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2021/2022

The Classics in Contemporary Culture 

Code: 103563 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2502758 Humanities OT 3 0
2502758 Humanities OT 4 0
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Oscar Luis de la Cruz Palma
Email:
Oscar.DeLaCruz@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Prerequisites

The English version of this teaching guide has been developed with the Google-translator.

 

The contents will go to theoretical knowledge about the history of culture that students have acquired in other subjects, especially referred to the period of the XVIII-XXI centuries.A level of writing is also considered to be acquired, which includes the way of citing the writing of the works scientifically.

Objectives and Contextualisation

Study of the cultural events that have taken place and that take place in contemporary times, for the comprehension and the analysis of which we will have to make reference to their antecedents in the classical world.
For an understanding of the history of contemporary culture, it is essential to realize that significant innovations have not been able to develop without taking into account traditions that often start from the classical world. The new transcendental cultural events have not prescidido of it, updating the classic references for reasons on which it is necessary to reflect.
The subject works on this general idea and will try to demonstrate its application taking into account the following objectives:
- To concede the weight of the classical tradition in the panorama of contemporary culture.
- Detect cultural elements of classical tradition, current in the history of recent culture.
- Locate new phenomena that depend on the use or interpretation of classical themes or classical culture.
- Evaluate and assess the weight of classical culture in the current cultural landscape.

Competences

    Humanities
  • Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  • Identifying the historical processes of contemporary culture.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analysing the recycling of classical motifs in new contexts.
  2. Applying the historical, institutional, cultural and literary knowledge to the commentary of texts.
  3. Assessing the reception in the West of the thought and history of the classical world.
  4. Criticising the film adaptations of the classical mythological legends.
  5. Enumerating concepts of classic culture that have survived to the present society.
  6. Identifying the Greco-Roman sources that have inspired artists and literary people through history.
  7. Identifying the results of the projection of the classical world to the Western culture on various levels and in several eras and territories.
  8. Interpreting the material and cultural context of transmission of ancient texts.
  9. Relating the contemporary myths with the classical antiquity.

Content

Module 0: Methodological delimitations
0.1 Definitions of the concept "contemporary culture" and chronological and spatial limitations.
0.2 Definitions and considerations on the concept of "classical tradition".

0.3 Methodology of studies on classical tradition: clarification of the concepts of influence, transmission, parallel, copy, version, adaptation, etc.


Module 1: Antecedents of the contemporary world of the 21st century: the classical tradition in the XVIII-XIX centuries.
1.1 The interest of the Enlightenment for the classical world.
1.2 The emergence of new contemporary myths ... based on the classical tradition.
Module 2: The presence of the classical world in the first half of the s. XX
2.1 The treatment of the classics by the vanguards.
2.2 The classics as an image of fascism.
2.3 Existentialist expressions through classical referents.
Module 3: The presence of the classical world in the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 19th century. XXI.
3.1 The usefulness of the classics for postmodern culture.
3.2 The appearance of a neohumanism and the actuality of the classics.
3.3 The verification of the use of the classic references at present.

Methodology

In addition to the teacher's theoretical explanations, the students will have to deliver the following exercises: or a single review per module with a value of 2 points and a maximum length of 4 pages;or three short essays per module (total, 9 essays) worth one point each.. The objective of these reviews will be to illustrate with some concrete example the survival or influence of the classical tradition during the study periods.
 
Review 1 / short essays 1-3 (subject of module 1):
On the new myths of the s.XVIII - XIX
 
Review 2 / short essays 4-6 (subject of module 2):
On the representation of the classics by the Vanguards
On the use of the classics by Fascism
 
Review 3 / short essays 7-9 (subject of module 3):
On the use of classics in the 20th century: Existentialism - Postmodernity
 
Activity calendar
 The teacher will detail a schedule of delivery of evaluable activities at the beginning of the course.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Module 0: methodological introduction 8 0.32
Module 1: theoretical exposition 12 0.48
Module 2: theoretical exposition 9 0.36
Module 3: theoretical exposition 12 0.48
Type: Supervised      
Specialized indications for writing the 3 reviews 6 0.24
Type: Autonomous      
Reading of bibliography for each of the modules (contents) 75 3
Writing 3 reviews 12 0.48
Writing of conclusions and preparation of the final exam 12 0.48

Assessment

The result of the final grade will be obtained from the sum of the following tests:
Delivery of 3 reviews/9 short essays: 60%. To obtain the 20% corresponding to each year, it is essential to deliver it on the date indicated. In the case of unjustified delay in delivery, it will lower the grade in proportion to the days of the delay. On the other hand, students can review and correct their essays if they have not obtained in the first instance the maximum score of 2 points per exercise.
Written test (compulsory exam): 40% 
 
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
 

In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.

 

Reassessment:
If the case arises, students will have the right to correct and resubmit the reviews until they reach the maximum grade (60%), with a deadline of the day of the final assessment.
The exam grade cannot be re-evaluated with a second test, in any case it can be discussed during the grade review period (re-evaluation period).
Those students who have not passed and take the re-assessment, have the option of only passing (5 points) as a maximum grade.
To be assessed, it is necessary to have taken the compulsory examination, without which test the result of the assessment will be "non-assessable".

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Entrega de 3 reseņas relacionadas con los contenidos de la asignatura 60% 2.5 0.1 1, 4, 7, 6, 8, 9, 3
Written test 40% 1.5 0.06 2, 5, 7

Bibliography

The following bibliography is indicative and not exhaustive:
Module 1

P. Burke, ¿Qué es la historia de la cultura?, Madrid, 2005

J. W. Burrow, La crisis de la razón. El pensamiento europeo 1848-1914, Barcelona, 2001.

Ch. Jamme, Introducción a la filosofía del mito en la época moderna y contemporánea, Barcelona-Buenos Aires-México, 1999. 

J. Picó, Cultura y modernidad, Madrid, 1999.

D. Viñas Piquer, Historia de la crítica literaria, Barcelona, 2002.

 

Modulo 3:

L. Canfora, Ideologías de los estudios clásicos, 1980, trad. cast. M. Llinares García, Madrid, 1991.

J.M. Domenach, La propaganda política, Barcelona, 1969.

R. Gubern, Máscaras de ficción, Barcelona, 2002.

U. Silva, Arte e ideología del fascismo, Valencia, 1975.

VV.AA. ¿Qué es una obra maestra?, Barcelona, 2000.

 

Module 3:

E. Fromm, El humanismo como utopía real, Barcelona-Buenos Aires-México, 1998.

O. Fullat, El siglo postmoderno (1900-2001), Barcelona.

J.L. Gaddis, El paisaje en la historia, Barcelona, 2004.

J. F. Lyotard, La condición postmoderna, Madrid, 1994.

E. Said, Orientalismo, Barcelona, 2002.

E. Said, Humanisme et démocratie, Paris, 2005

J. P. Sartre, El existencialismo es un humanismo, Buenos Aires, 1972.

Tz. Todorov, El jardín imperfecto, Barcelona, 1999 (trad. franc. 19981). 

Software

pdf - Power-Point - Word