Ateneo - UPO

Environmental history and History of cultural heritage: methods, debates and teaching tools.

The course consists of 2 modules: A) "History of cultural heritage" and B) "Environmental history". Two programmes are foreseen for attending and non-attending students.

The course focuses on issues of environmental history and on category of heritage, both with an interdisciplinary approach. The course has the following objectives at a basic level: -to know the history of cultural heritage, and the environmental history dynamics in modern and contemporary period; -Ability to study independently the historiography on cultural heritage, and that on environmental history; -Ability to analyze issues of the history of cultural heritage and of environment in an essential but fairly critical manner; -Ability to communicate issues discussed during the lessons, with a sufficiently proper language; -Ability to approach the historiographic literature and the sources of the history of cultural heritage and of environmental history. To achieve an advanced level, the student must also demonstrate that he/she has: -an organic vision of the topics; -capacity for personal and critical processing of the historiographical texts; -ability to consciously evaluate and argue the dynamics related to the genesis of cultural heritage and environmental history; - ability to communicate, also in a popular manner and with appropriate scientific terminology, the specificity of cultural heritage as a historical object and environmental issues; -ability to critically evaluate and use texts and sources suitable for the historical analysis of cultural heritage and the environment.

Basic historical knowledge.

Frontal lectures; critical reading and critical analysis of the main historiographic themes and of the historical sources of the texts of the course, with particular attention to teaching methods. Individual study. At the request of attending students, during the lessons it will be possible to entertain individual presentation of part of the textbooks.

Those who have already taken the exam “Storia del patrimonio culturale” or “Storia ambientale” or “Storia ambientale triennale in previous academic years are required to contact prof. Tigrino to redefine the texts for the exam. Students are advised to register on DIR (Didattica In Rete), where notices and communications will be posted, and where will be disposable some materials of the lectures. Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via reference office 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 tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The course consists of both modules "History of cultural heritage" and "Environmental history". The examination of the achievement of the learning outcomes are the same for both modules: an 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 an organic vision 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. The exam is divided into 3-4 questions for each module and concerns on the indicated bibliography, as well as for students attending, on the topics discussed during the lessons. The questions will concern the content of the textbooks and the main issues of history of cultural heritage, and of environmental history (as indicated in the contents). 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 (5 points out of 30). The exam will be successful if the sum of 18/30 is reached or exceeded. These criteria apply to both modules. The overall assessment of the examination could take into account the student's ability to improve their ability to answer questions and their general ability to organise their work.

The course consists of 2 modules,"History of cultural heritage" and "Environmental history" (triennale), and it is structured as follows. The first module will focus on the definition of the term "cultural heritage", and on its variations in different periods and contexts (one part will be devoted to a discussion of the Italian case-study). The link that collections of objects have with the history of cultural heritage, and with many disciplines (history, art history, natural sciences, anthropology) will be analyzed. A part of the course will focus upon contested cultural heritage. 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. Outline of the lectures. • The concept of cultural heritage. • The concept of collection and that of heritage: a historical approach. • The history of heritage and protection: I. From the dimension of the sacred to the first interventions of protection in Roman period. • The history of heritage and protection: II. From the Middle Ages to the French Revolution. • The history of heritage and protection: III. The nineteenth century. • The history of heritage and protection: IV. The twentieth century: from the concept of monument to that of cultural heritage. • Protection and its tools: international cases and Italian peculiarities. • The debate on the concept of enhancement. • Contested cultural heritage and the debate on heritage and memory. The second module will focus on: • Themes and chronologies in the environmental history. • The definition of the discipline. • The environmental history and the debate on the dynamics of environmental resources in the past and today. • Topics and objects of environmental history. • Political debate and environment in early modern and modern history. • The history of the landscape (politics, economics, culture and society). • The relationship between city and country in history. • The industrialisation and the environment. • Knowledge and control of the environmental resources (waters, woodlands, animals,.). • Property, practices and environmentale resources. • Climate history. • Globalization and environment. • The concept of Anthropocene. The topics of the courses 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: specific insights are foreseen in both modules.

To achieve sufficient knowledge and skills, the student has to demonstrate: Knowledge: -to know chronology, themes and categories of the environmental history, and of the history of cultural heritage in modern and contemporary period, and their interdisciplinary applications. -to know the main problems concerning the environmental history, and that about cultural heritage, and the dynamics of protection and enhancement. -to know the general features of the historiographical discussions on the themes of con tested cultural heritage, and on cultural heritage, and the relationship between "culture" and heritagization, and that on environmental history. Competence: -ability to analyze issues of environmental history and history of cultural heritage in a critical way. Transversal skills: -ability to clearly communicate issues discussed during the lessons, with a proper language and with a scientific terminology. To achieve an advanced level, the student must also demonstrate that he has: -A comprehensive and clear idea of the topics; -Capacity for personal and critical processing of the topics; -Ability to deepen theoretical and methodological issues of history in general, and in particular concerning heritage studies, and environmental history.