What will I learn on this module?
In this module you will acquire in-depth knowledge about the Spanish late medieval period, with all of its captivating myths and influential realities. You will become critically familiar with exciting passages of universal history, including the end of the Reconquest (with the rise of the Spanish Inquisition and the expulsion of Jews and Muslims), the discovery of America, often referred to as an “encounter” of civilisations, and the development of the modern world from an Iberian perspective. You will explore the concepts of religious persecution and clash of civilisations, establishing the links between the political role of the Catholic Church and the development of a “new” continent in America from 1492. Moreover, you will gain an expert understanding of coexistence and conflict between Muslims, Jews and Christians in Spain, and between indigenous civilisations and conquistadores in the New World. You will learn about Spain’s Christian and Imperial mandates and about the discovery of America and the development of the New World by using a wide range of translated primary sources, which will include, amongst many others, the archives of the Spanish Inquisition and Christopher Columbus’s logbooks and letters. You will also be able to evaluate the role of propaganda (Black Legend and White Legend) when assessing your own perceptions about the key events that took place in the late medieval Hispanic world, and how these changed universal history forever.
How will I learn on this module?
You will attend interactive and engaging lectures (two hours per week), seminars (one hour) and academic tutorials. In addition to written, historical primary and secondary sources, other media, such as imagery, paintings, literary materials and architecture will be used in order to illustrate the periods of history studied. As a result, you will gain a more vivid understanding of the events, mentalities, societies and cultures discussed. You will also be required to undertake directed and independent study, and you will be given weekly preparation guidelines to actively engage in informed discussions in seminar groups. All materials used in the module will be available to you on the eLearning Portal from week 1. Summative assessment matches your learning against the learning outcomes for the module.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
Your academic development will be supported through engagement with your peers, academic tutors, and programme leaders. Academic support is provided through group/individual tutorials which allow specific issues to be addressed and to promote progress in academic development. The module tutor will be accessible within publicised office hours and via email. Your peers will provide you will a collaborative learning environment, and your programme leader will guide you through the requirements and expectations of your course. You will also be supported through individual engagement with the academic literature, lectures, and resources available on the eLearning Portal. Formative feedback will be on-going throughout seminar activities and through assessment tasks.
What will I be expected to read on this module?
All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Demonstrate a critical engagement with the concepts of religious persecution and clash of civilisations
2. Develop an understanding of the political, ideological and social contexts in which the featured historical events evolved
3. Establish a foundational knowledge of the links between Christianity, empire, and the development of a “new” world.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
4. Critically engage with historical theories and methodologies to investigate the Spanish speaking world, directly relevant to 600 million people world-wide, and with a growing strategic importance
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. You will develop an expert understanding of global ethical issues (empire, clash of civilisations, indigenous cultures, expansion and acculturation, religious coexistence and conflict, amongst many others).
How will I be assessed?
The module is summatively assessed by:
1) a 2,500-word essay and
2) a two-hour examination.
The essay and the exam will test different skills. Coursework will test your research skills, academic awareness, creativity and your ability to understand and illustrate key concepts. The exam, as intended by its division into three sections, will test your understanding, awareness and knowledge of the main events discussed in the module. MLOs 1-5
Formative assessment will be an ongoing feature of the module. You will be encouraged to deliver informal, short presentations during some of the seminar hours. You will present your preliminary essay ideas to the class in a friendly and constructive environment, in order to receive feedback from both your colleagues and your lecturer. Formative feedback will be directly relevant to both your essay and your exam. You will receive both informal comments during debates after each seminar, and formal formative feedback to be uploaded on the e-Learning Portal.
Pre-requisite(s)
N/A
Co-requisite(s)
N/A
Module abstract
Please find details of this module in the other sections provided.
Course info
UCAS Code V100
Credits 20
Level of Study Undergraduate
Mode of Study 3 years full-time or 4 years with a placement (sandwich)/study abroad
Department Humanities
Location City Campus, Northumbria University
City Newcastle
Start September 2023 or September 2024
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses starting in 2023 are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but may include elements of online learning. We continue to monitor government and local authority guidance in relation to Covid-19 and we are ready and able to flex accordingly to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with additional restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors, potentially to a full online offer, should further restrictions be deemed necessary in future. Our online activity will be delivered through Blackboard Ultra, enabling collaboration, connection and engagement with materials and people.
Full time Courses starting in 2023 are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but may include elements of online learning. We continue to monitor government and local authority guidance in relation to Covid-19 and we are ready and able to flex accordingly to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with additional restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors, potentially to a full online offer, should further restrictions be deemed necessary in future. Our online activity will be delivered through Blackboard Ultra, enabling collaboration, connection and engagement with materials and people.
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