History

This course studies the major political and social transformations that have affected China, Japan and Korea from the 19th century and the present day. The survey begins with an overview of these societies respective histories prior to 1800, and then shifts to looking at the impact of western imperialism on east Asia. The class then examines Japanese imperialism, and cultural interactions between Asia and Europe/North America, WWII, and the emergence of east Asian economic and political influence up to the 1980s.

This course aims to provide an overview of western history, and some aspects of Middle Eastern history, from late antiquity to the 15th century. This includes an exploration of key political, economic, social, and religious events and developments. Examples include the evolution of the Roman Empire and its transition into the various empires and areas that eventually came to replace it in the West. Attention is also paid to the existing debate about the medieval period as a so-called "dark age." The birth of Christianity was another crucial development that shaped European history. Key events in later centuries include the establishment of universities, vast economic expansion, formation of the cultural landscape, trade expeditions, voyages of discovery, demographic growth, and the urbanization of large parts of Europe. Other important issues include constitutional developments ranging from the emergence of State Assemblies and gradual expansion of the powers held by kings and other rulers, to revolts and wars. Crucial religious and cultural developments include the major Councils, the Gregorian reforms, the Investiture Conflict and the Renaissance of the 12th century. This overview serves as a basis for the discussion of various themes. The course includes a visit to the special collection of the university library at the Uithof, where several manuscripts are shown.

This course studies the history of Britain from the mid-19th century through to 1945, with a focus on broadly defined political history. The course considers the impact of ideological, sexual, demographic, social, cultural, and economic change on the political process and policy-making in Britain. Students examine more conventional issues such as constitutional reform and party politics. Students also focus on aspects of social and economic history as well as some intellectual and cultural history. This option comprises the spring term of the yearlong course Politics & Society in Modern Britain, 1780-1945.

Published in 1845, Friedrich Engels’s book DIE LAGE DER ARBEITENDEN KLASSE IN ENGLAND (THE CONDITION OF THE WORKING CLASS IN ENGLAND) describes how industrialization affected the lives of working people, based in part on his encounters with them at a Manchester cotton mill. Regarding industrial labor as both a consequence of an ongoing class struggle and the sparkplug for the revolution that would end it one day, Engels told a story of industrial work as a catalyst for political change that was going to happen the world over, one nation at a time. Fast forward a good hundred and fifty years, and the perspective on work and labor shifted. Industrial wage labor has moved in large parts to the Global South and is less clearly distinguishable from unfree labor. Unemployment has arisen as a major issue in wealthy countries. New forms of work have attracted scholarly attention, from domestic, reproductive, and service labor (partly unpaid and often done by women) to creative work, where self-realization is considered as much a reward as financial compensation. Fairness of pay and conditions is still an important concern, but it has become more difficult to mobilize for it, as dwindling union membership and the decline of Labor parties indicate. The course discusses topics including major trends and issues in the history of work and labor in the West since the mid-nineteenth century, and historiographical arguments.

The course examines the development of international relations in East Asia from the Opium War to the Korean War. It discusses major international events, such as conflicts, treaties, and alliances, and examines the interplay between domestic and foreign affairs, the spread of political ideologies, and the rise of nationalism and racial/ethnic identities.

This course provides a partially integrated history of science and philosophy of science. Proceeding chronologically, through three different time periods, the course describes the actual practice of science and philosophical debates about what counts as science. Students relate both to each other and argue that both should be understood in the broader historical context of the time.  Three specific themes are considered for each of the three successive periods: the invention and rejection of tradition: 1200-1700; the individual and society: 1700-1850; and dealing with uncertainty: 1850-today.

The course reviews the shaping of Swedish industrial culture and society from 1800 to 2000. The topics addressed include the transformation of the agricultural production system and the development of an infrastructure for transport, communications, and power transmission. The significance of technical change for the transformation of Sweden from a poor country to an industrialized and democratic society with a well-developed welfare state, Sweden's military-industrial complex, and the concept of the Swedish model are analyzed in the course.

This course is part of the LM degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrolment is by consent of the instructor. The course is graded on a P/NP basis. The course introduces students to the Italian literary culture of the 16th and 20th century. It provides a wide historical background on the issue, together with the basic tools for reading, analyzing, and contextualizing Italian works of the Renaissance, and the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Course topics vary each term. For the most up to date version of the course topics, access the University of Bologna Online Course Catalog. The fall 2023 lectures are organized in four modules, and focus on a diverse range of literary topics. Module one focuses on women, female characters, and gender between Renaissance and post-unification Italy. Module two focuses on Women’s Education in Early Modern Italy: Theory and Actuality. Module three is on Women and society in the Italian peninsula (c. XIX). Module four introduces topic Of Ladies, of Passions and of Wars: Representation of Women in the Italian Resistance.