Culture, Politics and Economy in Contemporary Spanish Society

Culture, Politics and Economy in Contemporary Spanish Society

DESCRIPTION AND GOALS:
This course offers an introduction to Spanish culture and civilization so that students can become familiar with the social, economic and political structures of Spain today. Our study will be focused on some specific aspects which make Spain both appealing and richly varied: its ancestral monarchy recently restored, its organization in autonomous areas which may be a solution to historical conflicts, the fact that it is one of the main tourist destinations in the world and, at the same time, the country of Don Quijote, Don Juan, Lorca, bullfighting and soccer. All these features of life, history and politics will be analyzed all through the course, both in the lectures and in the tour that will take students to some of the most historically relevant cities in Spain.

SYLLABUS

1. SPANISH GEOGRAPHICAL SPACE
A privileged strategic position?
Geographical situation of the country and its influence in history
Relief, rivers, climate and countryside

2. LINGUISTIC SITUATION IN SPAIN
Spanish or Castilian?
Vocabulary building
Official languages
Dialects

3. SPANISH POPULATION
Distribution of population
Demographic development
Immigrant population

4. SPAIN SINCE 1975
The reign of Juan Carlos I
Transition governments
Spanish Constitution
Separation of powers
A democratic country

5. POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SPAIN
The Spain of Autonomies
Autonomous Communities
Competences of the State and Autonomous Communities
Political parties
Labor unions
Parliamentary Monarchy
Head of State and symbols: the Royal Family
Roles of the King

6. ECONOMY SECTORS
The primary sector: - Agriculture, livestock farming and fishing
- Active population of the sector
- Crisis of the rural world, solution attempts and impact of the country?s entry in the E.U.
The secondary sector: - Industry and mining
- Energy sources
- Regional imbalance in the distribution of industry
The tertiary sector: - Services
- Commercial balance: imports and exports
- Tourism

7. SPAIN: FROM A RURAL TO AN ?URBANITE? SOCIETY
Large population centers

8. SPANISH SOCIETY
The society of democratic Spain
The state of wellbeing: education, health system, pensions

9. A COUNTRY OF ART
Major figures of painting, literature, show business, fashion and sports

10. MAIN EVENTS IN SPANISH HISTORY

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alborg, J.L.: Historia de la literatura española, Gredos, Madrid 1966
Deyermond, A.: Historia de la literatura española, Ariel, Barcelona 1973-1983
Díez Borque, J.M.: Historia de la literatura española, Taurus, Madrid 1980 (4 vols.)
Rico, F.: Historia y crítica de la literatura española, ed. Crítica, Barcelona,1980
Maeztu, R.: Don Quijote, Don Juan y La Celestina, Espasa-Calpe, Madrid 1968
Watt, I: Myths of Modern Individualism: Faust, Don Quijote, Don Juan, Robinson
Crusoe, Cambridge University Press, UK 1996
Buendía, R (dir.) : Historia del arte hispánico, Alhambra, Madrid, 1978 y ss
VVAA: Ars Hispaniae, Plus Ultra, Madrid, 1980 ( serie que contiene libros de gran interés)
Pérez Sánchez, A.: Pintura barroca en España 1600-1750, Cátedra, Madrid 1992.
Lafuente Ferrari, R.: Breve historia de la pintura española, Tecnos, Madrid 1987
Vila Valenti, J.: La península Ibérica, Ariel, Barcelona 1968
Bleiberg,G.: Diccionario Histórico de España
Vilar, P.: Historia de España, Crítica, Barcelona 1978
Russell, P.E. (ed): A Companion to Spanish Studies, Pitman, UK, 1973
Perez, J.: Historia de España, Crítica, Barcelona 1999
Pierson, P.: The History of Spain, Greenwood Press, USA 1999
Marías, J.: Ser español, Planeta, Barcelona 1987
Ubieto, A.: Introducción a la historia de España, Teide, Barcelona 1967
Sánchez Albornoz, C.: España, un enigma histórico, ed. Sudamericana, B. Aires 1971
Carr, R.: España de la dictadura a la democracia, Planeta, Barcelona 1989
Preston, P.: Franco, Grijalbo, Barcelona 1994
Preston, P.: Revolución y Guerra en España 1931-1936, Alianza, Madrid 1986
García de Cortázar, F.: Breve historia de España, Alianza, Madrid 1994
Historia de España: de Atapuerca al euro, Planeta,
Barcelona 2002
Fusi, J.P.: España: Autonomías, Espasa Calpe, Madrid 1989
Hooper, John: The New Spaniards, Penguin Books,UK 1995.
Valdeón, Julio; Pérez, Joseph; Juliá, Santos: Historia de España, Austral, Espasa-Calpe, Madrid 2003.
Domínguez Ortiz, A: España. Tres milenios de historia, Marcial Pons, Madrid 2000.
Thomas, Hugh: El imperio español, Planeta, Madrid 2003.

ASSESSMENT:
The final grade will be calculated according to the following percentages:
- Regular tests throughout the course: 50%
- Participation: 10%
- Final exam: 40%

Notes:
1. The absence of an asterisk indicates that this course is open to students of all levels of Spanish. Therefore, the course will be taught in Spanish, but the instructor will resort to the English language occasionally to make the integration of the students enrolled in Spanish I easier.
2. Class attendance is essential in all courses. Therefore, it will be checked daily. Missing classes will negatively affect the student?s final grade.