Spanish Culture and Civilization

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of this course is to pinpoint the principal traits of Spanish culture and society. The students, guided by the professor, will examine the primary historical stages of the country - from antiquity to present-day. Geographic and historic aspects will broaden the students? knowledge within a very rich frame of popular traditions, including a gastronomy known as one of the healthiest in the world and characters that transcend public notoriety. This is a course that contradicts popular topics and gets closer to the reality of Spanish culture under the umbrella of objectivity.

PROGRAM

Unit 1 A Journey Through Spanish History
1.1 From antiquity to the Romans
1.2 From the arrival of the Romans to the arrival of the Muslims
1.3 Eight centuries of Muslim rule
1.4 Spain after the Christian reconquest: 16th and 17th centuries
1.5 18th and 19th centuries
1.6 20th century and beginning of the 21st

Unit 2 Geography of Spain
2.1 Geographic location, predominant orography, and principal hydrographic resources
2.2 Autonomous commUnities
2.3 Prevailing climatology and meteorology in the peninsula and islands

Unit 3 Languages of Spain
3.1 Official languages
3.2 Principal dialects

Unit 4 Cultural Topics
4.1 Flamenco
4.2 Bulls
4.3 Music (Tuna, Villancicos, Copla, ?.)
4.4 Camino de Santiago

Unit 5 Gastronomy

Unit 6 Spanish Traditions and Festivals
6.1 Principal traditions: Semana Santa, Carnavales, Noche de San Juan, Navidad, Reyes Magos
6.2 Popular festivals: Feria de Abril (Sevilla), San Fermines (Pamplona), Fallas (Valencia), Cruces de Mayo (Granada, Córdoba)

Unit 7 Spain and the European Union

Unit 8 Cinema of the 20th and 21st Centuries

EVALUATION

Course evaluation will be based on the following:

20% Attendance, Participation, Activities
80% Final exam

BIBLIOGRAPHY

TAMARES, R., QUESADA, S., Imágenes de España. Panorama de la formación de España y de
las culturas hispánicas, Edelsa, 2001.

DOMINGUEZ ORTIZ, A. España. Tres milenios de historia. Marcial Pons, Madrid, 2000.

GARCÍA DE CORTÁZAR,G., Biografía de España, Galaxia-Gutembrg/Circulo de Lectores, Barcelona,1998.

GARCIA DE CORTÁZAR,G., Álbum de la Historia de España, Galaxia-Gutemberg/Círculo de Lectores, Barcelona 1995

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