Cultural Studies: Spanish Cultures from 1940 - Present

Cultural Studies: Spanish culture/s from 1940 to the present.

Course description:

We will study the cultural production within the historical and social frames of Spain since the second half of the 20th century, a period of its history during which significant changes occurred, until nowadays.

We will also study the cultural manifestations supported by the cultures of both "high culture" and the popular culture: we will analyze newspapers, political speeches, photography, propaganda posters, academic texts and cartoons; we will listen to popular songs; we will watch movies, documentaries, televised news reports and commercials; we will have two field-trips to the Reina Sofia Museum where the Spanish Civil War, the Late-Francoism, and the Transition towards Democracy will be studied through the artists’ work. There will be a strong emphasis on the role of women and the evolution of their role in society, analyzing various cultural products that bear witness to these changes.

Among the cultural manifestations that will be analyzed in this course we may mention "El Guernica", Spanish soccer, bullfights, touristic posters, Easter celebrations (Holy Week), Educational Models, Immigration and Spanish advertisements.

Students are expected to study the assigned readings on a daily basis. Class attendance is mandatory. Please, take into consideration that the course will include two visits to the Reina Sofía Museum. These two classes will be offered either Friday or Thursday late afternoon to avoid conflict with other courses.

Evaluation:

Active participation: 20%

Power Point (based on oral presentation): 20%

Group Presentation: 15% Exams (2): 30% Assignments: 15%

Class evaluation is on-going throughout the course, consisting of class participation, assignments, two written exams and a group presentation about a cultural expression (to be chosen among a list of topics proposed by the professor). Class attendance is mandatory and active class participation is fundamental. If a student is absent, he or she is responsible for making up the work and material covered on the day of the absence. Analysis of movie viewings, art, and readings will be accompanied by "reading guides," which will later serve as a guide for class discussions.

 

Bibliography: Selection of readings from the following bibliographical sources.

Alderman, Liz, “Young and educated in Europe, but desperate for jobs”, “New York Times”, 2013

Boyd, C.P, “History, politics and culture, 1936-1975”. In Graham, Helen & Labanyi, Jo, Spanish Cultural Studies. An Introduction, Oxford U.P., 1995.

Bugallo, A. “Film discussion and debate. From late Francoist regime to Spanish transition: Woman, sexuality and national project through filmic comedies”, U.Mass, Amherst, 2002.

Craley, C. “Seville´s, Holy Week, Ritual Draw In an Outsider”, “The New York Times”, 2016

Crolley, Liz, “Football and fandom in Spain”, In Barry Jordan and Rikki Morgan-Tamosunas (eds.),

Contemporary Spanish Cultural Studies: London: Arnold, 2000 De Haro, M, “Bullfighting as Television entertainment during Franco Regime”, Communication and Society, Vol. 29, 2016.

Kelly, D, “Selling Spanish Otherness since 1960”. In Barry Jordan and Rikki Morgan-Tamosunas (eds.), Contemporary Spanish Cultural Studies: London: Arnold, 2000

Lobo, C. “Female stereotypes in household appliances advertising and their social role in Spain: the perpetuation of a no-longer-existing female condition”, UPF, 2011.

O’Donnell, A, “Death and Life in the Afternoon: A Meditation on Bullfighting”, America, Vol. 215, 2017

Mcdonald, F., “The story of a painting that fought fascism”, BBC Culture, feb. 2017.

Morcillo, A., “The Seduction of Modern Spain: The Female Body and the Francoist Body Politics”, Lewisburg, 2010.

Reina Sofía Museum website (“Rethinking Guernica: History and Conflict in the 20th century”)

CONTENT AND SCHEDULE

Tuesday, September 04: What to expect from this course: shopping around at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.

Thursday, September 06: Introduction to the course, syllabus and program content description

Tuesday, September 11: “Cultural Studies”: definition and theoretical framework.

Thursday, September 13: Hands-on activity in the classroom: how to measure your Spanish culture proficiency level.

Tuesday 18 and Thursday 20, September: TOPIC 1: Carolyn, P. Boyd, History, Politics and Culture, 1936-1975.

Content analysis. Topics to be studied in this Topic:

Constructing the Spanish identity. The Spanish School model.

The Law of Political Responsibilities (1939)

The Historical Memory Law (2007).

Tuesday, September 25: TOPIC 2: Football in Spain, beyond its sports dimension. Crolley, Football and Fandom in Spain.

Thursday, September 27 TOPIC 3: War art: art and propaganda in the 1937 Paris World exhibit. McDonald, F., “The story of a painting that fought fascism”, BBC Culture, Reina Sofía Museum website (“Rethinking Guernica: History and Conflict in the 20th century”).

Monday, October 1 18:45 (6:45pm) Field trip to the Reina Sofía Museum, Spanish Civil War Art. (Attention, it is a Monday).

Tuesday, October 2 TOPIC 3 (cont.): Review and extended analysis of the art-work covered at the Reina Sofía Museum.

Thursday, October 4 TOPIC 4. Spanish Holy Week: Craley, C. “Seville´s, Holy Week, Ritual Draw In an Outsider”.

Tuesday, October 9 TOPIC 5: Cultural diversity in Madrid. Documentary “Extranjeras” by Helena Taberna: 75m

Thursday, October 11 TOPIC 5: (cont.). Documentary “Extranjeras”, analysis and debate.

Tuesday, October 16 TOPIC 5: (cont). Spain: from Immigration to Emigration. Alderman, Liz, “Young and educated in Europe, but desperate for jobs”.

Thursday, October 18: No class, substituted by the Reina Sofía Museum class (Oct. 1st).

Tuesday, October 23 TOPIC 6: The state of the art in bullfighting: arguments for and against bullfighting. The controversy. Deconstructing stereotypes. O´Donnell, “Death and life in the Afernoon: A meditation on Bullfighting”; De Haro, M, “Bullfighting as Television entertainment during Franco Regime”.

Thursday, October 25 TOPIC 6 (cont.): Bullfighting Debate: The Cultural Studies class parliament will debate if bullfighting should be banned in the Carlos III University of Madrid.

Tuesday, October 30: Midterm.

Thursday 1 de November: No class, All Saints Day festivity.

Tuesday, November 6 TOPIC 7: Posters, advertising and Spain: the creation of Spain´s tourist identity, 1960-2018. Selling Spanish Otherness since 1960, Kelly.

Thursday, November 8: TOPIC 7: (cont.) Bring your own adv. (TV commercial or printed adv.)

Tuesday, November 13 TOPIC 8: Present and past of the Spanish Women: considerations on women imagery during Francoist regime (school books, advs., TV commercials, magazines). Lobo, C. “Female stereotypes in household appliances advertising and their social role in Spain: the perpetuation of a no-longer-existing female condition”. Deadline for power point submission.

Thursday, November 15 TOPIC 8 (cont.) Film “Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown”, P. Almodovar.

Tuesday, November 20 TOPIC 8: (cont.). Film discussion and debate. From late Francoist regime to Spanish transition: Woman, sexuality and national project through filmic comedies.

Thursday, November 22 TOPIC 9: Late Francoism and the Spanish transition to Democracy through its Art. Morcillo, A., “The Seduction of Modern Spain: The Female Body and the Francoist Body Politics Deadline to communicate the professor the oral presentation members and the topic.

Tuesday 27 de November: Oral presentations (first day)

Wednesday, November 28 (Attention, it is a Wednesday). TOPIC 9 (cont.): Field trip to the Reina Sofía Museum (second visit). Late Francoism and Spanish transition to Democracy through its art. 18:45 (6:45pm).

Tuesday, December 4 Oral presentations (second day)

Thursday, December 6: There is no class, Constitution Day.

Tuesday, December 11: Oral presentations (third day and last day of class)