Contemporary History I (20021)
Degree/study: Degree in Humanities
Year: 2nd
Term: 3rd
Number of ECTS credits: 4 credits
Hours of studi dedication: 100 hours
Teaching language or languages: Catalan and Spanish
Teaching Staff: Eloy Martín, Glòria Cano
1. Presentation of the subject
This subject is the result of the adaptation of the subject Contemporary Political and Social History II to the "Pla Bolonya", the new legislation applied at university level in Spain and other countries. The aim of this new legislation is to reinforce dynamic participation between professors and students through continuous assessment, individual learning (guided by the professor). As a consequence of the use of this method, both professors and students are expected to learn from the process.
Contemporary Political and Social History II aims to provide students of Political Science (and other students who take this course as non-major credits) with knowledge and analyzing capacities regarding the interwar period (1914-1945). This will be achieved by using political, economic, social and cultural perspectives. The contents are structured around seven units that start with World War I and conclude with World War II.
The subject aims to improve students' general and specific competences. The former are meant to potentiate students' capacities and qualities and the latter are specifically focused on the acquisition of knowledge on the interwar period. In plenary sessions basic knowledge will be introduced while in seminar sessions students will be encouraged to work in teams on more specific aspects of the subject. Personal tutor sessions can be arranged if necessary. The evaluation will consist on oral presentations in the seminar as well as an exam at the end of the term.
Prerequisites
Prior knowledge. Students need to know the main events that took place during the interwar period. They should have some basic knowledge regarding the World Wars, the emergence of new states and changes in borders after World War I, the soviet revolution, the Great Crash, the fascisms and Spanish history during the first third of the 20th century.
Basic capacities that are needed to initiate the learning process. Students need to be able to follow the explanations in both plenary and seminar sessions, which will be in Catalan and in Spanish.
Study path in which this subject is included. This subject is included in the Political and Social History path.
Relation with other subjects of the Study Plan. It is related to the subjects Modern History and Contemporary History II.
2. Competences to be attained
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General competences |
Specific competences
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Instrumental competences - 1.1- Oral and written communication skills. -1 Language skills, clarity and precision in oral and written presentations. -2 Synthesis skills, that is, capacity to identify and communicate the main ideas in a text. -3 Capacity to justify arguments in front of the professor and other students. -4 Capacity to be analytical with written texts or with other people's interpretations (both the professor's and other students'). -5 Capacity to have initiative, that is, to be able to participate in plenary and seminar sessions. -1.2.- Research skills. -6 Capacity to deal with primary and secondary data. -7 Skills in information managing (selecting and classifying it using different criteria). -8 Capacity to provide efficient results, which should be clear and well-organised. -1.3.- Analysis skills : -9 Capacity to interiorise the elements that constitute texts and to disaggregate them. -10 Capacity to organise the diverse elements in a text into a hierarchy. -1.4.- Initiative and capacity to complement information by using basic texts. -11 Interest for bibliographic search. -12 Computer skills (e.g. internet search skills). -13 Graphic skills, that is, capacity to read and dynamise graphics and similar data. Interpersonal competences -2.1.- Teamwork skills. -2.2.- Capacity to inform about the development of class work. -2.3.- Acknowledgement and acceptance of diversity. Systematic competences - 3.1.- Learning skills. - 3.2.- Skills in incorporating knowledge and methods of diverse disciplines. -3.3.- Autonomous work disposition. 3.4.- Capacity to answer questions on history-related topics connecting them with political, economic, social or cultural history. - 3.5.- Use of common sense. - 3.6.- Capacity to put theoretical knowledge into practice. |
1.1.- Basic knowledge on the interwar period. 1.2.- Basic knowledge on the capitalist political system and the real socialism. 1.3.- Acquisition of basic concepts, abilities and reasoning skills related to the analysed topics. 1.4.- Capacity to study thoroughly the language and reasoning of different cultural and political protagonists of the period. 1.5.- Capacity to distinguish historical events that have a worldwide impact from regional or local ones. 1.6.- Capacity to obtain historical information from basic web pages. 1.7.- Capacity to identify the political and sociological context in newspaper articles.
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3. Contents
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Concepts |
Procedures |
Attitudes |
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Students need to know the following: • The origins, evolution and conclusion of World War I. • The main problems that peace negotiations entail, especially regarding frontier changes in Europe, Middle and Near East. • The precedents, the causes, the precipitants, the protagonists, the main events and consequences of the Soviet Revolution. • The reasons for democratic debility in the interwar period. • The «happy twenties», the causes and consequences of the Great Crash and the economic depression in the thirties. • Origin, development and consequences of fascist political regimes, especially in Italy and Germany. • Political regime crisis of the Bourbon Restoration, main events and causes of the Second Spanish Republic crisis and the development of World War II. • Origins, evolution and conclusion of World War II.
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Language correction in oral presentations, seminar interventions and written works.
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• Interest in knowing and increasing information. • Capacity to contrast information. • Capacity to form an opinion about analysed information. • Reflexive attitude towards new knowledge. • Acknowledgement of the necessity to plan actions in order to incorporate new knowledge • Capacity to justify works with scientific consistency • Constructive participation (active listening, respect for other people's opinions, and so on).
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*The full version with the sections 4. Assessment, 5. Bibliography and teaching resources, 6. Methodology and 7. Planning of activities is available in the original version.
4. Assessment
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5. Bibliography and teaching resources
5.1. Basic bibliography