Ateneo - UPO

Environmental history: Themes and methods in the disciplinary debate, didactical and applied perspectives.

One volume from the 2 indicated (Agnoletti or Fressoz-Locher):
-M. Agnoletti, “Storia del bosco. Il paesaggio forestale italiano”, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2018;
-J.B. Fressoz, F. Locher, “Le rivolte del cielo. Una storia del cambiamento climatico, XV-XX secolo”, Leg edizioni, Gorizia 2020.
All following 4 articles and chapters (available on DIR):
-S. Mosley, “Ambiente e storia. Un’introduzione”, in “Storia globale dell'ambiente”, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2013, chap. 1, pp. 7-22.
-M. Armiero, S. Barca, “La storia dell’ambiente. Un’introduzione”, Carocci, Roma 2004, only chaptersi 1 (Storia) and 4 (Risorse), pp. 19-56 and 127-165.
-G. Bonan, "Storia e ambiente: scambio ineguale e mercato storiografico", in «Annali dell’Istituto storico italo-germanico in Trento», Fascicolo 2, Luglio-Dicembre 2020, pp. 15-31.
-V. Tigrino, “La storia dell'ambiente come storia applicata: dinamiche dell'abbandono e della patrimonializzazione”, in «Quaderno di storia contemporanea», 73 (2023), pp. 165-201.
3 essays (4 for non-attending students) from those listed below (all essays are available on DIR, and can be accessed online for free or as Uniupo student):
-L. Megna, “«Acque e immonditie del fiume»: inondazioni del Tevere e smaltimento dei rifiuti a Roma tra Cinque e Settecento”, in «Mélanges de l'Ecole française de Rome. Italie et Méditerranée», tome 118, n. 1 (2006), pp. 21-34.
-V. Tigrino, "Colonizzazione delle spiagge, spazio urbano e rischio ambientale in una comunità del genovesato nel XVIII Secolo", in «Geotema», supplemento 2021, anno XXV, pp. 53-62.
-A. Ingold, “Cartografare le acque come risorse “naturali” nell’Ottocento. La Carta idrografica d’Italia e gli ingegneri delle miniere”, in «Contemporanea», a. XIII, n. 1, gennaio 2010, pp. 3-26.
-E. Tizzoni, “«Tourism will tear us apart». Turismo e ambiente nell’Italia del boom attraverso un caso di studio nel Levante ligure", in «Italia contemporanea», dicembre 2021, n. 297, pp. 95-116.
-O. Rackham, “Boschi e storia dei sistemi silvo-pastorali in Inghilterra”, in «Quaderni storici», 49 (1982), pp. 16-48.
-H. Killian, “Una innovazione selvicolturale: l’introduzione della sega nell’Europa centro-settentrionale (XV-XIX secolo)”, in «Quaderni storici», 49 (1982), pp. 59-70.
-G.F. Croce, “Risorse collettive e conflitti locali: il bosco Ramasso (Genova), 1790-1930”, in «Quaderni storici», 81 (1992), pp. 783-799.
-A.M. Stagno, R. Cevasco, R. Hearn, “Archeologia del lupo. Controllo delle risorse animali nella montagna ligure del XIX secolo”, in “La caccia nello Stato sabaudo, II. Pratiche e spazi (secc. XVI-XIX)”, a cura di P. Bianchi, P. Passerin d’Entrèves, Torino 2011, pp. 91-108.
-G. Barreca, “Animali umani e animali non umani. Un breve profilo storico-filosofico”, in «Ricerche di Storia Politica» 3/2019, pp. 295-306.
-Ch. Traini, “L’ordine liberale e gli animali. Le origini del protezionismo nel mondo occidentale”, in «Ricerche di Storia Politica» 3/2019, pp. 307-316.
-N. Baistrocchi, B. Casalini, “Il femminismo e la questione animale. Uno sguardo storico e teorico”, in «Ricerche di Storia Politica» 3/2019, pp. 329-338.
Attending students participating in the seminar exercises will follow a specific programme.

The course has the following objectives at a basic level: -Knowledge and understanding: to acquire knowledge that allows to know the main problems in the environmental history in the modern and contemporary periods, and the main methodologies, also applied to communication and teaching; -Expression of judgments: knowing how to express at least general judgments on scientific texts related to environmental history; -Communication skills: understanding the language of historiography, and the environmental history in particular, and at least basic application to communication and to the teaching of historical disciplines, including through the use of digital resources; -Study skills: ability to approach the historiographic texts and the teaching tools. The course has the following objectives at an advanced level: -Knowledge and understanding: to acquire advanced knowledge that allows to critically know the main problems in the environmental history in the modern and contemporary periods, and the main methodologies, also applied to communication and teaching; -Expression of judgments: knowing how to express analytical judgments on scientific texts related to environmental history; -Communication skills: complete understanding of the language of historiography, and of the environmental history in particular, and good application to communication and to the teaching of historical disciplines, including through the use of digital resources; -Study skills: ability to fully understand the historiographic texts and the teaching tools.

Basic historical knowledge (chronology and main issues of modern and contemporary history).

Frontal lessons; critical reading of the bibliography and primary sources; critical analysis of the main historiographic methodologies related to environmental history, also in an interdisciplinary way, with particular attention to teaching methods; presentations by students of the bibliography, with regard to communication skills. Important: the participation of students in lectures in seminar form is strongly encouraged; active participation in the course allows for a specific programme.

Part of bibliography and other texts will be provided on DIR – Didattica In Rete. Students are therefore advised to register on DIR, where notices and communications will also be posted. Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the teacher to define the examination modalities, concerning didactic aspects.

Oral exam, about 20 minutes. The questions will assess: the student's ability to contextualize the topics learned in time and space; the acquisition of a complete control of the disciplinary issues; the ability to use them into a coherent and correct exposition, also with a scientific language; the personal critical elaboration of the topics, with an autonomous approach to methodology, and with attention to the aspect of communication and possible applications to teaching discipline. The exam is divided into 3-4 questions and concerns on the indicated bibliography, as well as for students attending, on the topics discussed during the lessons. The questions will concern: the main issues of environmental history and the relationship between environmentalism and history of the environment; the debate on the concept of Anthropocene; climate history; commons and forms of ownership and use of resources; history of water; woodland history; animal history; biodiversity, environmental history and the discussion on cultural heritage; the history of tourism and the relationship with the environment. Vote, expressed in thirtieths, takes place on the basis of the following parameters: 1) knowledge of the fundamental notions of bibliography and, for attending students, of the topics covered during the lessons (20 points out of 30); 2) reasoning skills critic on the topics (5 points out of 30); 3) ability to express and communicate, and to use a scientific language, with methodological awareness, even for teaching application (5 points out of 30). The exam will be successful if the sum of 18/30 is reached or exceeded. It will be evaluated as excellent: an accurate knowledge of topics, articulated synthesis and criticism skills; excellent expressive mastery and communication, and ability to apply for teaching the topics discussed. It will be evaluated as fairly good: knowledge of topics that is not entirely punctually, and the use of correct but not completely scientific language, not very suitable for communication, and with a not full ability to apply the subject to teaching. It will be evaluated as adequate: basic knowledge of the program that does not go beyond the brief presentation of the issues, the inability to express a critical approach, and the use of a language not entirely correct and appropriate, with limited communication skills and lack of awareness of teaching applications. It will be evaluated as inadequate: obvious gaps in the study, inability to orient themselves within the issues and use of incorrect and inappropriate language, lacking the ability to communicate and discuss themes, and to apply them to teaching.

-The critical definition of the discipline. -Environmental history as a new historiographic and historical teaching theme. -The debate on environmental history. -History of the environment and environmental debate. -The concept of Anthropocene. -Climate history. -Commons, forms of ownership and use of agro-forestry-pastoral resources: a historical issue. -The history of water and coastal environments. -Woodland history. -Animal history. -The landscape, the environment and the concept of biodiversity as elements of cultural heritage. -The history of tourism and the relationship with the environment. -The communication of environmental history: historiographic language, interdisciplinary comparisons and scientific communication.
The topics of the course will be constantly analyzed in connection with the current applications in history research and teaching methodology, also through the exemplification and development of didactic exercises. Gender issues: during the first lessons, the implications of the discussion on gender in the field of environmental history will be discussed.

The course aims to provide advanced analytical tools to understand the topics of environmental history, the development of the historiographic debate and its methodological aspects in an interdisciplinary perspective, and applications to communication and teaching, through the critical analysis of the main themes and objects covered by the discipline. To achieve sufficient knowledge and skills, the student has to demonstrate: Knowledge: - to know the problems and the principles of environmental history and their possible applications in teaching and communication; - to know historiographical and interdisciplinary debate about environmental history. Competence: -ability to analyze issues in a critical way; -ability to decline acquired knowledge in didactical issues, and ability to communicate them with a proper language. Transversal skills: -ability to communicate environmental history issues with a proper language and with a scientific terminology; -ability to decline in historical teaching issues discussed during the lessons. To achieve an advanced level, the student must also demonstrate that he/she has: -An organic vision of the topics and methodologies, with synthetic and analytical skills; -Capacity for personal and critical processing of the topics, with excellent use of scientific language and with good communication skills to different interlocutors; -Ability to independently deepen different topics, to know how to present them in teaching and in research methodologies applied to history.