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SP40JJ: YOUTH IN THE NOVELS AND FILMS OF THE SPANISH DICTATORSHIP (2020-2021)

Last modified: 05 Aug 2021 13:04


Course Overview

The course will examine novels and films of the Spanish dictatorship that deal with children and young people coming of age in a time of buried traumas, hidden longings and hopes for a better future.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 4
Term First Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Jesse Barker

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme
  • Programme Level 4
  • Spanish And Latin American Studies (SP)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

The Spanish Civil War and the ensuing dictatorship were a collective tragedy that deeply affected all aspects of life in the country. How did children and youth come to terms with the dysfunctional families and communities in which they were coming of age? What did they understand about the recent past or the repressive present social-political structure, both of which cast omnipresent shadows over their lives?

Many novels and films in Spain from the 1940s to the present have addressed these issues. We will study a small sample, mostly written or filmed during the dictatorship (1939-1975). The course will be structured into three themes, related to distinct phases of the historical period.

The first, ghosts, will study texts that show children and youth in the throes of the immediate aftermath of the civil war, dealing with a social reality that appears monstrous and adults that often appear absent and ghostlike. The second, changes, deals with the 1950s and 60s, when the regime liberalised to some extent, responding to social and economic pressures. Finally, the last week of the class will be dedicated to the theme of echoes, studying two short stories written in the post-Franco period by writers that had come of age during the civil war or the dictatorship. Their writing reflects new freedoms but also contains echoes of the recent traumatic past.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 60
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback Word Count 2800
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Write a short story, write a news report or record a podcast

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback

The first novel and film we study deal with children and young adults coming of age during the Spanish civil war and the ensuing first period of the dictatorship. This assessment will ask students to imagine how the lives of  these characters develop over time, affected by the experiences they have lived in the stories as well as the ensuing historical changes in Spanish society.
They will be given several options, such as writing a short story, writing a news report or recording a podcast. In any case, they will write a short reflection discussing research they have carried out to develop their project and how it reflects on the historical context. 

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Tutorial/Seminar Participation

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 10
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseKnowledge and understanding of: Important concepts in narrative theory Individual novels that deal with the Franco era Important issues in Spanish life during and immediately after the Franco era
ProceduralEvaluateRead modern texts in the original language Apply critical skills to various forms of discourse, respond to the meaning and affective content of different cultural manifestations
ProceduralEvaluateUnderstand and examine issues of Spanish culture as presented in the texts, applying theoretical knowledge of narrative theory
ReflectionCreateDevelop range of practical and transferable Skills

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