SPA4005 : Cultura Popular en España y Cuba
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
- Module Leader(s): Dr Jorge Catala-Carrasco
- Owning School: Modern Languages
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Pre-requisite
Modules you must have done previously to study this module
Pre Requisite Comment
N/A
Co-Requisite
Modules you need to take at the same time
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| SPA4086 | Level D (HE Further Advanced): Spanish for Professional and Academic Purposes |
| SPA4087 | Level D (HE Further Advanced): Spanish Translation and Interpreting |
Co Requisite Comment
Can be taken with either Level D language module but not both simultaneously.
Aims
In consonance with the overall aim of the degrees offered in the SML, to contribute to students’ broad-based knowledge of aspects of the history, politics, society and culture of a variety of Hispanic countries, focusing on popular culture Spain and Cuba.
Outline Of Syllabus
This module critically examines manifestations of popular culture in Spain and Cuba. Drawing primarily on cultural history and cultural studies, it focuses on key cultural forms from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including popular music (copla or canción española and son cubano), comics and graphic novels, posters, animated films, and sport (football in Spain). Through the study of these popular manifestations, the module explores historical and contemporary societal challenges related to gender (in)equality, feminism, racism and anti-racist discourses, and power relations. Students will gain deeper theoretical knowledge through comparative analysis, while also engaging creatively by producing their own popular culture artefacts: a cartonera. Students will create, design, and produce a cartonera based on their independent research. Cartonera refers both to a book made from cartón (cardboard) and to a form of publishing that connects literary and artistic production with the communities involved in making the books and their urban environments. The module is taught primarily in Spanish, although students may use either English or Spanish in class discussions.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | Present-in-Person |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 30:00 | 30:00 | N/A |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | Asynchronous and structured reading materials to complement the lecture in person every week. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | Present-in-Person |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 1 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Quizzes, and guided reading in CANVAS |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 127:00 | 127:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Structured guided learning is kept in the module as it provides extra support for students. It will provide the scaffolding for the entire module and expand the material covered every week in the lecture and seminar sessions. The focus on present-in-person teaching facilitates personal interaction, allowing time in the seminars for in-depth discussion to expand on points covered in the structured guided learning activities and the lecture-in-person. Methodologically, the combination of practical/theoretical present-in-person sessions with short and focused structured lecture materials in CANVAS is more adequate pedagogically. Learning outcomes will not be altered and students will be able met the learning outcomes in a more effective way.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1 | M | 70 | 2,500 words |
| Design/Creative proj | 1 | A | 30 | Students will work in small groups to design a cartonera publication. Students will also upload 1,000 individual reflective logs in Spanish about their creative and learning experience. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The creative project is aimed at developing project-based methodologies for learning while reflecting on a popular culture manifestation in Latin America and Spain. The final essay will allow students to engage with further reading and develop deeper critical thinking skills. The essay will test the students’ organisational skills, logic and ability to cohere a longer text in response to a specific question.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- SPA4005's Timetable