2010-11 academic year

Economic and Business History (20831)

Degree/study: Degree in Economics 
Year: 2nd
Term: 1st and 2nd
Number of ECTS credits: 9 credits
Hours of studi dedication: 225 hours
Teaching language or languages: Catalan, Spanish and English
Teaching Staff: Carles Brasó, Albert Carreras, Leonardo Weller, Héctor Garcia i Xavier Tafunell

1. Presentation of the subject

This course studies the development of the international economy and enterprises since pre-industrial times up to current days. It appraises the different phases of modern economic growth, the impact of major historical facts in the economy as well as the transformation of global economic institutions. 

This is an introductory course that provides students with basic knowledge on the historical change of the global economy.  

Previous Competencies  

Students must be familiar with:

o   Basic knowledge on Global Contemporary History:  major processes and most relevant facts.

o   The content taught in the courses Introduction to Economics and Data Analysis. 

Students are required to have the following basic capacities:

o   Basic usage of spreadsheets (e.g. Excel) and writing processor (e.g. Word).

o   Master the skills on descriptive statistics taught in the course Data Analysis.

2. Competences to be attained

General Competencies

Specific Competencies

 

Instrumentals

1. Ability to search relevant data from different sources. 

 

Interpersonal 

2. Improve presentation skills. 

3. Work in group. 

4. Writing skills. 

 

General 

5. Critical reasoning in reading, writing and communicating orally. 

6. Analysis and synthesis of qualitative data. 

7. Analysis and synthesis of quantitative data. 

8. Organize and plan tasks. 

9. Adapt to new challenges.

 

 

1. Capacity to classify chronologically the basic facts concerning Global Economic History. 

2. Capacity to explain the basic facts of Global Economic History. 

3. Appraise figure and table analysis indicating long term evolution of basic economic variables.  

4. Capacity to transfer data information into historical facts. 

5. Acknowledge interactions and differences between short and long term analysis. 

6. Graphic and calculus adapted to statistical data. 

7. Capacity to transform historical data into statistical tables. 

8. Historical contextualization and economic analysis skills.

3. Contents

Program: 

Topic 1. Panoramic view of world economic history. The main issues. 

Topic 2.  Pre-industrial economies.
2.1 Population and resources.
2.2 Rural development and trade dynamism. 

Topic 3. The Industrial Revolution (1750-1870).
3.1 Technological change and supply change in the industrial sector.
3.2 Patterns of consumption, living standards and economic liberalism. 
3.3 The diffusion of the Industrial Revolution. 

Topic 4. Integration of the world economy: the first globalization (1870-1913).
4.1 The second industrial revolution and the emergence of large corporations.
4.2  Financial globalization and the gold standard.
4.3 International movements of goods, capital and labour. Protectionism and imperialism. 

Topic 5. The economic crisis of the interwar period.
5.1 The breakdown of the pre-1913 economic order. The legacy of First World War.
5.2 The Great Depression.
5.3 Economic recovery: national experiences. 

Topic 6. The Golden Age of capitalism (1945-1980).
6.1 The institutional basis of the post-war recovery.
6.2 Industrialization patterns: East vs. West, ISI vs. NIC. 
6.3 The oil shock and the end of the Golden Age. 

Topic 7. The second globalization (1980-2010).
7.1 The new globalization and the third technological revolution.
7.2 China and the new emerging powers.
7.3 The current crisis in historical perspective. 


Course schedule and content implementation:  

Week 1

Theory 1 (T1): Panoramic view of world economic history. The main issues.
Reading (T1 and Seminar 1): Maddison, Angus: Monitoring the World Economy, 1820-1992. Analysis and statistic. Paris (1995): OECD, pp. 21-31.
Reading (T1 and Seminar 1): Crafts, Nicholas: "Globalisation and Economic Growth; a Historical Perspective". The World Economy (2004), 27, pp. 45-58.
* Reading (T1 and Seminar 1): Abramovitz, Moses: "Catching Up, Forging Ahead and Falling Behind". Journal of Economic History (1986), Vol. 46 (2), pp. 385-406.  

Week 2

Theory 2 (T2):  Pre-industrial economies. Population and resources.
Reading: Livi Bacci, Massimo: A Concise history of world population. Malden (2001): Blackwell, pp. 63-89. 

Theory 3 (T3): Pre-industrial economies. Rural Development and trade dynamism.
Reading: Idem. 

Week 3

Theory 4 (T4): Industrial Revolution (1750-1870). Technological change and supply change in the industrial sector.
Reading: Mokyr, Joel: The gifts of Athena: historical origins of the knowledge economy, Princeton (2002): Princeton University Press, pp.119-152.
* Reading: Allen, R. C.: "Pessimism Preserved: Real Wages in the British Industrial Revolution". Department of Economics Discussion Paper Series # 314, Oxford University, April 2007. 

Theory 5 (T5): Patterns of consumption, living standards and economic liberalism
Reading: Idem.  

Week 4

Theory 6 (T6): Integration of the world economy: the first globalization (1870-1913).
The Second Industrial Revolution and the emergence of large corporations.
Reading: Chandler, Alfred D., "The United States: Evolution of Enterprise". In Mathias, P. & Postan, M. (eds.): The Industrial economies: capital, labour, and enterprise. Cambridge (1978): Cambridge University Press, pp. 70-133. 

Theory 7 (T7): Integration of the world economy: the first globalization (1870-1913). Financial Globalization and the gold standard.
Reading: Eichengreen, Barry (2008): Globalizing Capital: A History of the International Monetary System, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, pp. 15-31.

Week 5

Seminar 1 (S1): Introduction to indicators of economic growth.
Readings: See T1. 

Theory 8 (T8): Integration of the world economy: the first globalization (1870-1913). International movements of goods, capital and labour. Protectionsim and imperialism.
Reading: O'Rourke, Kevin & Williamson, Jeffrey G.: Globalization and history: the evolution of a nineteenth-century Atlantic economy. Cambridge (1999): The MIT Press, Chapter 8, pp. 145-166.
* Baines, Dudley: Emigration from Europe 1815-1930. Londres (1991): MacMillan, pp. 58-65. 

Week 6:

Seminar 2 (S2): The diffusion of the Industrial Revolution. 

Theory 9 (T9): The economic crisis of the interwar period. The breakdown of the pre-1913 economic order. The legacy of the First World War.
Reading: Temin, Peter: Lessons from the Great Depression. Cambridge (1989): The MIT Press, chapter 1 "The spoils of war: The cause of the Great Depression", pp. 1-40. 

Theory 10 (T10): The economic crisis of the interwar period. The Great Depression.
Reading: Temin, Peter: Lessons from the Great Depression. Cambridge (1989): MIT Press, chapter 2 "The Midas Touch: The Spread of the Great Depression", pp. 41-87. 

Week 7

Theory 11 (T11): Models of economic recovery.
Reading: Temin, Peter (1989): Lessons from the Great Depression. Cambridge: MIT Press, chapter 3 "Socialism in many countries", pp. 89-137.  

Week 8:

Seminar 3 (S3): Patterns of economic fluctuation: national experiences. 

Theory 12 (T12): The Golden Age of capitalism (1945-1980). The institutional basis of the post-war recovery.
Reading: Crafts, Nicholas: The Golden Age of Economic Growth in Western Europe, 1950-1973". Economic History Review (1995), Vol. 48 (3), pp. 429-447. 

Theory 13 (T13): The Golden Age of capitalism (1945-1980). Industrialization patterns: East vs. West, ISI, NIC. 
Reading: Bulmer-Thomas, V.: The Economic history of Latin America since independence. Cambridge (1994): Cambridge University Press, pp. 276-288. 

Week 9:

Seminar 4 (S4): The Golden Age of capitalism (1945-1980). Patterns of Economic Growth. 

Theory 14 (T14):   The oil shock and the end of the Golden Age.
Reading: Carreras, Albert: "The Twentieth Century - from break with the past to prosperity". In Di Vittorio, Antonio (ed.): An Economic History of Europe. London (2006): Routledge, pp. 320-334.  

Week 10

Seminar 5 (S5): The current financial crisis, how different is it from the Great Depression? 

Theory 15 (T15): The second globalization (1980-2010). The new globalization and the third technological revolution.
Reading: Castells, Manuel: The Information Age: economy, society and culture. Volume 1.The Rise of the network society. Cambridge (1997): Blackwell, pp. 34-60.    

Week 11

Seminar 6 (S6): Revision and summing up. 

Theory 16 (T16) - China and the new emerging powers.
Reading: Arrighi, Giovanni: Adam Smith in Beijing: Lineages of the Twenty-First Century. London: Verso, Chapter 1.  

Further instructions on the materials and tasks relative to the seminars will be provided along the course.


(*) An asterisk indicates that the reading is only compulsory for IBE and group 1 of ADE-ECO.

4. Assessment

The evaluation of the course is composed of two parts: seminar participation and final exam. Seminars account for 40% of the final mark while final exam accounts for 60% of the final mark. However, every student must get a minimum mark of 4 (in a scale of 10) on both parts, that is, seminar global mark and final exam, in order to pass the course.  

According to current BA plan, the two terms of Economic and Business History and International Economic and Business History refer to one single annual course. So the final mark of the two terms of both EBH and IEBH will come from the arithmetical mean of the two final marks, conditional on getting a minimum mark of 4 on each. In case of failing to pass the evaluation, the student will have to take an exam of the pending term in September. If the student fails in September, he will have to repeat the whole two terms.    

Participation in Seminars. Preparation and delivery of tasks, attendance, presentation  and participation in seminars are essential for achieving the required goals. 

Re-sitting Exams. A written exam will account for 80% and an oral examination for 20%. 

The marks of passed parts in theory and/or seminars are maintained until the second exam. 

When the student repeats the whole course no mark is maintained.

5. Bibliography and teaching resources

5.1. Basic bibliography

Abramovitz, Moses: "Catching Up, Forging Ahead and Falling Behind", Journal of Economic History, (1986) Vol. 46 (2), pp. 385-406. 

Allen, R. C., Pessimism Preserved: Real Wages in the British Industrial Revolution, Department of Economics Discussion Paper Series, April 2007. 

Arrighi, Giovanni: Adam Smith in Beijing: Lineages of the Twenty-First Century. London: Verso. 

Baines, Dudley: Emigration from Europe 1815-1930. Londres (1991): MacMillan. 

Bulmer-Thomas, V.: The Economic history of Latin America since independence. Cambridge (1994): Cambridge University Press. 

Carreras, Albert: "The Twentieth Century - from break with the past to prosperity". In Di Vittorio, Antonio (ed.): An Economic History of Europe. London (2006): Routledge, pp. 239-353. 

Castells, Manuel: The Information Age: economy, society and culture. Volume 1.The Rise of the network society. Cambridge (1997): Blackwell. 

Chandler, Alfred D., "The United States: Evolution of Enterprise". In Mathias, P. & Postan, M. (eds.): The Industrial economies: capital, labour, and enterprise. Cambridge (1978): Cambridge University Press, pp. 70-133. 

Crafts, Nicholas: "The Golden Age of Economic Growth in Western Europe, 1950-1973". Economic History Review (1995), Vol. 48 (3), pp. 429-447. 

Crafts, Nicholas: "Globalisation and Economic Growth; a Historical Perspective". The World Economy (2004), 27, pp. 45-58. 

Di Vittorio, Antonio (ed.): An Economic History of Europe. London (2006): Routledge. 

Eichengreen, Barry: Globalizing Capital: A History of the International Monetary System, Princeton (2008): Princeton University Press. 

Livi Bacci, Massimo: A Concise history of world population. Malden (2001): Blackwell. 

Maddison, Angus: Monitoring the World Economy, 1820-1992. Analysis and statistic. Paris (1995): OECD. 

Mathias, P. & Postan, M. (eds.): The Industrial economies: capital, labour, and enterprise. Cambridge (1978): Cambridge University Press. 

Mokyr, Joel: The gifts of Athena: historical origins of the knowledge economy, Princeton (2002): Princeton University Press. 

O'Rourke, Kevin & Williamson, Jeffrey G.: Globalization and history : the evolution of a nineteenth-century Atlantic economy. Cambridge (1999): The MIT Press. 

Temin, Peter: Lessons from the Great Depression. Cambridge (1989): The MIT Press.

5.2. Complementary bibliography

Aldcroft, Derek H.: Historia de la economía europea (1914-1990). Barcelona (1998): Crítica. 

Allen, Robert C.: The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective. Cambridge (2009): Cambridge University Press. 

Ambrosius, Gerold i Hubbard, William H.: Historia social y económica de Europa en el siglo XX. Madrid (1992): Alianza Universidad. 

Bandieri, Susana (ed.): La historia económica y los procesos de independencia en la América hispana. Argentina (2010): Prometeo Libros. 

Broadberry, Stephen & Kevin O'Rourke, (eds.): The Cambridge Economic History of Modern Europe. Cambridge (2010): Cambridge University Press. 2 Vols. 

Cardoso, José Luis i Lains, Pedro (eds.): Paying for the Liberal State: the Rise of Public Finance in Nineteenth Century Europe. Cambridge (2010): Cambridge University Press. 

Epstein, S. R. (ed.): Libertad y crecimiento. El desarrollo de los estados y de los mercados en Europa, 1300-1750. Valencia (2009): Universidad de Valencia. 

Feinstein, C.; P. Temin & G. Toniolo: The World Economy Between the World Wars. Oxford (2008): Oxford University Press. 

Feliu, Gaspar i Sudrià, Carles: Introducció a la història econòmica mundial. València (2006): PUV. 

Ferguson, Niall: The Ascent of Money. A Financial History of the World. New York (2008): Penguin. 

Findlay, Ronald i O'Rourke: Power and Plenty. Trade, War, and the World Economy in the Second Millenium. Princeton (2007): Princeton Universtiy Press. 

Kindleberger, Charles P.: La crisis económica: 1929-1939. Madrid (2009): Capitán Swing Libros. 

Krugman, Paul: El retorno de la economía de la depresión y la crisis actual. Barcelona (2009): Crítica. 

Landes, David: La riqueza y la pobreza de las naciones. Barcelona (2000): Icaria. 

Livi-Bacci, Massimo: Ensayo sobre historia demográfica europea. Población y alimentación en Europa. Barcelona (1988): Ariel. 

Marichal, Carlos: Nueva historia de las grandes crisis financieras. Una perspectiva global, 1873-2008. Barcelona (2010): Editorial Debate. 

Mokyr, Joel: La palanca de la riqueza : creatividad tecnológica y progreso económico. Madrid (1993): Alianza. 

Mokyr, Joel: The Enlightened Economy. An Economic History of Britain 1700-1850. New Haven (2009): Yale University Press. 

Owen, R. i Pamuk, S.: A History of Middle East Economies in the Twentieth Century. London (1998): I.B.Tauris. 

Persson, Karl Gunnar: An Economic History of Europe. Cambridge (2010): Cambridge University Press. 

Pinilla, Vicente: Markets and Agricultural Change in Europe. (2009). Turnhout: Brepols Publishers. 

Pollard, Sidney: Los cambios económicos: riqueza y pobreza. Madrid (1991): Aguilar. 

Pomeranz, Kenneth: The Great Divergence. China, Europe and the Making of Modern World Economy. Princeton (2000): Princeton University Press. 

Reig, Ramiro: Las grandes corporaciones del siglo XX. Valencia (2009): Tirant Lo Blanch. 

Vries, Jan de: The Industrious Revolution. Consumer Behabiour and the Household Economy, 1650 to the present. Cambridge (2008): Cambridge University Press. 

Williamson, Jeffrey G.: Capitalismo y desigualdad económica en Gran Bretaña. Madrid (1987): Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social, Colección de historia social.

Wrigley, E. A.: Energy and the English Industrial Revolution. Cambridge (2010): Cambridge University Press. 

Zamagni, Vera: Historia económica de la Europa contemporánea. Barcelona (2001): Crítica.

6. Methodology

The training activities and methodology will be as follows: 

  • Lecture classes with the whole group (100 students)

The first main activity will be lecture classes. They will last 1.5 hour (effective: 80 minutes). The course is composed of 16 lectures each one focused on one content topic. The goal of the lectures is to provide interpretative keys of the evolution of the Global Economy and its historical phases. A list of compulsory readings will help the student to fully understand and actively participate in the lectures. 

  • Seminars with subgroups (20/25 students)

There will be 6 seminars, once a week from the fifth week of the course. They will last 1.5 hour (effective: 80 minutes). Every seminar will be devoted to one major topic. All seminars entail some preparation as students are required to summarize and present to the class the knowledge conveyed in the assigned projects/readings. A list of compulsory readings will be handed in for a fruitful discussion. 

  • Outside individual preparation

Every student must read the compulsory readings. 

  • Outside group preparation

Every seminar entails some preparation whereas individual or in groups. The professor will determine the most convenient preparation methodology. Every group or individual will have a particular assignment and most tasks will include readings, data manipulation and analysis and oral presentation. 

  • Autonomous preparation

The student has the responsibility to prepare himself for final examination. If the students has accomplished above requirements with constancy and honesty he will be in position of gaining higher marks.

7. Planning of activities

Week

Classes activities

ECO/ADE

(groups 2, 3& 4) 

Teachers:

ECO/ADE (group 1)

        IBE 

Teacher:  

groups / activities

Albert Carreras (AC),

Carles Brasó (CB)

Leonardo

Weller (LW)

Week 1

T1

AC

LW

Week 2

T2

AC

LW

T3

AC

LW

Week 3

T4

CB

LW

T5

CB

LW

Week 4

S1 (G 2)

AC

 

 

T6

CB

LW

 

T7

AC

LW

Week 5

S1(G 3-4)

CB

LW

 

T8

CB

LW

Week 6

S2

AC/CB

LW

 

T9

CB

LW

 

T10

AC

LW

Week 7

T11

AC

LW

Week 8

S3

AC/CB

LW

 

T12

AC

LW

 

T13

AC

LW

Week 9

S4

AC/CB

LW

 

T14

CB

LW

Week 10

S5

AC/CB

LW

 

T15

AC

LW

Week 11

S6

AC/CB

LW

 

T16

CB

LW