Orientalism: Spain and Africa
SPAN 250
Spring 2009 not offered
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| Crosslisting:
COL 231, IBST 306 |
Over the past several decades, North African and Middle Eastern cultures have become conspicuously important within the Spanish cultural arena. Translations of writers from Lebanon to Morocco abound in Spanish bookstores. Spanish writers have begun addressing North African and Middle Eastern issues with greater frequency, especially in their novels. The dramatic rise in the African immigrant population in Spain during the 1980s and 1990s, meanwhile, has been matched by a rise in press coverage of issues pertaining to Africa and the Middle East. These factors constitute the point of departure for our historical overview of the treatment of Islamic cultures in modern Spain, from early 19th century to the present. Guided by Edward Said's seminal essay, ORIENTALISM, we will assess the extent to which (and the process by which) Spain passes from the Orientalized subject of European romanticism (painting, literature, music) to an Orientalizing European power in the late 20th century. In doing so, we will seek to relate the representation of Islamic cultures in Spanish literature and painting to social, political, and economic factors, most important of which was Spain's military invasion into Morocco in the late 19th and early 20th century. We will also survey changing attitudes among Spanish intellectuals with regard to the Islamic world and toward Spain's Islamic heritage, the result perhaps of 20th-century modernization and, most recently, of Spain's full integration, after Franco's death, into Europe's military and political structures. The tools for this study include works of literature primarily, but we will also focus on painting, historical essays, newspaper articles, and film. |
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Essential Capabilities:
Our goal is to evaluate the various modes of interpreting literature and the arts as a dynamic form of cultural expression, as an act that has profound ideological implications.
Students are taught how to negotiate intercultural boundaries as they come to understand issues of perception and cultural identity as they pertain to the representation of other cultures in writing and painting.
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RLAN |
| Course Format: Lecture | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (AFST-MN)(COL)(HISP)(MUST-MN)(RMST) |
Major Readings:
Claudio Sanchez Albornoz, Americo Castro, Ramon Sender, Juan Goytisolo, Angel Vazquez, Rafael Chirbes, Amin Maalouf, Tahar Ben-Jelloun. Excerpts from Edward Said's ORIENTALISM.
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Examinations and Assignments:
Two oral reports; two short written reports (3-5 pages); one final essay (10 pages, approximately) and a final exam. All discussions and written work and most readings are in Spanish. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
SPAN240 is intended for students who have completed one 200-level course in Spanish beyond Spanish 221. Students who have not done so should consult with the professor before preregistering. Students with an interest in the Mediterranean world are especially encouraged to apply for admission. For more detailed information regarding this course, visit the web page at: http://agonzalez.web.wesleyan.edu/span240/span240.htm |
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