Syllabus

Title
0922 Elective Course - Social and Economic History
Instructors
Dr. Carmen Gruber, M.A., Univ.Prof. Dr. Markus Lampe
Type
PI
Weekly hours
4
Language of instruction
Englisch
Registration
09/10/18 to 09/27/18
Registration via LPIS
Notes to the course
Dates
Day Date Time Room
Tuesday 10/02/18 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM TC.4.02
Thursday 10/04/18 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM TC.5.02
Tuesday 10/09/18 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM TC.4.02
Thursday 10/11/18 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM TC.5.02
Tuesday 10/16/18 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM TC.4.02
Thursday 10/18/18 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM TC.5.02
Tuesday 10/23/18 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM TC.4.02
Thursday 10/25/18 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM TC.5.02
Tuesday 10/30/18 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM TC.4.02
Tuesday 11/06/18 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM TC.4.02
Thursday 11/08/18 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM TC.5.02
Tuesday 11/13/18 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM TC.4.02
Thursday 11/15/18 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM TC.5.02
Tuesday 11/20/18 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM TC.4.02
Thursday 11/22/18 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM TC.5.02
Tuesday 11/27/18 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM TC.4.02
Thursday 11/29/18 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM TC.5.02
Tuesday 12/04/18 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM TC.4.02
Thursday 12/06/18 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM TC.5.02
Tuesday 12/11/18 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM TC.4.02
Wednesday 12/12/18 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM D4.0.124
Thursday 12/13/18 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM TC.5.02
Thursday 12/20/18 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM TC.5.02
Tuesday 01/15/19 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM TC.4.28
Contents

The aim of this elective course in social and economic history is to familiarize business students with the basics of economic and social history. This will be done through the lense of the history of globalization, with a special focus on the interplay between the Atlantic world (Europe and North America) and East Asia (Japan, China, etc.).

Key questions are: What is (and what is not) globalization and when did it begin? Why did it happen when it happened (and not before)? Who were the driving forces? Is it good for us/Was it good for our ancestors all over the globe? Who did and does benefit and who didn’t/doesn’t? How? Is globalization unstoppably leading us to some sort of “end of history”, whether seen as a glorious future or unseen catastrophe?

Taking a long-run view of the process will help to understand the outcome much better than just looking at present state. The lectures (Tuesday classes) will mainly convey knowledge and academic discussions and disputes relating to the interpretation of historical evidence. Presentations will be made available in advance and students are expected to look at them and participate in class. The lectures will be accompanied by texts and case studies relating to the lecture topics, which students will be expected to read and discuss. These will focus mainly on East Asia and its development and connection to the emerging global economy.

 

Learning outcomes

Skills:
- Development of individual learning routines via the analysis of relevant texts in economic history, collection and analysis of historical evidence and their processing
- Development of group-based learning routines via group-based discussion and the oral and written presentation of work by teams.
- Development of verbal and written communication skills.
- Deepening of the ability to raise questions and answer them using economic analysis

Knowledge/competences:
- Understanding of the development of the world economy
- Knowledge of economic causes, effects and policies explaining and affecting market integration as manifested in the movement of persons, commodities, capital and ideas between economies.
- Understanding of the processes of productive specialization and economic convergence and divergence in history
 

Attendance requirements

This course is a "PI", which means attendence is mandatory. Absence on two Tuesday classes and two Thursday classes is permitted. The last class on 15 January 2019 is the date of the final exam - it will be possible to take the exam early outside class hours for those who have to leave Austria before the final exam (i.e., incoming our outgoing exchange students).

Teaching/learning method(s)

Students will acquire the knowledge and skills through lectures, the handing of the work assigned by the teacher and its discussion in class. This will require individual and teamwork performed by the students inside and outside the classroom, and their discussion in class or individual assessment by the instructor.

At the beginning of the course, a reading list will be assigned to each topic. Each topic consists in equal parts of lecture and an exercise session for the discussion of the lecture topics and the related texts and assignments, of which the student will be informed beforehand if they require preparation or handing in of written answers. The lectures present the concepts, theories and models that can be applied to each topic and develop the main historical narrative of the course. The activities developed during the exercise sessions are designed to stimulate the students to use the analytical concepts developed in the course to understand past situations and develop a deeper comprehension of current economic problems.

Assessment

• Final exam (35%)
• Individual presentation in class (25%)
• Assignments, presentations and participation in class (15% Tuesdays, 25% Thursday)

 Each student will be assigned with a topic he/she will have to prepare and present as a power-point presentation during one of the classes (individual presentation, on a Thursday). Detailed instructions will be provided by the instructor during the first class of the course. The grading of other assignments can be based on both pass/no pass criteria and scoring system, which will be communicated in advance for each assignment. 

Prerequisites for participation and waiting lists
None.
Readings
1 Author: Findlay R. & O'Rourke K.
Title: Power and plenty. Trade, war, and the world economy in the second millenium

Publisher: Princeton University Press
Year: 2007
Type: Book
2 Author: Additional Bibliography
Title: To be announced in the first weeks of the course

Availability of lecturer(s)

Office hours: On appointment (see contact emails).

Last edited: 2018-07-20



Back