Instructor:

Prof. Qiu Yuanlun

Department of European Studies, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Phone: +8610-8519 5742

qiuyl@cass.org.cn

http://ies.cass.cn

Course:

Economic History of Europe

Date:

Monday, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
        (March to June ,2006)

Prerequisites:

Economics

Level:

Ph.D.

Credits:

3

Course Syllabus:

This course will provide students a general grasp of European economic history. It puts stress on the industrialization history —a significant and decisive period as to European, even to the whole world. The main target of it is to provide the students whose major is economics a history perspective to understand European modern economy. It will broaden the students’ knowledge as well as to provide some useful background for further research work.

Course Content:

This course is designed as a general introduction to the European economic history and focuses on the industrialization history. It describes and explains (1) the main idea of the famous economists which influenced European economy; (2) the history of European economy; and (3) the history of European industrialization. Attention will be given to equipping students with the basic knowledge and tools necessary to analyze the economic development of Europe and how the European industrialization came out; what is the impulsive strength that push this special process forward. What can we draw from European experience.

Introduction to the main idea of the famous economists (week 1-3)

 David Ricardo’s thoughts and its influence on European economy

 Adam Smith’s thoughts and its influence on European economy

 Friedrich List’s thoughts and its influence on European economy

 John Keynes’ thoughts and its influence on European economy

 Hayek’s thoughts and its influence on European economy

European economic history before industrialization (week 4-5)

 Economic growth during 1500-1750

 The land system

 The change of population and society

 European public policies

 The economic organizations of early modern Europe

 Some cases

European industrialization

 General knowledge of European industrialization(week 6-7)

3.1.1 The different definition of European industrialization

3.1.2 Decisive impulsive factors of European industrialization

3.1.3 The effects of industrialization on productive   

3.2 The change of economic structure (week 8)

3.2.1 New inventions and Industrial growth

3.2.2 New technologies and the development of the 3nd sector

3.2.3 industrial structure changes

3.3 The change of labor force structure: flowing of rural labor (week 9-10)

3.3.1 The main models of flowing of labor force

3.3.2 The impulsive factors

3.3.3 The common trends and characteristics of flowing of labor force

3. 4 Problems and solution (week 11)

3.4.1 Problems in the process of the structural reorganization

 imbalance between capital and labor

imbalance within labor

3.4.2 Conflicts between environment and human economic activities

solution : social insurance system

         effective public policies

         some organizations

4.Post-war Economy (Week12-13)

4.1 Welfare state building and European model

4.2 American model

4.3 Comparative (American model and European model )

4.4 The challenge

Methods of Assessment:

Class attendance and oral contribution (including participation in group discussion and a presentation of selected topic in the last session of the course)    30%

Research essay (10000 words)              70%      

Reading List:

Challinor, Raymond, and Brian Ripley, the Miner’s Association: A Trade Union in the Age of the Chartists,1968.

Court, British Economic History 1870-1914,Commentaries and Documents, Cambridge University Press,1965.

 H.J.Habakkuk and M.M.Postan, The Cambridge Economic History of Europe,Cambridge University Press,1965-78,Vol.5,6,7,8.

Hans Pohl, Berufliche Aus-und Weiterbildung in der deutschen Wirtschaft seit dem 19Jahrhundert, Wiesbaden 1979.

Henderson,W.O., Industrial Britain under Regency: the Diaries of Escher, Bodmer, May and de Gallois, 1968.

Hunt, E.H., Labor Productivity in English Agriculture (1850-1914), Economic History Review, 2nd ser., 1970.

John Barton, Observations on the condition of laboring Classes of Society, 1817

Jones, Robert A., The Politics and Economics of the European Union. An Introductory Text, 2nd ed., Edward Elgar, Cheltenham (UK) and Northampton (Ma, USA), 2001, sections 1 and 2.

Mayhew, H., London Labor and the London Poor,Vol.2,1861.

Perkin, Harold, the Origins of Modern English Society, 1780-1880, 1969.

Samuelson,James.The german Working Man,London,1869.

Wade, John, History of the Middle and Working Class, 1833.

Wing,Charles,Evils of the Factory System,Demonstrated by Parliamentary Evidence,1837,repr,1967.