National and Regional Consciousness in Modern Spanish Literature.

Transcription

1 National and Regional Consciousness in Modern Spanish Literature. 1. Title of the module: Literature 1: National and Regional Consciousness in Modern Spanish Literature. 2. Level: Masters 3. Number of units: One 4. Pre-requisites and co-requisites: Standard pre-requisites for the Graduate Programme in Modern Studies (GPMS). A level of Spanish which allows students to assimilate sophisticated explanations in the form of oral presentations, video recordings and relevant critical texts. 5. Target intake: 10 Hours of study: 220 Staff-students contact hours: 24 hours 6. Module rationale: 2 hours 10 seminars = 20 hours in Michaelmas Term 2 essays 2 supervisions = 4 hours (3 in Michaelmas, 1 in Lent). Within the general aim of the programme of providing a means by which to gain a true knowledge of the Spanish Culture which goes beyond that of its language, this module will provide a literary insight into one of the most deeply-felt and often misunderstood facets of Spanish Culture: that of the national and regional consciousness of the individuals who form it and the consequences of such consciousness. Aims and objectives: The aim of this module is to achieve a good degree of understanding of the complexity of Spanish national identity. The objectives will therefore be to study the concepts of national and regional consciousness, to apply them to the Spanish context by making use of the students own exposure to their consequences in their reading and analysing of a number of carefully selected literary works, and to make students explain their findings. Contribution to programme objectives: This module will provide a literature-based understanding of a most important cultural issue. This makes it a suitable contribution to the objectives of the programme of Comparative Literary Studies by adding a Spanish option to their offer. 14

2 7. Module organisation and content: This module will initially focus on the development of national and regional consciousness in modern Spain as the result of historic, cultural and linguistic differences. We shall be studying Spain as a subject, its characteristics and its external and internal threats and follow the concerns discussed by Spanish intellectuals in and outside the country. We shall also analyse the changing image of Spain as seen from Britain. In this building of the complex picture of Modern Spain, we shall make use of audiovisual material as well as literary texts as starting points of seminars and class discussions. Finally, we shall use the general understanding obtained through this process and apply it to the study of how national and regional consciousness has filtered into literature. Main Topics 1. The problem of Spain : José Ortega y Gasset, Miguel de Unamuno and José Luis Aranguren. 2. Catalan nationalism and the Second Republic. 3. Franco and the nationalists. 4. The Basques and terrorism. 5. Spain s 17 autonomous regions. 6. Nationalism and regionalism today. 8. Teaching methods: The course leader will recommend some general background and a specific literary work prior to each seminar. He/She will begin each seminar by setting up an issue for debate. This topic will be previously unknown to students but closely related to the subject under study. Students will be trained to relate their preparatory reading to the subjects addressed in class and will be encouraged to express and debate their own views and suggest further topics for discussion. This experience, together with extra research, will be the basis for each of their critical reports/essays. Skills acquired by students: Close text analysis. Literary evaluation. Transformation of a literary experience to a purposeful practical end. Research skills, and reporting of findings. Contribution to students achievement of the module objectives: These skills will make it possible for students to gain the analytical method necessary in order to comprehend, analyse and evaluate different literary works as a (truthful or deliberately misleading) reflection of the points of view of individuals. This in turn will allow them to reach a better understanding of Spanish culture as a whole. 15

3 9. Module s assessment: Written assignments (2 essays): 100% essay marks. To comply with GPMS conventions. Module s examination methods and requirements: Same as GPMS. No examination will be conducted. Contribution to students learning: The contribution to students learning will be on four different levels: 1. Literary: New works and authors. 2. Cultural: Deeper insights on crucial issues. 3. Academic: Acquisition of enhanced mechanisms of research and study skills. 4. Communicative: Ability to organise and display results. Contribution to testing the achievement of the module s objectives: Class contributions and submitted work will act as proof of students progress. This will allow the course leader to assess individual as well as general progress and adjust teaching strategies accordingly. 10. Required and recommended reading: Álvarez Palacios, Fernando, Novela y cultura española de posguerra, Madrid, Edicusa, Amell, Samuel & Salvador García Castañeda, La cultura española en el posfranquismo; diez años de cine, cultura y literatura en España, 1975'1985, Madrid, Playor, Arpal, J. Asua, B and Dávila, P, Educación y sociedad en el País Vasco, San Sebastián, Bastons, Carles & Joan Estruch, Cataluña en la literatura castellana, Generalitat de Catalunya, Beramendi, J.G. and Máiz, R. (Eds), Los nacionalismos en la España de la II República, Madrid, Blas Guerrero, Andrés, Sobre el nacionalismo español, Centro de estudios constitucionales, Madrid, Edwards, J. Language, Society and Identity, Oxford, Heiberg, Marianne, The Making of the Basque Nation, Cambridge,1989. Hernández, F. And Mercadé, F. (Eds), Estructuras sociales y cuestión nacional en España, Barcelona, Hina, Horst, Castilla y Cataluña en el debate cultural, Barcelona, Península,

4 Hintz, Suzanne S. (Ed), Linguistic and literary relations of Catalan and Castilian, New York: Peter Lang, Johnston, H., Tales of Nationalism: Catalonia , New Brunswick, Mar-Molinero, Clare and Ángel Smith (eds), Nationalism and the Nation in the Iberian Peninsula, Oxford: Berg, Marañón, Gregorio, Españoles fuera de España, Madrid, Espasa, Menéndez Pidal, Ramón, Los españoles en la literatura, Madrid, Espasa, Ortega y Gasset, José, España invertebrada, Madrid, Alianza, & Europa y la Idea de Nación, Madrid, Alianza, Pérez-Agote, Alfonso, El nacionalismo a la salida del franquismo, Madrid, Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas, And a small selection of audiovisual materials. How this material is to be accessed: 11. Student feedback: Library 70% + Student purchase 20% + Video Library 10% How student feedback will be sought: Students will be encouraged to comment on their own development during tutorial times, as part of the confidence-building strategy outlined in the programme proposal (item n.11), and to make a final written evaluation through the standard Student Evaluation Forms procedure. How it will be used: A yearly session will be arranged to incorporate valuable students comments to the running of the programme. How it will be reported to staff and students: During the first year all members of staff involved in the MA will have regular meetings to discuss the progress of each module and to adjust teaching methods accordingly. At the end of each term, a meeting will be organised with the students so that matters arising (from their comments or from previous year s evaluation process) can be discussed. 12. Evidence of all resource requirements (including suitably qualified teaching staff): Teaching staff: Dr M. Roser will undertake the teaching of this course. This has the approval of the Head of the School of European Culture and Languages. Teaching cost: for part-time teaching = Library cost:

5 Departmental cost: for audiovisual material. Total: 1,

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