It’s pretty fair to say that the last year has been a tumultuous one. We are still living through the pandemic, and we lived through the endless news cycles and uncertainties of the American election in 2020. Climate change is still threatening, with dramatic weather happening around the globe. But this certainly isn’t the first time that a society has lived through disruption and this episode takes a look back at history to help us understand today.

Our featured guest is Dr. Colin Rose, a professor with the Department of History and a social historian examining conflict in 16th and 17th century Italy. His 2019 book A Renaissance of Violence: Homicide in Early Modern Italy (Cambridge University Press), examines how economic decline, climate-induced drought and plague lead to the decline of social institutions and rise of interpersonal violence in 1660s Bologna.  

Colin Rose faculty bio

Misinformation, prolonged pandemic pose security threat in Canada: Brock experts (Brock News, Jan. 11, 2021)

A Renaissance of Violence: Homicide in Early Modern Italy (Cambridge University Press, 2019)

History course provides context for current pandemic (Brock News, Sept. 17, 2020)

Violence in 17th century Italy has modern policy lessons (Brock News, Dec. 19, 2019)

Department of History

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Foreword is hosted and produced by Alison Innes for the Faculty of Humanities at Brock University. 

Series two sound design and editing is by Nicole Arnt. Theme music is by Khalid Imam. 

Special thanks to Brock University’s MakerSpace and Brock University Marketing and Communications for studio and web support. 

This podcast is financially supported by the Faculty of Humanities at Brock University.