Spanish Civilization and Culture

INTRODUCTION:

This course starts with an extensive view of the Spanish history as a way of giving students a general frame where they could place the following subjects that will be taken into account. After that it will examine the different cultures within Spain: Castilian, Catalan, Basque and Galician; focusing mainly on language, nationality, and political implications. The rest of the course will travel throughout the various aspects of the Spanish Civilization, understanding civilization as lifestyle and society (family, immigration, youth, economic crisis, politics…), and also the various artistic ways of expression (painting, architecture, literature, music and cinema). By using concepts from these various subjects, students will study how Spain changed from being a polarized country to an allegedly reference in the West.

REQUIREMENTS:

     - Fluent in English

CONTENTS:

     - Spanish History, from ancient times to the present. Civilisations and religious coexistence. Models of nation.

     - Language and Culture. Regions, nationalities, traditions, symbols and identities.

     - Cultural expressions, Spain through art. Modernisation, ways of expression, class conscience and moral crisis through painting, sculpture, architecture, literature and music. Spanish cinema from 50’s censorship to today’s Hollywoodization.

     - Spanish Society today, considering different relevant topics both from the 20th century in general or from the
immediate present.