, in accordance with the provisions set out in the "Retake Process" section found below.

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 group professor.

Synthesis test: students who wish to opt for the synthesis test will have to apply by e-mail to the group's professor before February 28. The synthetis test will take place on the day of the final exam set by the Faculty. It will consist of forty multiple-choice questions and eight essay questions concerning all the different parts of the subject, practical and theoretical.

CAUTION:

1. A student is considered UNEVALUABLE if he has completed less than 30% of the assessed activities. "The qualification of UNEVALUABLE implies exhausting all the rights inherents to enrolment in the subject". 

2. Only midterm and final exams can be reprogrammed, always exceptionally and after obtaining the explicit aproval of the Grade Coordinator. All other types oftests performed during the course will NOT be reprogrammed.

3. This subject does not offer the option for comprehensive evaluation.

 

Calendar of evaluation activities

The dates of the evaluation activities (midterm exams, exercises in the classroom, assignments, ...) will be announced well in advance during the semester.

The date of the final exam is scheduledin the assessment calendar of the Faculty.

"The dates of evaluation activities cannot be modified, unless there is an exceptional and duly justified reason why an evaluation activity cannot be carried out. In thiscase, the degree coordinator will contact both the teaching staff and the affected student, and a new date will be scheduled within the same academic period to make up for the missed evaluation activity." Section 1 of Article 264. Calendar of evaluation activities (Academic Regulations UAB). 

Students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, who in accordance with the previous paragraph need to change an evaluation activity date must process the request by filling out an Application for exams' reschedule: e-Formulari per a la reprogramació de proves.

Grade revision process

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

Retake Process

"To be eligible to participate in the retake process, it is required for students to have been previously been evaluated for at least two thirds of the total evaluation activities of the subject." Section 2 of Article 261. The recovery (UAB Academic Regulations). Additionally, it is required that the student to have achieved an average grade of the subject greater than or equal to 3.5 and less than 5.

The date of the retake exam will be posted in the calendar of evaluation activities of the Faculty. Students who take this examand pass, will get a grade of 5 for the subject. If the student does not pass the retake, the grade will remain unchanged, and hence, student will fail the course.

The retake exam has 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.

Irregularities in evaluation activities

In spite of other disciplinary measures deemed appropriate, and in accordance with current academic regulations, "in the case that the student makesany irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an evaluation activity, it will be graded with a 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that can be instructed. In case of various irregularities occur in the evaluation of the same subject, the final grade of this subject will be 0". Section 11 of Article 266. Results of the evaluation. (UAB Academic Regulations).


Bibliography

The most useful textbook is this general overview: 

Gabriel Tortella (2000), The Development of Modern Spain. An Economic History of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Century, Harvard University Press.

 

You can also use for specific subjects: 

Betrán, C.; Pons, M.A. (Eds) (2020), Historical Turning Points in Spanish Economic Growth and Development, 1808-2008. Palgrave Macmillan.

Carreras, Albert; Tafunell, Xavier (2021) Between Empire and Globalization. An Economic History of Modern Spain. Palgrave Macmillan.

Herranz-Loncán, A. (2007), "Infrastructure investment and Spanish economic growth, 1850-1935," Explorations in Economic History, 44(3), p. 452-468.

Prados de la Escosura L., et al (2017), Spanish Economic Growth, 1850-2015, Palgrave Studies in Economic History (free downloadable)

Prados de la Escosura, L et al. (2012), “Economic Reforms and Growth in Franco’s Spain”, Revista de Historia Económica, 30(1), pp. 45-90.

Ringrose, David (1970), Transportation and Economic Stagnation in Spain, 1750-1850, Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press.

Richard Herr, An Historical Essay on Modern Spain, The Library of Iberian resources online.


Software


The basic software used will be Power Point, Excel and Word.


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan second semester afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 8 English second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 51 Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 8 English second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 51 Spanish second semester morning-mixed