
20th Century Dictatorships and Democracy
Code: 100383Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| History | OP | 4 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Andreu Espasa De la Fuente
- Email :
- andreu.espasa@uab.cat
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
They do not exist
Objectives
The course aims to analyze the history of democracy and its ideological rivals during the 20th century based on various national histories.
Learning outcomes
- Submitting works in accordance with both individual and small group demands and personal styles.
- Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
- Properly using the specific vocabulary of History.
- Organising and planning the search of historical information.
- Using the characteristic computing resources of the field of History.
- Solving problems autonomously.
- Communicating in your mother tongue or other language both in oral and written form by using specific terminology and techniques of Historiography.
- Engaging in debates about historical facts respecting the other participants' opinions.
- Recognising diversity and multiculturalism.
- Appropriately identifying and using information sources for the historical research, specially about contemporary political regimes.
- Critically summarising the various historiographical explanations about the emergence and evolution of political regimes in the contemporary era.
Contents
- UNITED STATES: republicanism and imperialism.
- MEXICO: democratic revolution and the "perfect dictatorship".
- ARGENTINA: populism and military dictatorship.
- GERMANY: from the Weimar Republic to the Bonn Republic.
- PORTUGAL: Salazarism and the Carnation Revolution.
- SPAIN: war, dictatorship, and European integration.
- CHINA: nationalism and communism.
- INDIA: socialism and anti-colonialism.
- ISRAEL: ethnic democracy and colonialism.
- SOUTH AFRICA: from apartheid to democracy.
- EPILOGUE. Democracy in the 21st century.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading texts | 8 | 0.32 | 2, 6, 11 |
| Personal study | 40 | 1.6 | 2, 6, 10, 11 |
| Elaboration of a work of reduced dimensions (10.000 characters) | 5 | 0.2 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11 |
| Elaboration of a paper (30.000 characters) | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 |
| Theoretical classes | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10 |
| Theoretical classes | 45 | 1.8 | 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11 |
- Classroom practices.
- Public introduction of the compulsory readings.
- Group discussions about compulsory readings.
- Writing papers.
- Reading articles.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam | 50% | 2 | 0.08 | 2, 3, 7, 10, 11 |
| Elaboration of a paper (30.000 characters) | 35% | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 |
| Elaboration of a work of reduced dimensions (10.000 characters) | 15% | 5 | 0.2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11 |
The exam may include questions on the topics covered in class and on the compulsory readings.
The article must be an analysis of a fiction film. In the process of choosing it, the student must make a proposal to the teacher to obtain his approval.
The small-scale work will be a review of a book related to the syllabus. In the process of choosing the book to review, the student will have to make a proposal to the teacher to obtain his approval.
At the time of completion/delivery of each assessment activity, the teacher will inform of the procedure and date of revision of the grades.
All assessment activities will be reassessed independently, maintaining their weight in the final grade.
In order to pass the continuous assessment, it is necessary to achieve an average grade equal to or higher than 5 in the three assessable activities. It is also necessary to have passed a grade of 4 in the final exam.
The student will be classified as Non-evaluable when he has not delivered more than 30% of the evaluation activities.
The single evaluation option will consist of a written exam, which will include two general development questions (50%), a case study (25%) and an analysis of primary sources (25%). The same assessment method as continuous assessment will be used. Choosing the single assessment does not exempt the student from attending classes.
To participate in the second-chance examination, the student must have previously been evaluated in a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade (CONTINUED ASSESSMENT) or submit all the tests planned (SINGLE ASSESSMENT).
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place.In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject,the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
This subject entirely prohibits the use of AI technologies in all of its activities. Any submitted work that contains content generated using AI will be considered academic dishonesty; thecorresponding grade will be awarded a zero, without the possibility of reassessment. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.
Assessment dates can’t be changed unless there’s an exceptional and well-justified reason. If a student has a documented chronic or acute illness, they can request to postpone the assessment, if it fits within the academic calendar. These requests must be submitted at least seven days in advance and include the required documentation. If the reason is an unexpected situation considered force majeure, the regulations allow the request to be submitted after the scheduled date, provided the documentation is delivered within three
working days. This includes situations such as the birth or adoption of a child, or the death of a partner or a close relative (up to second degree). In cases of illness or other circumstances, the documentation must clearly show that the student was not in a condition to take the assessment at the scheduled time. Teaching staff may also use their discretion to consider other circumstances not explicitly listed above.
Erasmus students who need to leave before the scheduled assessment dates must provide an official document from their home university, addressed to the Degree Exchange Coordinator, confirming a calendar conflict (an overlap with academic activities at their home institution). Erasmus and exchange students who request to advance an exam must present a document from their home university justifying their request.
Bibliography
Luciano CANFORA, La Democracia: historia de una ideología, Barcelona: Crítica, 2004.
Steve FRASER i Gary GERSTLE, Ruling America: a History of Wealth and Power in a Democracy, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2009.
Gary GERSTLE, Libertad y coacción: la paradoja del gobierno estadunidense desde su fundación hasta el presente, Ciudad de México: Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2017.
Alma GUILLERMOPRIETO, Los años en que no fuimos felices. Crónicas de la transición mexicana, Ciudad de México: Plaza & Janés México, 1999.
Ramachandra GUHA, India After Gandhi. The History of the World's Largest Democracy, Londres: HarperCollins, 2007.
Antoni DOMÈNECH, El eclipse de la fraternidad: una revisión republicana de la tradición socialista, Madrid: Akal, 2019.
Tereixa CONSTENLA, Abril es un país. Los heroísmos desconocidos de la Revolución de los Claveles, Barcelona: Tusquets, 2024.
Rafael POCH DE FELIU, La actualidad de China. Un mundo en crisis, una sociedad en gestación, Barcelona: Crítica, 2009.
R.W. JOHNSON, Breve historia de Sudáfrica, Barcelona: Debate, 2005.
Dirk PHILIPSEN, We Were the People: Voices from East Germany’s Revolutionary Autumn of 1989, Durham: Duke University Press, 1993.
Charles POWELL, España en democracia, 1975-2000, Barcelona: Plaza & Janés, 2001.
Ángel JOZAMI, Argentina, la destrucción de una nación, Barcelona: Mondadori, 2003.
Sylvain CYPEL, Entre muros: La sociedad israelí en vía muerta. Traducció de Sergio Pawlowsky. Barcelona: Galaxia Gutenberg, 2006.
George ORWELL, 1984, Barcelona: Destino, 1997.
Software
Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |