Course unit details:
Culture and Empire in the Spanish Golden Age
| Unit code | SPLA61162 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Unit level | FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
The course will address the evolution of Hispanic cultures from 1492 to 1695. We will examine their transformations by analysing and discussing texts, paintings and maps. We will focus on such themes as the relationship between empire and language, practices of literary imitation and transmission of culture between early modern Spain and Latin America. Students will also be encouraged to think through the lens of gender by examining the role of early modern female writers on both sides of the Atlantic. By the end of the course, students will have studied five canonical Hispanic writers (Garcilaso, Cervantes, Zayas, Góngora, Sor Juana), three major Baroque painters (Velázquez, Valdés Leal, Cabrera), as well as a key Counter-Reformation saint (Teresa of Ávila). They will also have been introduced to the colonial cases of Mexico and Peru. No previous knowledge of early modern Spanish literature, culture or history is required to attend the course.
Pre/co-requisites
Available on which programme(s)? | All programmes with Spanish |
Medium of language | English; certain readings and seminar materials will be assigned in Spanish. However, English translations or alternatives will be made available if necessary. |
Aims
• To expand students’ understanding of the cultures, literatures and histories of the early modern Hispanic world
• To provide basic grounding in the relationship between art and poetry
• To give due prominence to Creole, mestizo and indigenous works within a more inclusive and less hierarchical canon of Spanish Golden Age and viceregal Latin American literatures
Syllabus
Indicative outline
The lectures will provide contextual information, introduce the set texts, explain key themes in detail and suggest directions for further study. Handouts and/or PowerPoint presentations for each lecture will be available on Blackboard. Upon successful
Upon successful completion of this unit students will be able to: • Analyse the social and political content of different narratives and how they can be placed within the broader panorama of early modern Spanish history Upon successful
Upon successful completion of this unit students will have: • Honed their communication skills for working both collaboratively and independently Assessment task Formative or Summative Weighting within unit (if summative) Essay Summative 50% Exam Summative 50% Feedback method Formative or Summative Oral feedback to class during lectures and to groups during seminars Formative One-to-one feedback (during consultation hours or by making an appointment) at the students’ request Formative Written feedback on assessed essay Summative Written feedback on exam paper Summative
• Demonstrate advanced research and thinking skills
• Evaluate the key issues at stake within debates surrounding Spanish imperialism, focusing on Nebrija’s assertion “siempre la lengua fue compañera del imperio” [language has always been a partner of empire] Practical skills
• Furthered their ability to critically evaluate texts, images and ideas
• Developed the skills to critically examine the intersections between literature and art and, more broadly, word and image
Employability skills
Assessment methods
Feedback methods
Recommended reading
Lectures
11
Seminars
22
Independent study hours
Independent study
117
Teaching staff
Staff member
Role
Luis Castellvi Laukamp
Unit coordinator