SPAN 2112 - Introduction to the Culture of Spain

This course is a general introduction to the conformation of the Spanish culture from the time of the Roman invasion onwards. It is aimed at students with little or no knowledge of the Iberian Peninsula. The main periods in Spanish cultural history to be emphasised are: Muslim Spain (708-1492); the reigns of the Catholic Kings and Carlos V; the Spanish Golden Age; 19th Century Spanish society and culture; the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939); and democratic Spain (from 1975 onwards). Spanish culture will be studied and discussed from a variety of topics and perspectives, the most relevant being race relations, the role of the Catholic Church in the shaping of Spanish society and culture, militarism, literature as reflection of social reality, nationalism, and contemporary cinema. Lectures for this course will be conducted in English and tutorials in Spanish. Reading and screening material will be mostly in Spanish.