Ateneo - UPO

Sources, techniques and writing of history

Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens. Da animali a dèi. Breve storia dell'umanità (Bompiani 2014 and any edition thereafter).

The course aims to provide tools and knowledge for the analysis of historical texts and for the writing of critical essays on scholarly historical texts.

At a basic level, the course has the following objectives:

- Fundamental knowledge of the specifics of historical writing.

- Knowledge of the structural, compositional, stylistic, and editorial features of monographs and essays in the field of historiography.

- Knowledge of the methodological tools for analytical and critical reading of historiographical texts.
-Acquisition of the specific and appropriate language of academic writing.
- Ability to detect different types of historical sources.

-Ability to elaborate and write a critical essay.

At a more advanced level, the course's objectives include:

- Knowledge of methodologies for analytical and critical reading of academic-level historiographical texts.
- Knowledge of different historiographical trends.

-Ability to research, select and analyze sources and bibliography specific to the field of historiography.

- Ability to develop and write a critical essay independently and personally, with content and formal characteristics specific to the historiographical genre.

None

Seminar activity that requires attendance and active participation in class.

The course will focus on the reading, analysis, and discussion of the monograph noted in the bibliography. It is highly recommended to get the volume in time, which will be read and discussed in class.

At the end of the course, to verify the objectives, each student will choose one of the monography listed in course’s bibliography; the essay must be submitted at least three days before the exam session.
The examimation will focus on the oral discussion of the essay and the result will be expressed in the form of a rating (insufficient-poor fair-fair-good-very good) that will take into account the following aspects: 1. active participation in class (30%); 2. effectiveness and clarity of the argument and formal correctness of the essay (50%); 3. critical and articulate discussion of the essay (30%).
From the aspects above, the judgment will consider the following criteria:

-Excellent: continuous and active participation, expressive mastery in writing and discussion, effectiveness of synthesis and argumentative clarity, personal and articulate revision skills;
-Very good: continuous but not very active participation, correct but not very appropriate language, personal elaboration skills not always accurate or scarce synthesis;
-Fair: active but not constant participation, scarcely developed arguments, limited expressive correctness in writing and oral, limited personal analysis and criticism skills;
-Poor fair: discontinuous and not very active participation, use of language not entirely correct and appropriate, scarce analytical and argumentative skills, poor personal elaboration;

-Insufficient: inconstant participation or passive presence, improper use of written and oral expression, poor analytical argumentative skills, lack of personal elaboration and autonomous revision.

Unit 1: Introduction. Methods and techniques of historiographical research: specificity and characteristics of historical writing; presentation of the monograph Sapiens - Unit 2: analysis and discussion pt.1: The Cognitive Revolution; - Unit 3 analysis and discussion pt.2: The Agricultural Revolution; - Unit 4: analysis and discussion pt.3: The Unification of Humankind; - Unit 5: analysis and discussion pt.4: The Scientific Revolution; - Unit 6: Conclusion and discussion: critical self-assessment.

To achieve knowledge and skills corresponding to a minimum level of sufficiency, the student is asked to demonstrate:
KNOWLEDGE
- Knowledge of the characteristics of historical writing and its context.
- Knowledge of the characteristics of the editorial norms of an academic text.

SKILLS
-Ability to read and critically analyze historiographical writings and academic texts in general.
-Ability to write an essay according to the characteristics and topics covered during the workshop.
-Ability to find and select bibliography resources proper to the historical discipline.

SOFT SKILLS:
- Ability to clearly and effectively develop arguments in written and oral form, according to an organized structure and appropriate terminology.

To achieve an advanced level, the student must demonstrate:
- Personal elaboration and ability to synthesize, together with an excellent command of written and oral expression.
- Ability to explore topics, make connections, and develop arguments independently and personally.