| Unit name | Barcelona: Culture and Representations |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HISP20117 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. James Hawkey |
| 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?
What do you know about Barcelona? It’s a cultural hub and a tourist destination with a vibrant and complex history, but how much do we really know about the place? This unit will take you through history, literature, culture, politics and linguistics, so that you can truly get to grips with this fascinating city. You will learn about important developments in art, architecture and cultural output, allowing you to better understand the built environment of Barcelona. You will also discover more about current Catalan politics, learning about the recent independence struggles, thus offering you insight into one of the most important crises to face Spain (and Europe) during the last fifty years. You will also be able to draw comparisons with other scenarios, allowing you a deeper understanding of the world around you beyond the city of Barcelona.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit fits into your Spanish degree by allowing you to really get to know one of the most important, vibrant and culturally relevant cities in Europe. If this is your only unit that focuses on Peninsular Spanish culture, great! You’ll learn more about a city that has been at the centre of political and cultural developments in Western Europe for centuries. If you’re taking other units that focus on Peninsular Spanish culture, also great! This slots in neatly with other units, so you’ll be able to relate what you know about Barcelona to other parts of your degree. If you take Catalan, great! You’ll be able to study the language and culture of this part of the world at the same time. If you don’t take Catalan, also fine! You’ll learn a great deal about Catalan culture, and maybe this will lead you to take up the language in the future.
An overview of content
As the modern-day capital of Catalonia, Barcelona is of indisputable importance as a major European city. However, Barcelona has captured the imagination of key cultural figures for centuries, and diverse representations of the city abound. In this unit, you will examine some of these perspectives of Barcelona throughout history in order to better understand the culture and experiences of its inhabitants. In turn, this will allow you insight into discourses relating to Catalan identity. The unit will explore the social, cultural and political history of Barcelona from the 19th century to the present day through the analysis of a range of texts and sources. You will therefore develop analytical skills drawing on one or more of the following disciplines: literature, history, film, linguistics, art, and visual cultures.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of this unit?
Having taken this unit, you will have developed a broad range of skills. In terms of knowledge and intellectual abilities, you are not only set on the path to becoming subject-specific experts, but you also will be able to apply this knowledge to specific real-world situations, both in Barcelona and beyond. In terms of engagement and influence, the group presentation component of the summative assessment allows you to work collaboratively and become effective communicators. This in turn results in development in personal wellbeing, meaning you will be more confident, reflective, self-motivated and adaptive.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:
This unit will be taught by a combination of online and in-class activities:
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
In-class activities will increase your familiarity with the subject matter, thereby allowing you to increase in confidence and knowledge before the summative assessment. Discussions will allow you to develop your critical thinking about the importance of the material covered in the development of the city of Barcelona, which will also be important for the summative assessment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
For the group (4-5 students) presentation, you will be provided with a particular context (such as a podcast, an informative YouTube video, a radio interview, etc). You will then be expected to match your content to the brief, demonstrating awareness of how to tailor your work based on real-world demands.
This piece of assessment allows you to go into greater depth on the type of work you undertook in the presentation.
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. HISP20117).
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.
