Modern and Contemporary History

Description
The current course, belonging to the History subject, is justified by the fact that, in order to contextualize the rest of the courses, Modern Languages and Modern Languages and Management students, first need to understand the most relevant historic processes. Issues such as the creation of the Modern State, the main political revolutions, the evolution of the collective mentalities and their influence on the creation of new political systems, the impact and development of the main social movements, or the economic reforms and transformations, together are indispensable for a rigorous interpretation of the information and knowledge obtained in other courses.

Pre-requisites
No specific prior knowledge is required.

Contents
This is a general survey course. Through reading, writing and class interaction the student will be expected to gain a good understanding of the historical forces that have shaped the making of modern Europe between the eighteenth century and the present: the rise of the nation-state and capitalism, the slow descent of the continent into war and totalitarianism and the push towards European integration. The classes will be conducted in lecture format but the students are encouraged to ask questions and raise issues where appropriate.

Methodology
The strategy designed in this course for the development of the competences by the student, relies on a progressive development, parallel to the theoretical contents, activities, practical exercises, inside as well as outside the classroom.
The methods used are:
- Analysis of previous ideas: Review of concepts and previous knowledge of students.
- Presentation of content through multimedia and/or printed materials, introduced in the online interactive platform ALUD.
- Reading and studying documents that develop and complement the theoretical contents.
- Teamwork and presentation of results.
- Experimentation and evaluation activities.

Assessment
1 Paper 40%
Midterm Examination 20%
Final Examination 40%

The paper will be on a topic to be agreed with the instructor. It should be in Word format, of between 8 and 10 pages in length, with double spacing, a point size of between 10 and 12, free of uncorrected typographical and/or spelling errors and free of grammatical errors. The grade for the paper will be based on both content and mechanics. You should endeavour to revise and proofread your papers. Careless mistakes (spelling, punctuation, etc.) will be punished in the overall grade. Good organisation and clarity distinguish better papers. This requires careful attention to the construction of the paper, paragraph coherency and the clarity of transition from one point to another. Your papers should have an introduction, body and conclusion. You must establish a thesis - a proposition to be maintained or proved - and provide analysis by asking questions of the documents, articles and texts you consult. Provide evidence for your argument and cite your sources. You should develop an argument based on the analysis of both primary and secondary sources. Include footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography.

Examinations (60% of the final grade): In both examinations the questions will seek factual information (in the form of multiple choice questions, identifications and short paragraph answers). The questions will be drawn from topics covered in the class lectures and in the text book readings. The midterm examination will account for 20% of the final grade. It will consist of all the topics covered up to that point in the term. The final examination will account for 40% of the final grade. It will cover the work undertaken between the midterm exam and the end of the semester. It will also include a document question, which will require a longer analytical answer.