Syllabus

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Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 1 session / week, 3 hours / session

Description

In this class we will come to understand the vast changes in Spanish life that have taken place since Franco's death in 1975. We will focus on the new freedom from censorship, the re-emergence of movements for regional autonomy, the new cinema, reforms in education and changes in daily life: sex roles, work, and family that have occurred in the last decade. In so doing, we will examine myths that are often considered commonplaces when describing Spain and its people.

In addition to the required books for this subject, there is assigned reading material for this course on the Web site. Getting familiar with that site is crucial: readings allow us to share information on politics, film, the new constitution, art, education, immigration, the autonomous regions, "la movida" and fashion. There will be several movies and a telenovela used in the course as well as DVDs that chronicle the transición from dictatorship to democracy. The telenovela can be accessed through the web, and each episode is about one hour. Finally, we will read El País online so that we can discuss the way contemporary Spaniards view their own and international politics. Reading El País will be an essential part of this subject.

Each week there are series of questions on the readings: responses must be handed-in when you come to class—not after class. These responses will help you organize your thoughts regarding our work together. They must be typed—double-spaced—so I can read them and come to know how the work is going for you.

Each of you will choose a topic you would like to research throughout the semester. The final project for the class is a portfolio of that research with a brief overview of your topic. This class is taught once a week. There will be significant viewing requirements and reading requirements outside of class.

This class is conducted in Spanish. The books for the course may be purchased at the MIT bookstore. Books are also on reserve in the MIT library.

I will try to gear the course to each of your needs. Please let me know if you are having trouble during the semester or if there are specific language skills you would like to improve. This course should be an enjoyable one for you: it is varied in its materials and examines one of the only times in history when the transition from dictatorship—in this case a military/fascist dictatorship that endured almost 40 years—to democracy took place without bloodshed.

Requirements

1. Class discussion is central to this course; therefore, you are expected to attend all classes. This is even more important because one absence is equivalent to one week's absence. Any unexcused absence will lower your grade. If you are sick, or if you must be absent for any other reason, email me before class.

2. You will be asked to write short responses to questions based on the readings. One purpose of this exercise is to get your thoughts and reactions together for class discussion: therefore, the responses must be handed-in when you come to class—not a few days or an hour later.

3. By Week #6, you will each begin to explore some aspect of contemporary Spain in greater depth. These topics can include anything that interests you: film, educational reform, the problems engendered by having autonomous regions, fashion, music, religion, the new constitution, immigration, gender, government energy initiatives (wind, solar, wave), etc. Each week when noted on the syllabus, you will read two articles on your topic and write a two or three sentence summary. I will distribute samples to give you an idea of what to do. By the end of the semester you will have read quite a lot on your topic and, for your final project portfolio, you will write a report of what you have learned that focuses on the agents of change in contemporary Spain: how has democracy, the end of censorship, Spain's entry into the European Community, the Spanish economy, etc. transformed the area you are studying. We will also have oral presentations on the topic.

   The most important work you do in this course is the construction of a portfolio that reflects research and your response to that research on a chosen topic. By the second half of the semester, part of each class will be devoted to your giving presentations in which you share insights, problems, and materials you have discovered as you do your research.

4. You will be using the internet and other sources as you build your portfolio. Much of the portfolio will be constructed around articles you find in various places. Your final report will reflect your own thoughts. If you are in doubt about whether or not to cite sources in your own writing: see me. It is crucial that you state the difference between your thoughts and someone else's.

Grading