ATS3972 - Imagining Ibero-America: Travels, texts and transnational encounters - 2017

This unit examines the ways in which Spain and Latin America have represented each other, and the 'singular cultural space' of Ibero-America, at critical junctures during the twentieth century. Through a range of sources produced on both sides of the Atlantic, including works of fiction, critical essays, travel narratives, journalism and film, the unit reflects on the supranational contexts in which (trans)national identities are negotiated and defined. Students explore such critical issues as notions of nationhood and 'race,' cosmopolitanism, immigration and exile, gender and subjectivity, and the confrontation of modernity with tradition. As a point of departure, students are introduced to the idea of Hispanidad and the ideology of Hispanoamericanism as a means by which Spain sought its national regeneration by proclaiming the shared spirit, language and culture that allegedly unites Spain and its former colonies. One of the recurring themes explored are the various responses to this idea of Ibero-America as a homogenous cultural space. Students will reassess critically the nature of post-imperial Spain and post-colonial Latin America from the aftermath of Spain's loss of empire in 1898 to the rapid increase in Latin American immigration to Spain at the end of the twentieth century.

Upon successful completion of this unit students should be able to:

1. Analyse critically a variety of literary and visual texts and to evaluate and formulate coherent, sophisticated arguments, both written and oral.
2. Communicate effectively their ideas during in-class discussions based on thoughtful reflection on the issues.
3. Enhance their skills in the presentation of written and oral arguments in Spanish.
4. Demonstrate a critical understanding of current theoretical approaches to literary analysis in Hispanic Studies, as well as comprehend the relationship between travel, either real or imagined, and ideologies of power and representation.
5. Demonstrate a critical understanding of issues of national and transnational identity formation and negotiation during the twentieth century in Spain, Latin America, and the imagined space of Ibero-America.
6. Deepen their knowledge of contemporary Spanish and Latin American society, history, politics and culture.
7. Contextualise specific moments of transnational movements and migrations within the Spanish-speaking world at various points during the twentieth century and explain the motives for, and impact of, contact with the other.
8. Improve their reading skills in Spanish in terms of their understanding of different discourses adopted in literary fiction, criticism, theory and film.

Within semester assessment: 65% + Exam: 35%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Dr Paul Bowker

Spanish and Latin American studies

International studies

ATS2194 or higher