| Unit name | The Making of the Hispanic World |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HISP10021 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Fisk |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
This unit will provide you with the essential knowledge and analytical tools for the study of the Hispanic world. We will explore the major historical processes and periods that shaped The Making of the Hispanic World. We most often take a decolonised approach and focus on the experiences of marginalised peoples to counter traditional grand narratives. We will reflect on what ‘Hispanic’ means, and how useful it is as a concept today. In seminars students will explore 8 key texts, visual, or aural sources in detail and analyse these in their political and historical contexts.
How does this unit first into your programme of study?
This unit is taken by every student on a programme involving Spanish, from BA Spanish and French through to Spanish and Philosophy. Some students are beginners in Spanish and others have taken A-Levels. The unit introduces you to the big pictures that underpin the study of Spanish at Bristol. The materials are available in English and sometimes Spanish, and the unit is taught in English. Along the way you will participate in many activities, including discussions, lectures, reading and writing essays. The unit is taught by an interdisciplinary team from the Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies.
An overview of content
Moving through worlds of late medieval expansion, colonisation, slavery, Enlightenment, independence, revolution, dictatorship, democracy, and contemporary identities, we examine influential ways of thinking about the culture and politics of the places where Spanish is spoken. Key questions we will ask include: What is the Hispanic world? How can we explain the global processes that led to its creation and transformation? What does it mean to be ‘Hispanic’ anyway?
How will students, personally, be different as a result of this unit?
You will have learned about the how the Hispanic World, especially Spain and Latin America, came into being, by studying transcultural and transnational experiences and processes. You will have gained a broad overview and you will appreciate local contexts, and cultures, particularly through your own engagement with and reflection upon primary sources, ranging from classic works of literature to modern films.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of in-person sessions and asynchronous tasks, including group seminar-style discussion and self-directed exercises.
Tasks students are expected to complete include:
Weekly seminar readings.
In-class presentations
Contributions to interactive medium including podcasts and Padlets
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Oral group presentations in seminars with verbal feedback, 5 minutes (0%, not required for credit)
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
A close analysis of a primary source, 1000-words OR a recorded presentation of equivalent length (40%) [ILOs 1-3]
Timed assessment, 1,500 words (60%) [ILOs 1-4].
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. HISP10021).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
