Contemporary History

Teacher(s)

Piret Bérengère;

Language

French

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

The overall objective of this course is to provide a series of points of reference and keys for reflection on the history of Europe and its relations with the rest of the world during the 20th century. It should allow students to: 1° acquire basic factual knowledge and understanding of European History during this period; 2° develop in-depth knowledge of specific historical events and relevant historical personalities of European history during this period; 3° develop a critical reflection on the geopolitical and international issues, on the one hand, and political and social issues of European history during this period, on the other; 4° synthesize and criticize documentary sources related to thematic case studies.

Content

The course focuses on tracing the developments and key events in world history, with a particular emphasis on Europe, since 1945, while highlighting the international and geopolitical issues involved, especially Europe's relations with the rest of the world. It also aims to foster reflection on the social and economic history of European societies during this period.
Favoring a classic chronological structure combined with thematic presentations, the lecture is enriched by the latest historical research. It highlights, through a variety of (audio)visual documents and materials, the critical examination of sources that underpins historical reasoning, as well as the specific methodological and epistemological challenges posed by this "recent" history, known as contemporary history.

Teaching methods

**Course Description:**
The course content is structured around thematic and chronological developments, focusing primarily on:
- World War II;
- The Cold War;
- Decolonization.
This chronological approach is enriched by the presentation of a series of thematic developments and specific issues, including European integration, feminist movements, and migration movements.
To stimulate their questioning and spark their interest, collective discussions are regularly initiated at the beginning or during the modules, centered around press articles, media sources, and audiovisual materials. As the instructor provides "content" summaries, she engages student participation through other means (such as polls, open questions, etc.), encouraging the sharing of experiences, reflections, and well-argued, documented personal viewpoints.
**TP**
The "Contemporary History" course unit includes five seminar sessions in a small group setting. These sessions aim to encourage active engagement with the material and support students in learning how to critically assess documentary sources. Attendance at the seminars is mandatory. Unjustified absences from more than two sessions will result in a grade of 0/20 for the course unit.
The seminar sessions are designed around the analysis of various types of historical sources—films, testimonies, documents, etc.—or their narrative construction. The examination of each source is intended to deepen one of the themes covered in the lecture course. It also aims to strengthen students' skills in synthesizing and critically evaluating documentary sources. At the end of the sessions, students, working in groups, must produce a critical report discussing the sources analyzed together, examining their status, and their connection to the lecture course. Any work submitted late will be penalized by a deduction of two points per day of delay. The unjustified failure to submit any written work within the allotted time will result in a grade of 0/20 for the entire course unit.

Evaluation methods

The course unit is assessed through a dual system. The lecture course is evaluated by a written exam that will combine, on the one hand, questions aimed at assessing the acquisition of knowledge related to the course content, and on the other hand, more open-ended questions that test students' ability to synthesize and argue effectively. At the end of the seminar sessions, students, working in groups, must produce a critical report discussing the sources analyzed together, examining their status, and their connection to the lecture course.
The final grade for the course unit is determined by the sum of the exam grade (75%) and the TP grade (25%).
Any work submitted late will be penalized by a deduction of two points per day of delay. The unjustified failure to submit any required written work within the allotted time will result in a grade of 0/20 (absence) for the course.

Online resources

The PowerPoint presentations summarizing the content of the sessions, the bibliography, audiovisual, iconographic, and media resources, as well as practical information, are available and downloadable on the course’s Moodle platform.

Faculty or entity

> ESPB