Module overview
Taking the death of Franco and the Spanish democratic transition as a starting point, this module analyses the key social and political transformations that Spain has undergone in the last four decades.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Critically analyze Spanish press and media discourses.
- Carry out critical analysis and evaluation of a variety of primary and secondary sources
Cognitive Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Evaluate the meaning of ‘democracy’ and ‘reconciliation’ in the context of ‘transitional politics’.
- Apply these concepts critically to the study of the Spanish democratic transition and the post-francoist period
- Assess the relationship between key concepts such as ‘democracy’, ‘civil society’, ‘historical memory’ and ‘the nation-state’ contemporary Spain.
- Identify and understand social and political ruptures and continuities in post- Francoist Spain.
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- The roles of class, gender, race, ethnicity and political identities in the forging of Spanish democracy
- Models of transitional politics and processes of democratisation in the Hispanic world
- The process of democratic transition in Spain in the late 20th century
- General knowledge of the history and politics of Spain in the twentieth century
- The relationship between the ‘state’ and the ‘nation’ in the context of the Spanish ‘State of Autonomies’
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Apply knowledge and skills gained in the course of the module to the conception and preparation of your year abroad investigative project, with the possibility of further development of themes and concepts studied in level 4 modules
- Read and discuss new and sometimes complex ideas in English and Spanish
- Work effectively in a group, as well as independently
- Develop further your skills of critical analysis, in both spoken and written form
Syllabus
Taking the late Francoist period and the Spanish democratic transition as starting points, this module analyses the key social and political transformations that Spain has undergone in the last four decades: establishment of a parliamentary monarchy; forging of a secular civil society with equal rights for men and women; incorporation to the European Community; accelerated processes of modernisation; reconfiguration of territorial administration; recuperation and promotion of regional identities; globalisation; and reversal of migration flows. In exploring the extent and impact of these changes, the module seeks to identify ruptures and continuities with regards to Spain’s recent past and engage with questions such as: Why are the horrors of the Spanish civil war still haunting the country? Why does the Basque conflict remain unresolved? Why is domestic violence so prevalent in democratic Spain? How is Spain dealing with the recent phenomenon of immigration? In order to seek answers to these questions the module draws on a variety of primary and secondary sources from different disciplines including theoretical readings, historical narratives, oral histories, press articles, documentaries, film and music
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include
•1 weekly double period lecture/seminar.
Learning activities include
•Independent critical reading.
•Viewing and analising relevant documentaries and films.
Innovative or special features of this module
•Press/media analysis project
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Teaching | 24 |
| Independent Study | 126 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
John Hopper (2006). The New Spaniards. London: Penguin.
Helen Graham and Jo Labanyi (eds.) (1995). Spanish Cultural Studies: An introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Giles Tremlett (2006). Ghosts of Spain. London: Faber and Faber.
Paloma Aguilar (2002). Memory and Amnesia: The role of the Spanish Civil War in the Transition to Democracy. Oxford: Berghahn Books.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 35% |
| Class participation | 10% |
| Oral presentation | 20% |
| Practical task | 35% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Resubmit assessments | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External