| Unit name | Modern Portugal |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HISP20054 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Brookshaw |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
none |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit will study the political and cultural evolution of Portugal from the military coup of 1926, which ushered in a long perios of dictatorship associated with the New State regime of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, to the Revolution of 25 April 1974, which brought an end to the old regime. We shall also look at Portuguese politics after 1974 as the country shed its overseas colonies, returned to parliamentary democratic goverment and joined the European Union. Representative texts of the period and films will also be studied.
Aims:
The unit aims to familiarise students with the principal features of Portuguese political and social history during the period covered, and to introduce them to a series of texts and films that reflect the realities of Portugal during the same period. It also aims to improve the linguistic skills of students through reading a variety of literary styles and genres.
Students will have gained an appreciation of the main issues in Portuguese politics during the period covered, and some familiarity with modern and contemporary Portuguese literature and culture. They will also have improved their linguistic skills through reading literary texts and watching films in Portuguese.
Lectures and seminars.
Two formative seminars, one 2500-word essay (one third) and one two-hour exam (two thirds).
