Researching Cultures: Urban Iberian Cultures -- Barcelona and Madrid
SPANISH 3611
In this class we will explore the various urban cultures of two paradigmatic cities in the Iberian Peninsula: Barcelona and Madrid. This is a research-focused course that examines from interdisciplinary and collaborative perspectives the urban spaces and cultures that have shaped the life of the dwellers of these two key cities, both across time, and with a focus on the contemporary moment. While the founding of the city of Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, dates back to the Roman empire (1st century BCE), the city of Madrid, the capital of Spain, was established during the 15thcentury around a small fortification developed during Al-Andalus, soon becoming the political center of the Spanish Empire during the 16thcentury. Through an examination of both the urban development of both cities across time, and its various contemporary urban spaces and cultures in the 21stcentury, this course will explore the ways in which writers (Jorge Carrión, Belén Gopegui, Julio Llamazares), musicians (Joan Manuel Serrat, Rosalía), visual artists (Pablo Picasso, Cristina García Rodero, Ángeles Santos Torroella), filmmakers (José Luis Guerin, Isabel Coixet, Chus Gutiérrez) and architects (Juan de Villanueva, Antoni Gaudí) have reflected on and explored through their work both cities. We will also explore the political and social relevance of both cities today as related to their own urban planning and development, as well as their political relevance in both Catalonia and Spain as a whole. This course will have a strong, mandatory and graded written communications component and is taught in Spanish. It also fulfills the Writing Intensive (WI) requirement for Arts and Sciences students. Prereq. Spanish 303 or 308D, and one (or preferably two) of the following: 341, 342, 343, 370, 380 or Debating Cultures. Students who have taken more than four Spanish culture or literature classes are not allowed in this course and must proceed to a Major Seminar.
Course Attributes: EN H; BU BA; BU IS; AS HUM; AS LCD; AS WI I; FA HUM; AR HUM
