Spanish Civilization And Culture
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SESSION 1 PRESENTATION
SPANISH CIVILIZATION AND CULTURE CEA BARCELONA GLOBAL CAMPUS SUMMER 2007 PROGRAMME Instructor: Victor Lapuente Gine e-mail: [email protected]
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION
OUTLINE OF THE SESSION 3)
Introductions
5)
Why is this course important?
7)
The plan for the course
9)
Diversity in Spain
11) Spain: Northern Africa or Southern Sweden?
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION
1) Introductions -Me -You -Spain
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION
Spain: b) c) d) e)
How many languages are spoken in Spain? Head of State? Prime Minister? Population?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Spain
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION Recent History: -After the death of General Franco in 1975, Spain embarked on a political transition to democracy. -Following the legalisation of political parties, the first free election for 40 years was held in 1977 -In 1978 a referendum approved a new democratic constitution and repealed many of the laws of the Franco era -In 1986 Spain joined the European Community (now EU) -Spain was one of the founder members of economic and monetary union (EMU) in January 1999
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION Political structure: -Spain is a constitutional monarchy. The king, Juan Carlos, will be succeeded by his son, Felipe. -The parliament, or Cortes, is bicameral. Real power resides in the 350-seat lower house (Congress of Deputies). -The upper house (Senate) has 208 directly elected members and 51 regional representatives. -Spain in now the most decentralised large country in Europe after Germany, but demands for greater autonomy by some of the 17 regions or autonomous communities are a source of political tension.
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION
Quality of life in Spain Determinants of quality of life (The EIU) 1. Material wellbeing gdp per person, 2. Health Life expectancy at birth, years. 3. Political stability and security Political stability and security ratings. 4. Family life Divorce rate (per 1,000 population) 5. Community life 6. Climate and geography Latitude, to distinguish between warmer and colder climes. 7. Job security Unemployment rate, %. 8. Political freedom Average of indices of political and civil liberties. 9. Gender equality Ratio of average male and female earnings
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION
2) Why is this course important? -To understand the historical evolution of Spain and Catalonia -To understand one of the biggest socioeconomic transformation worldwide in the last 50 years. (Korea and Spain show the highest GDP growth in the 1950-2000 period) -Is Spain an example to follow?
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION
3) The plan for the course Content: -Sessions & Special Sessions -Discussion papers & Assignments -Participation in class -Midterm/Final examination
4) The diversity in Spain -Definitions of Spain by British observers: Richard Ford: “A bunch of local unities tied by a sand rope” Gerald Brenan (“The Spanish Labyrinth”): “set of little hostile or independent republics, linked by a scarcely cohesive federation. At some points of history, those little centers have felt contaminated by a feeling or a common idea and have performed together; but, when such spirit declined, they divided and they came back to their separate existence.”
1)Topographic diversity 2) Climatic diversity 3) Economic, political and cultural diversity
How geography shaped regional diversity in Spain: -The fertile soils of Levante and Guadalquivir Valley magnet to incoming waves of settlers (e.g. Roman cities…) -Narrow crossing between Southern Spain and North Africa contact among those regions -Mountain chains around Meseta obstacle for communication between the more prosperous periphery and the peoples of the interior
-This “geographical handicap” (Sanchez-Albornoz) has encouraged the development of regionalist and separatist movements -Ortega y Gasset (“Invertebrate Spain”): Spain is “not so much a nation as a series of watertight compartments” -For many historians, Spanish history is to be understood above all in terms of a permanent struggle between centre and periphery.
-When was Spain as a nation born? 4.
Dynastic union by Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1479 (show the map of Spain and point out, more or less, where Castile and Aragon lay) •
Visigothic Monarchy in the late 6th century
•
When Philip V swept away the privileges and institutions of the constituent realms of the Crown of Aragon in 1715
-Spain, between Europe and Africa 4.
Why ‘Africa begins at the Pyrenees’?
2.
Why Spain belongs to Europe?
5) Spain: Northern Africa or Southern Sweden? • Read The Economist Article • Discussion: Are we more or less liberal than the US?
SPANISH CIVILIZATION AND CULTURE CEA BARCELONA GLOBAL CAMPUS SUMMER 2007 PROGRAMME Instructor: Victor Lapuente Gine e-mail: [email protected]
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION
OUTLINE OF THE SESSION 3)
Introductions
5)
Why is this course important?
7)
The plan for the course
9)
Diversity in Spain
11) Spain: Northern Africa or Southern Sweden?
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION
1) Introductions -Me -You -Spain
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION
Spain: b) c) d) e)
How many languages are spoken in Spain? Head of State? Prime Minister? Population?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Spain
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION Recent History: -After the death of General Franco in 1975, Spain embarked on a political transition to democracy. -Following the legalisation of political parties, the first free election for 40 years was held in 1977 -In 1978 a referendum approved a new democratic constitution and repealed many of the laws of the Franco era -In 1986 Spain joined the European Community (now EU) -Spain was one of the founder members of economic and monetary union (EMU) in January 1999
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION Political structure: -Spain is a constitutional monarchy. The king, Juan Carlos, will be succeeded by his son, Felipe. -The parliament, or Cortes, is bicameral. Real power resides in the 350-seat lower house (Congress of Deputies). -The upper house (Senate) has 208 directly elected members and 51 regional representatives. -Spain in now the most decentralised large country in Europe after Germany, but demands for greater autonomy by some of the 17 regions or autonomous communities are a source of political tension.
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION
Quality of life in Spain Determinants of quality of life (The EIU) 1. Material wellbeing gdp per person, 2. Health Life expectancy at birth, years. 3. Political stability and security Political stability and security ratings. 4. Family life Divorce rate (per 1,000 population) 5. Community life 6. Climate and geography Latitude, to distinguish between warmer and colder climes. 7. Job security Unemployment rate, %. 8. Political freedom Average of indices of political and civil liberties. 9. Gender equality Ratio of average male and female earnings
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION
2) Why is this course important? -To understand the historical evolution of Spain and Catalonia -To understand one of the biggest socioeconomic transformation worldwide in the last 50 years. (Korea and Spain show the highest GDP growth in the 1950-2000 period) -Is Spain an example to follow?
SESSION 1 PRESENTATION
3) The plan for the course Content: -Sessions & Special Sessions -Discussion papers & Assignments -Participation in class -Midterm/Final examination
4) The diversity in Spain -Definitions of Spain by British observers: Richard Ford: “A bunch of local unities tied by a sand rope” Gerald Brenan (“The Spanish Labyrinth”): “set of little hostile or independent republics, linked by a scarcely cohesive federation. At some points of history, those little centers have felt contaminated by a feeling or a common idea and have performed together; but, when such spirit declined, they divided and they came back to their separate existence.”
1)Topographic diversity 2) Climatic diversity 3) Economic, political and cultural diversity
How geography shaped regional diversity in Spain: -The fertile soils of Levante and Guadalquivir Valley magnet to incoming waves of settlers (e.g. Roman cities…) -Narrow crossing between Southern Spain and North Africa contact among those regions -Mountain chains around Meseta obstacle for communication between the more prosperous periphery and the peoples of the interior
-This “geographical handicap” (Sanchez-Albornoz) has encouraged the development of regionalist and separatist movements -Ortega y Gasset (“Invertebrate Spain”): Spain is “not so much a nation as a series of watertight compartments” -For many historians, Spanish history is to be understood above all in terms of a permanent struggle between centre and periphery.
-When was Spain as a nation born? 4.
Dynastic union by Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1479 (show the map of Spain and point out, more or less, where Castile and Aragon lay) •
Visigothic Monarchy in the late 6th century
•
When Philip V swept away the privileges and institutions of the constituent realms of the Crown of Aragon in 1715
-Spain, between Europe and Africa 4.
Why ‘Africa begins at the Pyrenees’?
2.
Why Spain belongs to Europe?
5) Spain: Northern Africa or Southern Sweden? • Read The Economist Article • Discussion: Are we more or less liberal than the US?
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