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SP1039: SPAIN AND SPANISH AMERICA: HISTORY, CULTURE, POLITICS (2026-2027)

Last modified: 3 Days, 17 Hours, 33 Minutes ago


Course Overview

The course introduces students to colonial encounters ranging from Muslim Iberia to the pre-conquest Americas and continuing into the period of the Spanish Empire.  From the nineteenth century, conquest and colonial encounters continued as newly-independent Spanish American states seized indigenous territories, while colonial mentalities re-surfaced in contexts as diverse as the Spanish Civil War and Southern Cone dirty wars. These examples show how colonial encounters helped shape contemporary Spain and Spanish America. 

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 1
Term First Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Professor Patience Schell

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)
  • Either Programme Level 1 or Programme Level 2

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

The course introduces students to colonial encounters ranging from Muslim Iberia to the pre-conquest Americas and continuing into the period of the Spanish Empire.  From the nineteenth century, conquest and colonial encounters continued as newly-independent Spanish American states seized indigenous territories, while colonial mentalities re-surfaced in contexts as diverse as the Spanish Civil War and Southern Cone dirty wars. These examples show how colonial encounters helped shape contemporary Spain and Spanish America. 

The course will suit all students interested in subjects from history, philosophy and literature to politics, sociology and anthropology. It will provide a gentle introduction to the history of Iberia and the Americas, using the theme of colonial encounters to tie together diverse regions and time periods.

For students considering Honours in Spanish and Latin American Studies, it will also provide an entry point to the study of Spanish-speaking countries. All teaching and materials will be provided in English.

Each week the whole group will attend two hours of class, which will have components of lecture, a range of activities and close-reading of texts.  These classes will be supported by a ‘flipped-classroom’ approach, in which students prepare for the class ahead of time.  The flipped classroom is designed to help students make the most of their classroom time, to help them understand the readings better and prepare for the assessments.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2026 for Term 1 and Full Year courses and 8 January 2027 for Term 2 courses.

Summative Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks 14 Feedback Weeks 18

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1250 words.

 

Word Count 1250
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Reading Journal

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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1,000 words

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

group participation

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 20
Assessment Weeks 17 Feedback Weeks 19

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Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseStudents will learn about the cultural, historical, social and political aspects of colonial encounters in the Americas and Iberia.
ProceduralEvaluateStudents will develop the capacity to describe, analyse and evaluate the range of colonial encounters, and their ramifications for those involved.
ProceduralEvaluateStudents will demonstrate the capacity to obtain, analyse, and communicate information through independent research on a historical question, both as part of a team and individually

Article Review

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 20
Assessment Weeks 9 Feedback Weeks 12

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500 words

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseStudents will learn about the cultural, historical, social and political aspects of colonial encounters in the Americas and Iberia.
ProceduralEvaluateStudents will develop the capacity to describe, analyse and evaluate the range of colonial encounters, and their ramifications for those involved.
ProceduralEvaluateStudents will demonstrate the capacity to obtain, analyse, and communicate information through independent research on a historical question, both as part of a team and individually

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Take Home Exam

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 100
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback

Feedback will be provided in written form through Turnitin.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseStudents will learn about the cultural, historical, social and political aspects of colonial encounters in the Americas and Iberia.
ProceduralEvaluateStudents will develop the capacity to describe, analyse and evaluate the range of colonial encounters, and their ramifications for those involved.
ProceduralEvaluateStudents will demonstrate the capacity to obtain, analyse, and communicate information through independent research on a historical question, both as part of a team and individually

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