This course examines major social, political and economic changes in Spain. Focusing on the last 30 years, this seminar-style course will aim to understand different explanations of the current Spanish Politics and Society. So, this subject is addressed to all these students who want to understand how this country is and how it changed for the last years since the Democratic Transition.
Using Sociology, Anthropology, History, Politics, Economy and Art, this course will give a complete understanding of Spain, compared to some Western Countries.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the course, students will be able to deal with any Spanish information or situation of the last 30 years and understand how Spain changed from being a pre-modern country to a post-modern culture (maybe faster than any other Western Country). At the same time, by comparing Spanish History and Present to U.S. History and Present students will be able to compare both Civilizations and understand some of the most important differences between one Euro Mediterranean culture and one multicultural country like the United States.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Mid Term Exam (30%)
It will be a Multiple-choice Exam with 60 questions. Each question will have 4 possible answers of which only one will be correct. There is no penalization for mistakes, that is, in case of doubt student should answer everything, so there is not special penalty if mistake.
Example: Capital of Spain.
a. Madrid
b. Seville
c. Barcelona
d. Bilbao
There is another section in the mid-term exam that is completely different from the first. Students will receive one short article, no more than 5 pages to read in class and write a short (1 page) reflection on the contents of the given reading.
In this section of the exam students will be allowed to use class notes and other materials to write a good essay.
Presentation and Paper (25%)
Students have to read some articles to pass this course, one of them is an article, specially chosen by the student, that will be used as a basis to give a presentation no longer than 15 minutes.
The presentation will consist of two deeply differentiated sections:
a. The first part will deal with the text itself (topics, basic ideas of the author…), always trying to explain what the author wanted to express. Classmates did not read the text.
b. The second part will deal with the reaction of the presenter of the reading, that is, ideas; opinions emerged of the reading of the article. In this section students should explain the most important ideas of the text and, at the same time, students should explain their own ideas.
c. This last section is the most interesting, since students will open a short debate about the text in which the presenter will bring two or three questions to ask to people in class.
The paper will consist of 5-6 pages-long. The basic ideas to follow in the writing of the text are:
a. Cover with Title of the article, author, and year if possible.
Information about the Student: Name, last name, semester, class, name of the professor
b. Introduction. One page. Why the student chose this reading, that is, if it is a personal interest, a possible area of study at home (College, Institution…) or if it just something that sounded interesting enough.
c. Body of the Paper. 3 pages. In this section students will organize the basic contents of the reading as well as how was the presentation prepared and why was the presentation based only on some of the ideas depicted by the author.
d. Conclusion. 1 page. In this last section of the paper students will explain their ideas about the text, not the ideas explained by the author. The ideas coming from one reading are always binary: firstly, academic reactions; secondly, personal opinion about the author, the writing and the contents.
Debate and Paper (25%)
Students will read two texts for the debate hold in class. Never these readings are going to be longer than 50 pages, but it is good for students to read and cooperate during the debate because professor will use this cooperation to grade the section of the class called “Attendance and Participation” that represents a 10% of the final grade. At the same time, a special participation in class could represent a special grade (like an extra credit) for those interested in obtain the best grade possible.
During the debate students will be divided into to groups in order to discuss the ideas of the texts. Each group will have one responsible for the organization and the defense of the ideas of each group. Groups will be created during the first week of class using the English System, that is, the groups will not be created in order to create a homogeneous group, in fact, and groups will be organized in terms of number: 50% each group.
The paper about the debate will be noticeably different from that of the Presentation given the importance of the Debate itself. So, students will write a 5-6 page paper but dividing it into two great parts:
a. Cover with Title of the articles, authors, and year if possible.
Information about the Student: Name, last name, semester, class, name of the professor.
b. Introduction. One page. Explain what you knew about the topic before reading the articles.
c. Body of the Paper. 3 pages. This is the longest part of the paper and students should write the basic contents of the readings and explain the personal reaction to these readings.
d. Conclusion. 1 page. This is one of the most important parts of this paper. Students have to describe their own opinion about the readings and what they want to defend during the debate.
Final Exam (20%)
This Exam will consist of 5 questions to pick up one of them in order to write a short essay of 1 page (front and back). The question will have one title and four ideas to follow to write the argument of the answer.
Example: The Spanish Economy
a. How the Spanish Government modernized the Spanish Economy?
b. How this modernization affected to the Spanish Family
c. Now, the Spanish Economy is based on…
d. Conclusion
There is a second part in the Final Exam that consists of only one question that is mandatory. This question is based on one reading that students need to do during the course if they want to pass the subject. This question is not about specific information of the reading but about an interpretative perspective of the question using all the materials that students may have (class notes, other readings…). Hence, students will write a short essay (1 page) about the text given and they will argument they stand for some ideas and not for some others.
Attendance and participation
Students should come to class fully prepared to participate and to cooperate with the professor in order to create a seminar style ambient in class.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
PAPERS
All the papers have to be handed-in in a printed format.
Hand in the paper one day late means of 10% less in the final grade; two days late 20%, and so on.
No papers accepted via email
Font: Times New Roman
Size: 12
Stapled
Bibliography at the end
There is an office to print paper at “La Casa de Convalescència” that is opened from 1 pm to 3 pm.
Foot notes: SURNAME, Name, title, Place: Publisher, year.
Example: SMITH, John, A book about nothing, NY: Mr. Publisher, 2000
Mandatory readings
DAVID MATHIESON. SPANISH STEPS: ZAPATERO AND THE SECOND SPANISH TRANSITION (40)
EXAM
Students who cheat in exams will be expelled and penalized for such a behavior. They will loss the grade in that exam and they will have to write an extra paper to pass the course.
Students have to answer the questions of both, multiple choice and final exam, using a blue or black pen, never a pencil or a red pen. Exams written in red pen or pencil will not be graded.
With regard to the final exam and the essay in the mid term, students need to use a clear handwriting. Difficult exams to read (because of the handwriting) will not be graded.
GROUND RULES
Food is not allowed in class.
Alcoholic drinks are not allowed in class.
There will be a break of 10 minutes.
If one student needs to leave class before time, this student has to say it to the professor.
Students will not leave the classroom during the session.
Students are not allowed to use any type of MP3, Ipod or similar.
Outline
1st week
Introduction and course organization
2nd week
Barcelona, its Art and Architecture
Visit to the City Center
This week is devoted to the study of the city where students will live for one semester. In fact, these two sessions will be useful for them in order to understand the city and the Spanish/Catalan Art through its buildings.
3rd week
Introduction to Catalonia
This week is devoted to Catalonia and its people. During this week students will study the peoples and Empires that conquered Catalonia and how Catalonia is today using Sociology, Anthropology, Politics and Law.
4th week
Introduction to Spain. From Climate to Music. 1975-today
This week is devoted to the study of Spain. From the Empire to the “Disaster” of 1898, students will understand how Spain passed from being the centre of the World to a peripheral power. During the second session students will understand how Spain is today using Politics, Law, Sociology and Culture Studies.
5th week
Introduction to the Basque Country. 1975-today
Movie: El Lobo
This week is devoted to the Basque Country and its people. During these sessions students will focus their attention on Politics and the problem of Terrorism in the Basque Country.
6th week
Literature, Cinema, Art and Music from Spain
Movie: El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Laberinth)
This week is devoted to the study of the great figures of the Spanish Arts and how some of them shaped some important Western Ideas.
7th week
Review session - Mid term exam
8th week
Presentations
9th week
Presentations
10th week
Debate. The US-Spanish Relationships
Students will use two readings to talk for two sessions. In fact, students will be divided into two sides and they will try to compare these relations with these of the European Union and the United States.
11th week
The Spanish Society today, I
During these sessions students will study major events in social terms and will compare them with the US trying to explain why Spain is in such a process of post modernization (if any) and why some things are changing in Spain and not in the US, Germany or France.
12th week Hand-in Papers
The Spanish Society today, II
During these sessions students will study major events in social terms and will compare them with the US trying to explain why Spain is in such a process of post modernization (if any) and why some things are changing in Spain and not in the US, Germany or France.
13th week
The Spanish Society today, III
Movie: The Sea Inside
During these sessions students will study major events in social terms and will compare them with the US trying to explain why Spain is in such a process of post modernization (if any) and why some things are changing in Spain and not in the US, Germany or France.
14th week
Final Exam
Movie: Darkness
Print this page