Unit information: Spain in Transition: Literature, Culture and Society (1966-1992) in 2011/12

Unit name	Spain in Transition: Literature, Culture and Society (1966-1992)
Unit code	HISP30035
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Wells
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, Law and Social Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

For this unit students focus on the relationship between literary developments and social and cultural change in Spanish society between the late 1960s and the early 1990s. The unit examines how the diversification in narrative genres corresponds to the process of democratisation which took place in Spain during this period. Four key literary texts are examined; extracts from memoirs and short stories are also integrated into the course through seminar classes. The following themes are considered: transformation in literary genre, gender and sexuality, memory and history, urbanisation, 1992, postmodern Spain and the rise of consumer culture.

Aims:

• To introduce students to a significant body of knowledge of a complexity appropriate to final 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 I.

• To equip students with the skills to undertake postgraduate study in a relevant field.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Successful students will:

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

• will have advanced skills 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 an advanced level;

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

• be able to transfer these skills to other working environments, including postgraduate study.

Teaching Information

Two seminar hours per week across one teaching block (22 contact hours).

Assessment Information

One of the following:

a) A written assignment of 3000 words and a two hour exam (50% each)

b) A written assignment of 3000 words (25%) and a three hour exam (75%)

c) One written assignment of 6000 words (or equivalent)

d) Two written assignments of 3000 words (50% each)

e) One oral presentation (25%) plus one written assignment of 1500 words (25%) plus one written assignment of 3000 words (50%)

Reading and References

Juan Goytisolo, Señas de identidad

Rosa Montero, Crónica del desamor

Eduardo Mendoza, La ciudad de los prodigios

Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, El laberinto griego.

Key secondary reading:

Jo Labanyi and Helen Graham (eds.) Spanish Cultural Studies