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Course & Unit Catalogues


PL30569: Contemporary Spain. Perspectives and challenges

[Page last updated: 26 October 2023]

Academic Year: 2023/24
Owning Department/School: Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
Credits: 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Honours (FHEQ level 6)
Period:
Semester 1
Assessment Summary: CWES 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Essay 1 (CWES 33%)
  • Essay 2 (CWES 67%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Learning Outcomes: On completion of this unit, students will be able to:
* Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a range of political, cultural and socio-economic challenges affecting contemporary Spain
* Interrogate the intersections between history, politics and culture in the creation of an idea of 'Spain' and Spanishness
* Apply theoretical frameworks to the analysis of current developments in contemporary Spain


Aims:
* Develop in-depth knowledge of a range of political, cultural and socio-economic challenges affecting contemporary Spain
* Interrogate the intersections between history, politics and culture in the creation of an idea of 'Spain' and Spanishness
* Apply theoretical frameworks to the analysis of current developments in contemporary Spain

Skills: Analytical skills (T) (A)
Communication skills (written and spoken) (F) (A)
Independent study (F)
Group work (F)
Information and time management (F)

Content: This unit will allow students to gain a detailed and critical understanding of the main political, cultural and socioeconomic perspectives and challenges that shape contemporary Spain.
By taking this advanced interdisciplinary module, students will learn to question current ideas of what Spain is and what Spanishness entails. Reading across history, sociology, theory, literature, film, music and visual arts, you will acquire a thematic overview of the challenges facing contemporary Spain and the ways they are informed by its recent history. Topics include: historical memory and the legacies of fascism and violence; regionalism and nationalisms; migration and ethnicity; and environmental and sociodemographic challenges. The unit will be organised around three main blocks:
  • Memory: historical memory, legacy of fascism and violence, and the resurgence of the far right
  • Identity: regional and national identities, migrations, ethnicity, and the colonial legacies of Empire
  • Climate: energy and food system transitions, activism, ruralism


Course availability:

PL30569 is Optional on the following courses:

Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
  • UHPL-AYB45 : BA(Hons) International Politics and Modern Languages (ab initio Spanish) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB45 : BA(Hons) International Politics and Modern Languages (Spanish) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB32 : BA(Hons) Modern Languages (French and ab initio Spanish) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB32 : BA(Hons) Modern Languages (French and Spanish) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB36 : BA(Hons) Modern Languages (German and ab initio Spanish) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB36 : BA(Hons) Modern Languages (German and Spanish) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB32 : BA(Hons) Modern Languages (Spanish and ab initio French) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB36 : BA(Hons) Modern Languages (Spanish and ab initio German) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB41 : BA(Hons) Modern Languages (Spanish and ab initio Italian) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB42 : BA(Hons) Modern Languages (Spanish and ab initio Mandarin) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB40 : BA(Hons) Modern Languages (Spanish and ab initio Russian) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AYB06 : BSc(Hons) International Management and Modern Languages (Spanish) with Year Abroad (Year 4)

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2023/24 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2024/25 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2023/24.
  • Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.