SP2CR: Culture & Revolution in Modern Latin America

Module code: SP2CR

Module provider: Languages and Cultures; School of Humanities

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Camila Gonzalez Ortiz, email: c.y.gonzalezortiz@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): Before taking this module, you must have passed SP1L3, SP1L2, SP1L1 or equivalent. (Open)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The revolutions of the twentieth century in Latin America were not only political projects; they also promoted radical changes at socio-cultural levels, with new cultural forms, ideas and policies evolving in particular contexts as a part of a wider project of nation-building through revolution. 

By exploring key moments of revolution and cultural policy in practice through the revolutions of, for example, Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, and the ALBA alliance, as represented in prose, poetry, documentary film from these contexts, this course unit develops an understanding of the various interactions and relationships between radical political change and culture in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Finally, it examines whether a coherent tradition and trajectory of culture and revolution can be discerned from these case studies, which can then be extended into the twenty-first century. 

Aims: 

• to deepen the students’ knowledge of the contemporary Spanish language; 
• to enhance their understanding not only of modern and contemporary cultures and cultural policies in Latin America, but also of the roots and foundations of these in earlier periods; 
• to train them to handle complex materials with focus, precision and perspective; 
• to attune them to the different rationales behind various media representations of political change in Latin America. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Recognise key aspects and practices of revolution and culture in twentieth and twenty-first-century Latin America and apply them within their specific social and historical contexts. 
2. Understand the many ways in which culture and political change are linked, and the ability to develop a broad theoretical framework within which to analyse and understand other examples of cultural products of revolution. 
3. Analyse the interactions of cultural policy and practice in a variety of contexts. 
4. Acquire analytical skills to work with primary and secondary sources. 

Module content

Topics for study may include: 

• Historical contexts of the Mexican, Cuban and Nicaraguan revolutions, Evo Morales’s cultural revolution in Bolivia, Chile’s 2019 Social Revolt.  
• Cultural policies and their implementation within a revolutionary context.  
• Revolutionary cinema, literature, fine art, music, and performance. 
• Literacy campaigns in Latin America. 
• Different definitions of culture and alternatives cultural paradigms.  
• Paulo Freire’s ideas on education and politics.  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars. Students will be required to do preparatory reading for each seminar, participate in class discussion and undertake small-group work. 

Study hours

At least 20 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

The option to submit an essay plan and a list of the bibliography the student intends to consult. The students will be provided with formative feedback on this assessment.  

Reassessment

Additional costs