Unit name | Critical Concepts in the Study of the Hispanic World |
---|---|
Unit code | HISP10010 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | C/4 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Dr. Garcia Lopez |
Open unit status | Not open |
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
School/department | Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
As a first-year undergraduate student of Spanish, it is key to understand the various disciplines that are integral to the broad area of Hispanic Studies, as well as the multiplicity of critical approaches to the study of the cultures, literatures, and histories that make up the Hispanic world. Learning to think critically and read closely a suite of primary source materials (plays, podcasts, films, novels, historical sources, poems, etc.) will equip you with the necessary tools to continue your exploration of the Hispanic world throughout your degree.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Building on the content and historical periods you explored in the first semester (on The Making of the Hispanic World), on this unit you will develop foundational knowledge of the key disciplines within Hispanic Studies, the key skill of close analysis, a reflective understanding of your own positionality, and confidence in your own analysis and (scholarly) voice. The focus is primarily on you developing the skills and confidence to construct meaning from close analysis of primary texts and cultural artefacts. The main modes of assessment are written / oral commentary and reflective pieces.
An overview of content
This unit explores some of the major concepts and themes which will help you to understand the cultures, histories, and literatures of the Hispanic world. These key concepts include, but are not limited to: Power, Race, Gender, Identity, Nation, Dictatorship, Transition, Neoliberalism and Memory. Each week you will study at least one relevant primary source (a play, a poem, a film, a painting, a novel, a podcast, etc.) which illustrates one key critical concept to better understand and interrogate the Hispanic world, its peoples and communities, its socio-historical developments, and/or its literary and cultural achievements.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
You will gain confidence in interpreting primary sources and selecting pertinent evidence in order to illustrate specific and more general points, presenting your research and judgments in written and oral forms and styles appropriate to a first-year undergraduate Spanish unit.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
1. Identify some of the major critical concepts and theories that are employed to study the histories, literatures, cultures, and politics of the Hispanic world.
2. Critically analyse visual, aural, and written sources from a theoretically informed perspective, and contextualise these sources at a level appropriate to their year of study.
3. Find, assess, and use scholarly sources appropriate to their discipline and their level of study in their critical analyses.
4. Present their ideas and interpretations to their peers and tutors in oral and written form.
The teaching will consist of one weekly one-hour lecture followed by two one-hour seminars. A variety of activities will be suggested, as well as reading the key primary and secondary source materials. In the seminars, students will discuss the primary sources in depth, analyse these in their cultural, political, and historical contexts, and link them to the scholarly reading.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Interactive class discussions and activities, geared towards the elaboration of close readings of the primary source materials, engagement with relevant secondary literature and critical reflection on individual learning.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
On one of the nine concepts studied on the unit, developed from formative class discussions.
Made up of five sections of the nine concepts studied on the unit, submitted as one assignment.
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. HISP10010).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.