Seminar: Spanish literature

Language

Spanish

Prerequisites

Consolidated B2 level in Spanish. 

Main themes

This seminar will examine Latin American contemporary literature and cinema from the perspective of religious representations, which are the product of a complex political and cultural history from the Conquest to the present day. Going beyond simplistic conceptions, literature and film examine these representations, questioning their political value or delving into the spiritual experience they imply.  

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	identify and analyse religious representations on the basis of their scriptural, ritual or iconographic references ;
2	contextualise these representations in a culture which generally implicitly or explicitly assumes these representations in a conflict situation (colonial or post-colonial; dictatorial or post-dictatorial; environmental crisis, etc.)
3	interpret these representations in the light of data from literary and cultural studies as well as the conceptual and factual tools of history, sociology or the philosophy of religion.
This learning unit contributes to the development and command of the following skills and learning outcomes of the ELAL programmes (ELAL learning outcomes): 2.7, 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 , 5.3

Content

This seminar will examine Latin American literature and cinema from the perspective of religious representations, which are the product of a complex political and cultural history from the Conquest to the present day. Going beyond simplistic conceptions, literature and film examine these representations, questioning their political value or delving into the spiritual experience they imply. The general theoretical and historical framework is that of post-secularity, understood as a cultural regime where secularisation has not been achieved and where the coexistence of different religious traditions invites us to broaden the notion of rationality and the public sphere. 
Different case studies will be proposed to the students. 

Teaching methods

After an initial critical discussion of the main theoretical and methodological tools, case studies will be selected and explored in greater depth by the students. Their reflections will give rise to an oral presentation, discussed in groups and then written. 

Evaluation methods

The assessment will take into account active participation in the seminar (40%) and the quality of the final personal essay (60%). In September, the value of participation in the seminar will be reduced to 20%, while the final essay  will count for 80%. 

Bibliography

Portefeuille de lecture sur Moodle

Faculty or entity

> ELAL