HP/AN 345 - Catalan Cultural Studies

What do you know about Catalonia? Is Catalonia a nation? What makes Catalan people different? This course will provide you with the basic intercultural skills and necessary knowledge to be able to understand and live in the context of contemporary Catalan culture. We will address the main ideological and political difficulties of defining Catalan culture as separate from other cultures and communities in the Iberian Peninsula. Basic cultural items and components of Catalan culture (ranging from Barça football club and the ‘92 Olympics to newspaper materials and folk dances and performances) will be introduced to help you investigate this general question. The goal is to respond, through cultural and political investigation, as to whether Catalonia could be considered a differentiated nation or political community. This cultural and political debate will be presented through a variety of methods and activities designed to enhance cultural awareness and critical thinking. Catalan News reports will be compared across Catalan and Spanish Media Groups to gain a perspective of different visions of Catalan current affairs. To help students with their research, at the beginning of each class, basic Catalan vocabulary will be introduced in connection with the issues discussed.