Unit information: Colombia: History and Culture since Independence in 2014/15

Unit name	Colombia: History and Culture since Independence
Unit code	HISP30040
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Professor. Brown
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

The course explores conflict in Colombian society by means of examination of key literary texts and film. From Independence to the One Hundred Days War, and from La Violencia to Pablo Escobar, paramilitaries and 'narco-terrorists', the course examines the ways in which writers and film-makers have sought to use violent conflict in their work.

The unit aims:

• To introduce students to a significant body of knowledge of a complexity appropriate to final year level. The content matter will normally include one or more of the following: literature; social, cultural or political history; linguistics; cultural studies; film, television or other media.
• To facilitate students’ engagement with a body of literature, including secondary literature, texts, including in non-print media, primary sources and ideas as a basis for their own analysis and development. Normally many or most of these sources will be in a language other than English and will enhance the development of their linguistic skills.
• To develop further skills of synthesis, analysis and independent research, building on the skills acquired in units at level I.
• To equip students with the skills to undertake postgraduate study in a relevant field.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Successful students will:

• be knowledgable about a significant cultural, historical or linguistic subject related to the language they are studying;
• will have advanced skills in the selection and synthesis of relevant material;
• be able to evaluate and analyse relevant material from a significant body of source materials, usually in a foreign language, at an advanced level;
• be able to respond to questions or problems by presenting their independent judgements in an appropriate style and at an advanced level of complexity;
• be able to transfer these skills to other working environments, including postgraduate study

Teaching Information

Two seminar hours per week across one teaching block (22 contact hours)

Assessment Information

Essay 33.3%, exam 66.6%

Reading and References

• Marco Palacios and Frank Safford, Colombia: Fragmented Land, Divided Society
• David Bushnell, The Making of Modern Colombia: A nation in spite of itself
• Marco Palacios, Between Legitimacy and Violence
• Jenny Pearce, Colombia: Inside the Labyrinth
• Jorge Isaacs, María
• José Eustacio Rivera, La vorágine
• Fernando Vallejo, La virgen de los sicarios
• Héctor Abad Faciolince, El olvido que seremos