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A Journey of Discovery: Hispanic Global Culture

Module description

In this journey of discovery, you will open the door to a rich global Hispanic culture with many different strands. From learning about the evolution of the language itself, to understanding the changes in politics, economics and history as well as the cultural correlations in art, music, cinema and nature, we will identify their global appeal and importance to approach questions such as: Where is Spanish spoken worldwide? Who was Frida Kahlo? Why is Hispanic music so popular? How did the Indignados Movement expand? Through this, you will gain a deeper understanding of the global nature that lies behind such topics and their relevance in the world today.

This module is intended for beginner and post-GCSE students of Spanish, and so the language course MLS1056 is a co-requisite.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module explores the global nature of Hispanic culture by means of specific areas including history of the evolution of the language, art, music, key films, political and economic developments as well as the relationship between soft power and image of all that it is considered Hispanic in the 21^st century. You will gain the kind of understanding of a global culture that employers seek in graduates and that is key to understanding the Hispanic world today. You will consider the impact of past and recent debates, evaluate narratives and, guided by current research, explore key developments that made the Hispanic world what it is today.

You will develop vital communication and analytical skills, individually and as part of a team, both in orally and in writing, through the presentation and a variety of written reviews.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the key areas and cultural aspects that have contributed to the global nature of the Hispanic Culture
• 2. Analyse with confidence a variety of sources to show an understanding of their socio-political contexts, cultural contexts, and formal qualities

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Describe and evaluate, under guidance from the course tutors, key critical responses and apply standard critical approaches to the material. Recognise the existence of differing critical responses to the material
• 4. Mount a cogent argument in the appropriate register of English, using quotations from both primary and secondary sources

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Present a simple but cogent argument orally or in writing where appropriate, in English, on a specified topic and following guidelines provided
• 6. Negotiate and justify your insights in discussion and as part of a team

Syllabus plan

• Overview of the concept of Hispanic Global Culture
• Evolution of the Spanish language
• Key Art figures in Contemporary Hispanic Culture
• Music as a means to disseminate Global Culture
• Key Film figures in Contemporary Hispanic Culture
• Political movements: A brief exploration
• Economic developments
• Conservation and Ecology: The importance of nature
• Publicity and Image
• Conclusions

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Anholt, Simon. ‘Beyond the nation brand: The role of image and identity in international relations.’ In Brands and Branding Geographies, edited by Alan Pike. (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011)
• Domínguez, Jorge, and Ana Covarrubias. The Routledge Handbook of Latin America in the World (London and New York: Routledge, 2022)
• Lynch, Andrew. The Routledge Handbook of Spanish in the Global City (London and New York: Routledge, 2021)
• Stone, R. Spanish Cinema (London: Longman and Pearson, 2002)

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – Faculty to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

• National/Personal Pictorial Narratives of Post-Revolutionary Mexico: Diego Rivera’s Public Murals and Frida Kahlo’s portraits
• Cien años de publicidad española. Instituto Cervantes. https://cvc.cervantes.es/artes/muvap/sala1/default.htm
• Spanish Tourism https://www.spain.info/en/site-map/  
• A full reading list will be available on ELE

Key words search

Hispanic Global Culture, History, Art, Music, Politics