Course Catalogue

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The transatlantic encounter between Europe and the Americas in 1492 was a transformative moment in Hispanic, and indeed global, history. It was a time of intense novelty and innovation, as peoples, languages and cultures which had had no previous contact were thrown together under unprecedented conditions - but it was also a time of curious continuity, as writers on both sides turned to the familiar to process the unknown. In this course, we will consider how the emergent Hispano-American world was figured in literature across the transatlantic context during the colonial period (16th-18th centuries): did the so-called 'New World' ultimately engender a whole new literature to match? 

1 hour seminar per week x 20 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus. This is one of the Honours options in Spanish and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into one of the SMLC Honours programmes, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

None

Presentation (or agreed alternative, such as pre-recorded video or text based contribution) (10mins) - 25%

Extended Essay (3000 words) - 75%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

The course aims to  

■ Introduce students to the colonial Hispanic transatlantic historical context 

■ Expand conceptions of the Hispanic world by diversifying definitions of its literary culture(s) 

■ Enable students to identify ideological trends and interpret materials in context 

■ Develop new literacies, such as cartographic and visual literacies  

■ Equip students to engage critically with colonial cultural production by means of guided readings in key theoretical areas 

■ Support further study and research in the field of colonial Latin American studies 

By the end of the course students will be able to  

■ Identify salient moments and phenomena in the post-1492 transatlantic encounter

■ Critically evaluate texts and other materials produced in the colonial Hispanic transatlantic context 

■ Apply relevant theoretical tools to the interpretation of colonial-era materials 

■ Discuss the intellectual history of the field of colonial Latin American studies 

■ Undertake research in the field of colonial Latin American literary-cultural studies and present results in an appropriate written or oral format

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.