Nation Building and National Identities in the Lusophone World

Code

MLAC2089

School

Modern Languages and Cultures

Level

2

Credits

20

Semesters

Full Year UK

Summary

This module is designed to give students of Portuguese an introduction to the tensions that articulate and (de)construct identities in the so-called 'Lusophone World' or 'Lusofonia'.
The commonality of language derives from the colonial experiences of the Portuguese Empire, which resonate through the cultures from the sixteenth century to the twenty-first century. The module will examine the way in which ideas of nationhood and national identity have been expressed and constructed through the cultures of the European and African Lusophone Worlds. The texts (literary and visual) studied on this module explore the ways in which cultural production is embedded in the formation of nationhood and ideas about national identity. Culture is therefore examined through and in its political and historical context. The module will address questions of nationalism and identity as expressed through language, race and place. Over the course of both semesters, students will examine theoretical and country-specific ideas about nation(nalism)s through the reading of some major texts from Brazil, Portugal, Angola and Mozambique.
In the process of considering how nations are founded, constructed and/or threatened (socially, politically, culturally) students are required to think critically about how and why (literary) writing and art are embedded in (the discourses that constitute) politics, and vice-versa.

Target Students

Available for Year 2 students taking Spanish and Portuguese with SPLAS or Liberal Arts who are also taking Portuguese 2 Beginners (MLAC2062). Also available for full-year Exchange students.

Co-requisites

Modules you must take in the same academic year, or have taken in a previous year, to enrol in this module:

• Portuguese 2 Beginners (MLAC2062)

Classes

• One 2-hour seminar each week for 23 weeks

The School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies operates an attendance policy. The details of this policy can be found in the student handbook on Workspace and in module handbooks.

Assessment

• 100% Exam 1 (2-hour): Take-home exam comprising of 2 x 1000 word essays (seen), plus 1 x 1000 word commentary (unseen)

Assessed by end of spring semester

Educational Aims

Learning Outcomes

1. Knowledge and understanding 

Students will (A1) read and comprehend complex texts in Portuguese; (A2) acquire an in-depth awareness of the cultural, historical and political contexts appropriate to the Lusophone culture(s) addressed, (A3) develop an appreciation of the relationship between their own cultural, historical and social backgrounds and those of those aspects of the Lusophone worlds to which they are exposed; (A4) handle with assurance a range of critical and analytical stratagems and tools in their approach to these areas.
 

2. Intellectual Skills 

Students are given the tools with which to (B1) engage in informed discussion of literary texts and genres from Lusophone cultures; (B2) demonstrate a critical awareness of the historical and socio-political contexts of Lusophone cultures; (B4) deploy effectively a range of critical stratagems and approaches in their analytical work.

3. Professional/practical skills 

The training offered in this module allows students to (C3) undertake relevant research and construct a reasoned argument on a topic/issue in English either orally or in writing.
 

4. Transferable/key skills 

Students are provided with the training to be able to demonstrate (D2) effective comprehension of written Portuguese; (D3) the ability to construct and defend a coherent and well-researched argument in English; (D4) appropriate preparation skills in relation to written documents, oral presentation, illustrations and handouts and the delivery of oral presentations; (D5) sufficient cross-cultural understanding to be able to negotiate effectively between cultures, particularly Lusophone cultures and their own culture of origin; (D6) general research skills; (D7) time-management, prioritising and general organisational skills.

Conveners

• Dr Jane-Marie Collins
• Dr Alvaro J.Vidal Bouzon