Catalan Studies

Catalan Language Beginners

Social and Political History of Iberia and Latin America

This module examines the historical trajectory of Spain, Catalonia and Portugal, their emergence as states or regions with aspirations to statehood in the Iberian Peninsula, their linguistic evolution and expansion throughout the peninsula and overseas, the eventual independence of the colonies and their development and consolidation into the various modern-day states we know today. The module will explore the social, political, linguistic and cultural characteristics of these nations and states, and their peoples, and highlight the importance of understanding their complex history in the formation of their identities, languages and cultural and political values.

Below are a number of areas directly related to Catalan which may be addressed in this module (note that not all topics will be covered each year)

• The political and social reasons why Latin split into the different Romance Languages (Catalan, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian) 
• The emergence of Catalonia from the Catalan territories and its incorporation into the kingdom of Aragon and then the kingdom of Spain. 
• Christianity, Islam and Judaism: the social and linguistic effects of the Reconquest and the expulsion of the Jews and Moors from the Iberian Peninsula. 
• The Catalan speaking regions and the Spanish Empire 
• Liberalism and Revolution 
• Republicanism and Anarchism 
• Dictatorships and Democracies
• Latin America and Catalan exiles 
• Catalan aspirations to independence in the 20th and 21st centuries

Catalan Language Intermediate

Promised Lands

The course introduces texts which illustrate particular characteristics of social and cultural change on the Islands, focussing on the fate of the Mallorcan 'xuetes' (descendants of Jewish converts) at the hands of the Spanish Inquisition; the satirical treatment of this ethnic group; a later literary attempt to make amends for the consequences of this distorted historical depiction; political and ethnic divisions on Mallorca during the Spanish Civil War, and contemporary representations of love, life and tourism in the twenty-first century. Also examined are contrasting approaches to gender construction and the treatment of women and men; and the dismantling from within of ‘picture-postcard’ and Magaluf-identified Mallorca.

Catalan Language Advanced

Barcelona: Culture of the City

This module aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the vibrant human, political and physical trajectory of Barcelona from the late-nineteenth century (World Fair of 1888) to the first decade of the new millennium. The module develops analytical skills across literary and filmic genres and the ability to assess contemporary theoretical and critical practice in the interrelated areas of urbanism, migration, gentrification and cultural renewal. Focus extends to Barcelona's relationship with Madrid and to the rest of Spain and beyond, offering models for translation to other city contexts.