Although designed for American students, this course requires an intermediate knowledge of the Spanish language, allowing students to analyze in depth the cultural manifestations studied throughout the course. It is highly recommended to have a basic knowledge of contemporary Spanish history.

The course is designed so that students will acquire and develop the following competences: recognize, describe and evaluate cultural expressions in their historical contexts; and to present an analysis both orally and in a written form. More specifically, this course will allow students to acquire and develop their knowledge of a crucial period in Spanish history, which will ultimately allow them to better understand Spain today and its cultural policies.

The second half of the 20th century is a time of intense social, political, and economic transformations in Spain, and its cultural production reflects as much. Cultural Studies offer an interdisciplinary approach to study these complex phenomena and how they materialize in specific cultural objects. These objects are not transparent nor self-explanatory, they emerge from, are part of, and motivate diverse relationships with the people that create and enjoy them. In this course we will be looking into different cultural manifestations produced in Spain since 1940 to present times, taking into account the complex and changing historical and social contexts in which they are produced. We will focus both on so-called "high culture" and popular culture, by analyzing film, photography, comics, propaganda, art, sport, academic texts, and entertainment, as well as the tensions behind their creation and distribution. There will be a strong emphasis on the role of women and the evolution of their role in society, analyzing various cultural products that bear witness to these changes. We will have one fieldtrip to the Reina Sofia Museum where the Spanish Civil War will be studied through the artists¿ work (This class will be offered Thursday afternoon to avoid overlapping with other courses). Students are expected to study the assigned readings on a daily basis. Class attendance is mandatory.

ASSIGNMENTS: - Exercise on the Guernica 10.00 - Debate of the film Surcos (1951, José Antonio Nieves Conde) 10.00 - Thinking about historical memory with the graphic novel Paracuellos by Carlos Giménez 10.00 - Viewing guide for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown 10.00 - Spanish Soccer as cultural object 10.00 - Oral Presentation 15.00 EXAMS - Midterm 15.00 - End of term 20.00 Office hours: Thursdays 10:30 - 12:30 (by appointment).