Fashion studies

The Twentieth century: political, social and economic history of mass society The course will deal with the main events of the contemporary history of the 20th century, with particular attention to the social and cultural phenomena that characterize the emergence of mass society from its birth in the early 20th century up to the 1980s. Particular attention will be given to the history of mass society and to the historical roots of Italy's affirmation as a world reference point for fashion.

Knowledge of the main themes of the history of the Nineteenth century: the industrial revolutions, the Italian Risorgimento, nations and nationalisms, and the birth of mass society.

G. Sabbatucci, V. Vidotto, Storia Contemporanea. Dalla Grande Guerra a oggi, Laterza, Roma, 2019 U. Gentiloni, Storia dell'Italia contemporanea 1943-2023, il Mulino, Bologna, 2024 (excluding Chapter IX of the 2024 edition) E. Scarpellini, La stoffa dell'Italia. Storia e cultura della moda dal 1945 a oggi, Laterza, Roma, 2017 (excluding Chapter I and Chapter III)

Attending the course is highly recommended

Inglese: Oral examination

Frontal lessons and seminar discussions of the texts and the issues treated in the course

The course covers the social, cultural and political history of the 20th and early 21st century. The goal of the course is to provide students with the tools – specific to historical studies – to understand the transformations of mass society and politics from World War I to the beginning of the 21st century, in a context of globalization. The course devotes significant time to the history of Italy, and in particular of the Republican period, from the fall of Fascism to our time. A special focus is placed on the history of fashion in Italy since 1945, assessed from a variety of perspectives: changes in taste and aesthetics, the social significance of clothing, modes of production, technological advances.

Class without prerequisites.

Required textbooks: G. Sabbatucci, V. Vidotto, Storia Contemporanea. Dalla Grande Guerra a oggi, Laterza, Roma, 2019 U. Gentiloni, Storia dell'Italia contemporanea 1943-2023, il Mulino, Bologna, 2024 (except chapter IX of the 2024 edition) E. Scarpellini, La stoffa dell'Italia. Storia e cultura della moda dal 1945 a oggi, Laterza, Roma, 2017 (except chapters I and III)

Attendance is recommended.

The exam will be an oral interview, aimed at verifying the knowledge acquired by each student, their ability to correctly organize information as well as their skills in individuating causal links in the study of history.

The course will consist of lectures; audio-visual materials will be used.