| Unit name | Imagining Other Worlds: Argentine Culture from 1940 to the Present |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HISP30102 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Paul Merchant |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one | |
| School/department | Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
Argentina’s experience of the 20th and early 21st centuries was both turbulent and extraordinarily culturally vibrant. Writers, filmmakers and artists responded to this turbulence by producing visions of alternative worlds: reimaginings of the past, calls for change in the present, and speculative and fantastical futures. Covering a variety of media from short fiction to films and visual arts, this unit will let you read, discuss, question and compare the work of world-famous figures such as Jorge Luis Borges and Lucrecia Martel, alongside lesser-known but equally fascinating work by Hugo Santiago, Norah Lange, and others.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit builds on the grounding in Latin American culture that is available in your earlier years of study. The unit addresses themes of national identity, social change and creative experimentation that are covered in various options from the first and second year, such as introductions to the global histories of the Spanish-speaking world and key spheres of its cultural activity like film. There’s no need to have studied Latin America before, however – the issues of gender, race, and class (among others) that emerge in this unit speak to ideas that run through your programme of study in Modern Languages, from Year 1 onwards, and you’ll be encouraged to make transnational and translingual connections. Working with material in Argentine Spanish will also help build your understanding of linguistic variation, as well as your target language vocabulary and knowledge of complex grammatical structures.
An overview of content
A diverse selection of cultural materials from 1940 to the present, including stories by canonical authors (Borges, Cortázar), films (for instance by Lucrecia Martel), and comics (El Eternauta by Héctor Germán Oesterheld). Issues to be discussed include race and indigeneity, gender and sexuality, political militancy, and the technological imagination.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
After taking this unit, you will have detailed knowledge of modern Argentine culture, and will be able to apply in creative and original ways to construct a persuasive argument. You will have enhanced your skills in oral presentation and collaborative working, and will be able to reflect on your progress through the unit and the feedback you have received before undertaking the final coursework assignment, which will allow you to strengthen your skills in self-motivated research.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of Argentine cultural and political history to support your analysis of textual and visual material;
2. Formulate sophisticated comparative written and oral arguments about a range of Argentine cultural material, from 1940 to the present;
3. Analyse and evaluate the relative merits of existing critical and theoretical approaches when advancing your own arguments;
4. Compare and contrast different media as vehicles of cultural expression and experimentation.
Students will lead the presentation of the text/film/material to be discussed each week, responding to some outline prompts, and suggesting questions for further discussion. Feedback will be provided both on analytical and presentation skills. You will also work in groups to compile lists of relevant sources for their research, providing short evaluative annotations of the bibliography entries.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
1 x 2000-word commentary (40%). [ILOs 1 and 4]
1 x 3000-word coursework essay (60%). [ILOs 1-4]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. HISP30102).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
