Introduction to course Spanish Culture and Civilization

1. Spanish Culture and
Civilization
First semester 09-12.2015
Class 1

2. Introduction to Course
• Contact information: scohen64@gmail.com
• Syllabus (presentation, prerequisite, objectives,
grade breakdown, office hours, exams).
• Class work, oral presentation and reading
material.
• All that you need to know in order to pass the
course. Extra credit – reiteration: theatre group,
blog participation, etc.
• Digital aid, networking, courseware, blog and FB.

3. CULTURE
• Why it is important to know a language / a culture / History /
Personal, national narrative?
• A material and symbolic foundation that are tied together. Its
connotation is founded on the meaning with direct relation
between the materialistic to the symbolic substrate.
• Let´s differ that notion of culture than the one of the XIX
century, As one would say “this is cultural” to define
something that embellish, enriches

4. Critical Thinking
• Moore&Parker: “The careful application of reason in the determination of
whether a claim is true.”
• Tittle: ”Judicious reasoning about believe and, therefore, what to do.”
• “A process of considering ideas from many points of view following their
implications, and comparing then to other ideas.”
• The ability to challenge our prejudices about everything in life and have the
courage to change, adjust and remodel, according to new and reasoned
information.
• Analytical stand, avoiding cognitive biases.
• Critical: not Criticism – to be a critic need to have data mining skills,
prioritizing knowledge (avoiding cognitive bias.
• Thinking: “To learn without thinking is useless, to think without learning is
dangerous” (Confucius). Empowering the person to think.
• Critical Thinking: Emotional Intelligence. In my exp. stud. lacking process of
reasonable assessment of emotions.

5. Intercultural Encounters
• Typology of the Other (T. Todorov):
• Axiological - Judgment of valor.
• Praxeological - Action – approximation or
distancing, assimilation, identification, me to him
or him to me, by submission / or neutrality.
• Epistemical - Getting to know or ignoring his
identity.
• The different travelers in the world (Voyages
modernes):
Assimilateur / Profitur / tourist / impressionist /
l’assimilé / l’exote / l’exilé / l’allégoriste / désabusé
/ Philosophe.

6. Why?
• Beyond tradition / Beyond frontiers / geographical and
demographical delimitation.
• Determining whether a claim is true.
• Changing from passive learning to active one.
• More complex challenges today than any time before with the
creation of new knowledge. How do we filter good information?
• Art and Literature VS Politics and History.
• Categories we incorporate culture, identity, history, language,
time, space, tradition; as well as combination of norms, social
conduct, valors, ideas (Somers, 606).
• Social identity constitute by Narrativity (conceptual Narrativity).
• What advantage does it give us to know the local language?
• How to read culture?

7. Introduction to Spain

8. Geography
• Spain is in the Iberian Peninsula
• which makes Spain’s area the fourth largest in
Europe.
• Spain is one of four Iberian peninsula countries.
• Covers about five-sixths of the total area of ​​the
Peninsula with about - 492 000 sq km
• Average surface height is 660m, making it the
second highest country in Europe (after
Switzerland).

10. Climate
• The country's climate varies by location.
• La meseta central - half of the territory of Spain.
• Extreme climate changes.
• South very hot summer, with temperatures
reaching over 50 degrees in the shade.
• Southeast arid climate prevails over six months a
year.
• North rainy and cold.

12. Location
• Strategic location - connecting point between
the European and the African continents.
• North - Cantabrian Sea and France.
• East - Mediterranean Sea.
• South - Mediterranean and Atlantic.
• West - Portugal and the Atlantic.
• Coastline: 4,964km.
• 14Km from the great African continent.

13. Demographic overview
• Population – approx. 47.000.000 people.
• Birth rate of approx. 1,23 children per woman.
• Increased influx of immigrant population.
Another example is the number of children
born to foreign parents more than triple in
five years, ten years.

14. Infrastructure
• World's best infrastructure.
• High-speed rail infrastructure (AVE, Alta velocidad
España)
• Public transportation (RENFE) with over 1.5% of the
Spanish PIB.
• Road infrastructure in European level with highways
and roads service fee.
• Local bus services are responsibility of the autonomy
• National and international buses are operated by
private companies (such as Elsa, Eurolines and Conde).