Memory and the Future in Iberian and Latin American Culture and Politics

Code

MLAC3070

School

Modern Languages and Cultures

Level

3

Credits

20

Semesters

Full Year UK

Summary

This module discusses the competing memories and contested legacies of social and political violence in the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America by focusing on the disputes over the narratives and discourses about the past (competing narratives, or “memory wars”) and how what is “remembered” and/or “forgotten” can have an impact on the ability to imagine a collective, positive future. It aims to reflect on the apparent difficulty, and obvious imperative, of imagining alternative futures in neoliberal times and thereafter. In recognition that memory is a creative, active process of working through the past that happens in the present, it will address cultural production from the 21st century. It addresses the role of art and culture  (mainly cinema [documentary, short and feature films], short stories, visual representations) in remembering and contesting the memory of the socio-political violence and conflicts (including Military Dictatorships, civil conflicts, social protests, political persecutions, failed coups) that have shaped late 20th and 21st centuries so far and that can both limit and inspire society’s ability to project an alternative future. The module adopts a comparative approach which focuses on the formal experiments and common preoccupations of artists, social and political actors across different national cultures and historical contexts (translations and subtitles will be provided when required). It will discuss acts of subversion and protest, violence and resistance,  authoritarianism and transitions to democracy, neocolonial and decolonial practices, racial and class inequality and social injustice, neoliberalism and post-capitalism.

Target Students

Available for Final Year students taking MLAC3076 or MLAC3059. Also available for Exchange Students with a good knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese.

Co-requisites

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

• Portuguese 3 (MLAC3059)
• Spanish 3 (MLAC3076)

Classes

• One 2-hour seminar each week for 20 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

• 40% Coursework 1: 1,800 - 2,200 word essay
• 60% Exam (2-hour): 1 x 2 hour written examination at the end of the Spring semester.

Assessed in both autumn & spring semest

Educational Aims

Learning Outcomes

1. Knowledge and understanding Students will 
(A2) acquire an in-depth awareness of the cultural, historical and political contexts appropriate to the Hispanic/Lusophone and other 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 Hispanic/Lusophone and other 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 literar texts and genres from Hispanic/Lusophone and other cultures; 
(B2) demonstrate a critical awareness of the historical and socio-political contexts of Hispanic/Lusophone and other cultures; 
(B4) deploy effectively a range of critical stratagems and approaches in their analytical work.

3. Professional/practical skills 
The training offered during the course of the Hispanic Studies elements of the degree 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 poetry from different cultures; 
(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 Hispanic/Lusophone cultures and their own culture of origin; 
(D6) general research skills; 
(D7) time-management, prioritising and general organisational skills.

Conveners

• Dr Rui Miranda