Contemporary Spain & Nations

Catalog description

This course examines both history and contemporary issues of Spain. One of the course’s main objectives is for students to understand the present more effectively by learning Spanish history. The course moves chronologically: The Second Republic (1931-1936), the Civil War (1936-1939), the Franco dictatorship (1939-1977), the transition to democracy (1975-1982), the successive governments up to the present, and key events such as the attempted coup d’état in 1981, the al-Qaida terrorist attack of 2004, the financial crisis of 2008, the ongoing exhumations of common graves with the bodies of Republicans murdered by the fascists, etc. After the historical segment, which takes up roughly one half of the semester, the course examines masculine violence against women and the LGBTQ community’s achievements and ongoing challenges. The last month of the class explores Spain’s three peripheral nations—Basque Country, Catalonia, and Galicia—and one week is dedicated to learning Galician. From the beginning to the end of the semester, certain days will be dedicated to examining contemporary events, which are usually political in nature. The online Spanish newspapers will be the main source and there is also a strong audiovisual component. Throughout the semester students will watch—outside of class—Spanish movies and short videos that represent the history and social issues covered in the course. Finally, although the professor will teach the course in Spanish, English will be allowed both in speaking and writing to a certain degree