SPN 314 - Spain is Different: Current Debates Shaping Spain’s Future

Course Units: 1.0

The slogan “Spain is different” was coined by Francisco Franco’s dictatorial regime in the 1960s as part of its campaign to advertise Spain to its northern neighbors as an exotic tourist destination characterized by sunny beaches, siestas, flamenco, and bullfights. Today, many Spaniards use the phrase colloquially, not to celebrate their country’s uniqueness, but rather to comment on its perceived backwardness in comparison to other industrialized countries. The evolving meaning of this slogan epitomizes Spain’s sometimes contradictory efforts to maintain local or national traditions and values while aligning with broader European and global identities. These opposing forces of progress and tradition are at the root of many of the economic, social, and cultural issues dividing public opinion in Spain today. In this course we will examine a few of these current debates through discussion of literature, cinema, and the media. Specifically, the three contentious topics that we will explore are economic globalization and workers’ rights, women’s rights and the violent backlash against them, and bullfighting and animal rights. Prerequisite(s): Any two courses from SPN 250-299 or SPN 203 . CC: GCHF, GWOL, WAC ISP: GSWS