General provisions

This course is a core course in economic history within the Master's Programme in the Social Sciences. The course syllabus has been approved by the board of the Department of Economic History.

Entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student is expected to be able to:

• describe and discuss on an advanced level fundamental features of general and Swedish economic history during 19th and the 20th centuries.
• independently and critically analyse some of the classic works within this field.
• reflect orally and in writing on how these works have influenced the development of the subject economic history.
• place the field of economic history in relation to other social scientific disciplines by independently identifying and formulating central issues of economic-historical research.

Content

This course provides advanced study of some central themes and issues in general and Swedish economic history from the time of the Industrial Revolution and onwards. The themes studied are the industrialisation process, the renewal of industrial enterprise and the labour market and the importance of institutions. Apart from purely economic aspects of societal change, social and cultural aspects are dealt with as well. The starting point for the course consists of scholarly works that have strongly influenced the development of the subject and thereby become classics within economic history. The literature is chosen so that different theoretical and methodological methods are represented and will be problematised from class and gender perspectives.

Instruction

Instruction is in the form of lectures and seminars.

Assessment

The course is examined through written assignments, oral presentations and active participation in seminars.