| Unit name | The Theatre of Federico Garcia Lorca |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HISP30029 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Garcia Lopez |
| 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?
Federico García Lorca is considered one of the most important writers in the Hispanic world. His works have reached readers and audiences globally and epitomise the key cultural and political changes Spain and the Hispanic world went through in the early twentieth century. By studying this unit you will be able to demonstrate an advanced knowledge and understanding of a range of theatrical works, as well as of key themes in Federico García Lorca’s works and of his socio-historical context. You will achieve a high standard of critical analysis and independent research skills, engage in depth with a wide range of secondary literature, and work collaboratively with your peers.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
You will gain confidence in interpreting primary sources and selecting pertinent evidence in order to illustrate specific and more general points, presenting your research and judgments in written forms and styles appropriate to a final-year Spanish unit. You will be encouraged to evaluate and apply strategies and methodologies for writing an extended piece of academic research, including relevant research methods, bibliographical tools, etc. This will give you the opportunity to demonstrate an advanced proficiency in identifying and in forming your own research questions.
An overview of content
This final-year unit focuses on the theatre of Federico García Lorca, an author whose oeuvre has achieved global reach and has been the subject of much critical debate in Hispanic Studies. Looking at a wide selection of his plays, the unit explores key themes in Lorca’s theatre: the nature of desire and its links to suffering and death; different conceptions of poetry in the theatre and issues of intermediality; transgressive representations of gender, sexualities and identities; the role of the imagination in the life of the individual; the conflict between the individual and society. You will be introduced to the close analysis of plays and will conduct readings that are informed by a range of theoretical approaches, not least the critical study of gender, theatrical genres and queer theories. Lectures and targeted readings provide a broad overview of the relevant theories, and seminar discussions focus on identifying the relevance of particular theories to interpretations of the plays. Weekly focusing questions are provided to structure your learning and to prepare for seminar discussions.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Having taken this unit, you will have developed a broad range of skills. You will have a good command of the relevant theories, and a good grasp on how to deploy theatre-critical terminology. You will be able to apply your knowledge to the selected play texts, but also to complex real-world debates around theatre, intermediality, gender and sexuality, which are becoming ever more prominent in public discourse. You will in turn become confident, reflective, and effective communicators, both through seminar discussion and written and oral assignments. You will likewise be able to research independently and sustain a sophisticated argument, in dialogue with the theoretical literature on the topic. Weekly scholarly readings and various source materials will be provided, giving everyone the chance to share comments and reflections on them. This will allow you to test your own ideas and learn from those of your peers.
Learning Outcomes'
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an advanced knowledge and understanding of the theatrical works studied, as well as of key themes in Federico García Lorca’s works and of his socio-historical context.
2. Interpret primary sources and select pertinent evidence in order to illustrate specific and more general points, presenting their research and judgements in written forms and styles appropriate to the discipline and level of study.
3. Evaluate and apply strategies and methodologies for writing an extended piece of academic research, including relevant research methods, bibliographical tools, etc.
4. Demonstrate an advanced proficiency in identifying and in forming their own research questions.
5. Respond to questions or problems by presenting their independent judgements in an appropriate style and at an advanced level of complexity.
The unit will be taught through two weekly sessions, combining lecture-style activities and material and collaborative and interactive discussions. There will also be asynchronous material for students to engage with independently and dedicated essay workshops.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Collaborative scene analyses from the plays, to be shared among peers and the tutor for formative feedback. Commentaries on scholarly readings, to be shared among peers and the tutor for formative feedback.
300/500-word essay plan and title, designed by individual students with the help of peer and tutor feedback.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
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. HISP30029).
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.
