History of Spain and Latin America

This course aims to guide students through the analysis of times, spaces and multiple dimensions of the history of Spain and Latin America from 1492 to the present. The course consists of two units: the first one covers the history of Spain and Latin America from the end of the 15th century to the 21st century, also considering the processes and stages of globalisation in this time frame; the second unit provides an in-depth analysis of specific historical phenomena. Thanks to its multidimensional approach, the course aims to enhance the students' ability to make connections between the different historical periods, spaces, phenomena and perspectives, as well as to critically analyse various types of documents in different languages. Along this line, the course also facilitates an informed understanding of the historical depth and the intercultural and multicultural features of the contemporary globalised world, which is an essential requirement for linguistic and cultural mediators working in the third sector.

Through the lectures, the continuous dialogue with the professor, the individual and group activities (oral and written) based on the materials examined in class (sources, historiography, literary texts, iconography, films, documentaries, etc.), and the autonomous study of the bibliography required for the exam, students will be able to:
- acquire a robust knowledge of the history of Spain and Latin America from the end of the 15th century to the present, identifying the most important events and aspects;
- understand the dynamics underlying the political-institutional, socio-cultural, economic, demographic and environmental phenomena of the history of Spain and Latin America in the timeframe studied, in a multidimensional perspective (Iberian, European, inter-American, transatlantic and global);
- critically analyse different types of sources on specific historical phenomena of Spain and Latin America, focusing on the connection between present and past;
- draft reports and make oral presentations (both individually or in groups) about the topics studied;
- make connections between the knowledge acquired in this course (history of the region, global history, analysis of sources and interpretations) and the other courses of the degree programme.