SPA 412 - Conflicts and Crises in Contemporary Spanish Cultural Production

This seminar takes as a point of departure a theoretical examination of the concepts of ‘conflict’ and ‘crisis’ with an eye towards answering the question of how do we define what is a ‘conflict’ and what is a ‘crisis’? From there, we will examine a series of historical events that have been categorized as either a conflict or a crisis in Spain throughout the 20th and 21st centuries that include historical memory, law, environmental studies, economics and finance, racism and xenophobia, and gender violence. We will look at the literary and artistic representations of these events and their portrayal in contemporary Spanish cultural production through theatre, prose, poetry, and film. Finally, we will examine to what extent the authors, playwrights, and directors engage with these conflicts and crises and what, if any, solutions can be achieved in the immediate future as an avenue toward social change.

Satisfies Hispanic Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies the Foreign Language requirement
Satisfies Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

 

Prerequisites & Notes
Completion of a 300-level course in Spanish, or permission of the instructor. Limited to juniors and seniors. Priority will be given to majors, then minors.