Unit information: Chilean Culture and Society, 1907-2007 in 2010/11

Unit name	Chilean Culture and Society, 1907-2007
Unit code	HISP20084
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Professor. Jo Crow
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

This unit introduces students to twentieth and twenty-first century Chile. It is organised along thematic lines (colonialism and neo-colonialism, class conflict, ethnic and national identities, gender relations, memory) but also follows a chronological structure, outlining key political, social and cultural developments. Students will examine the work of renowned intellectual figures, discuss conflicting opinions about successive governments, and study important cultural movements.

Students will be encouraged to engage with a wide range of scholarly literature. They will also have the opportunity to analyse a variety of primary sources: private correspondence, presidential speeches, CIA documents, novels and poetry, films, drama productions, photography and song. All of these sources help to tell the histories of twentieth century Chile, and they allow students to gain an insight into the multiple and conflicting interpretations that exist about those histories.

Aims:

• To introduce students to a significant body of knowledge of a complexity appropriate to second year level. The content matter will normally include one or more of the following: literature; social, cultural or political history; linguistics; cultural studies; film, television or other media.

• To facilitate students' engagement with a body of literature, including secondary literature, texts, including in non-print media, primary sources and ideas as a basis for their own analysis and development. Normally many or most of these sources will be in a language other than English and will enhance the development of their linguistic skills.

• To develop further skills of synthesis, analysis and independent research, building on the skills acquired in units at level C.

• Some options may prepare students for the experience of the Year Abroad. To develop further skills of synthesis, analysis and independent research, building on the skills acquired in units at level C.

• Some options may prepare students for the experience of the Year Abroad.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Successful students will:

• be knowledgeable about a significant cultural, historical or linguistic subject related to the language they are studying;

• be skilled in the selection and synthesis of relevant material;

• be able to evaluate and analyse relevant material from a significant body of source materials, usually in a foreign language, at a high level;

• be able to respond to questions or problems by presenting their independent judgements in an appropriate style and at an high level of complexity;

• be able to transfer these skills to other working environments, including study at a foreign university and on work placements during the year abroad.

Teaching Information

Normally one lecture hour and one seminar hour per week across one teaching block (22 contact hours), often with student presentations. In units with a smaller number of students the lecture hour may be replaced by a second seminar or a workshop. Units involving film may require students to view films outside the timetabled contact hours.

Assessment Information

One of the following:

a) A written assignment of 2000 words and a two hour exam (50% each)

b) A written assignment of 2000 words (25%) and a three hour exam (75%)

c) Two written assignments of 2000 words (50% each)

d) One written assignment of 4000 words

e) One oral presentation (25%) and one written assignment of 2500 words (75%)

Reading and References

• Simon Collier and William Sater, A History of Chile, 1808-2002 (Cambridge: CUP, 2004)

• Isabel Allende, La casa de los espiritus (1982)

• Joan Jara, Life and Music of Victor Jara (London: Bloomsbury, 1998)

• Pablo Neruda, Canto general (1950)