This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

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Modern History of Catalonia II, the Franco Period and the Return to Autonomy

Code: 100341 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
History OB 3
Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 3
Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 4

Contact

Name:
Aram Monfort Coll
Email:
aram.monfort@uab.cat

Teachers

Francesc Vilanova Vila-Abadal
Aram Monfort Coll

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

None.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The objective of the subject "Contemporary History of Catalonia II, Francoism and the recovery of Autonomy" is to educate students in this area. To achieve this goal, they will be provided with the necessary instruments and resources so that they can acquire a solid knowledge of the processes and the political, social, economic and cultural phenomena developed in Catalonia during the period from 1939 to the recovery of self-government and the first steps of its development. On the other hand, it is very important that students have a strong knowledge of the country, from the historical, geographical, cultural and social perspective, given that the information will move in these parameters. The subject covers the second section of Contemporary History of Catalonia. Generically: the second half of the 20th century or the 1939-1979 chronology and maintains an effective relationship with the previous (History of Catalonia).

Naturally, as can be reflected in social media, the main academic debates and of all kinds, the many interpretations and controversies that arise from the subject matter, will take place in class. 


Competences

    History
  • Applying the main methods, techniques and instruments of the historical analysis.
  • Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  • Identifying the main historiographical tendencies and critically analysing their development.
  • Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
    Contemporary History, Politics and Economics
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Distinguish between and analyse the type of relations that have been established over the last century among the different social, political and economic agents on national, regional and international frameworks.
  • Distinguish between governmental decision-making systems in different social and political contexts from the mid-twentieth century to the present day in state-, substate and suprastate frameworks.
  • Explain and summarise knowledge acquired in English language at an advanced level.
  • Identify the role in the present of the different social memories referring to conflictive pasts, differentiating between the concepts of history and memory.
  • Manage and apply data to solve problems.
  • Recognise and contextualise texts referring to recent contemporary history.
  • Relate fundamental questions of the current economic situation with previous economic developments on the basis of the main elements of contemporary economic history.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Work cooperatively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams implementing new projects.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse the different historiographic perspectives in relation to different periods of history worked on in the subject.
  2. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  3. Applying the necessary abilities in order to assess and spread historical knowledge.
  4. Be familiar with the basic bibliography on historical evolution of governmental systems in the countries of reference for the subject.
  5. Capacity to continue future learning independently, acquiring further knowledge and exploring new areas of knowledge.
  6. Communicating in your mother tongue or other language both in oral and written form by using specific terminology and techniques of Historiography.
  7. Demonstrate capacity to adapt to changing environments.
  8. Demonstrate initiative and work independently when required.
  9. Developing the ability of historical analysis and synthesis.
  10. Differentiate between the literality of texts in their social and political senses based on a specific context.
  11. Engaging in debates about historical facts respecting the other participants' opinions.
  12. Evaluate and critically resolve the histiographical problems of studies of civil wars.
  13. Express an opinion based on the nature, perspective and rigour of texts referring to the course content.
  14. Identify the problems of economic agents on the basis of different historic experiences.
  15. Identifying and using in an appropriate way sources of research for the study of contemporary Catalonia.
  16. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  17. Identifying the main theoretical models that try to explain the characteristics of the current Catalan society.
  18. Know different cases of memories in conflict between different places in the same state.
  19. Make a brief comparison of national and/or regional cases within the same international framework.
  20. Make comparisons between the levels of regional autonomy within a state.
  21. Organise work in relation to good time management and planning.
  22. Organising and planning the search of historical information.
  23. Perform an integrated analysis of the physical, financial, and migratory flows of the economy, on the basis of different historical experiences.
  24. Placing in historical perspective the new industrialisation experiences in the developing countries.
  25. Recognising and implementing the following teamwork skills: commitment to teamwork, habit of cooperation, ability to participate in the problem solving processes.
  26. Recognising diversity and multiculturalism.
  27. Relating elements and factors involved in the development of historical processes.
  28. Select and generate the information necessary for each problem, analyse it and take decisions based on that information.
  29. Solving problems autonomously.
  30. Summarise the different experiences of economic development, on a regional, national and international scale.
  31. Understand regional specificities within states.
  32. Using the characteristic computing resources of the field of History.
  33. Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.
  34. Work in teams respecting all points of view. Use the specific vocabulary of history correctly.
  35. Working in teams respecting the other's points of view.

Content

GENERAL TOPICS:

1. Catalonia after the war. Memories and experiences of the conflict after 1939.

2. The first Catalan postwar period, 1939–1951. From repression to the establishment of Francoism. The Catalan cultural and intellectual system, Francoist and anti-Franco.

3. Catalonia, 1939–1951. World War II, exile, and resistance/survival within the country.

4. The second postwar period in Catalonia, 1951–1959. The slow reorganization of the 1950s. From politics to culture, from the labor movement to the Francoist world.

5. The 1960s in Catalonia: growth, change, and expansion of anti-Francoism.

6. 1971–1979: The end of the dictatorship in Catalonia and the beginning of democratization

 

These are the main topics of the course, taught by professors Aram Monfort and Francesc Vilanova. The general content, specific programs for each professor, bibliography, assessment, etc., will be posted on the Virtual Campus so that students have more detailed information.

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Seminars and / or directed practices 6 0.24 17, 11, 35
Theoretical classes 39 1.56 22, 26, 27
Type: Supervised      
Directed learning exercises 7.5 0.3 17, 27
Tutoring sessions 15 0.6 9, 22, 27
Type: Autonomous      
Personal study 45 1.8 29, 32
Reading of texts. Writing of papers. Preparation of oral comments and / or seminars ... 30 1.2 29, 15, 16, 32

As can be seen in this Course Guide, there is a general methodological reference framework for the entire subject. However, the teachers of the subject tend to apply their own criteria in the development of this, in the group that corresponds to them. And that is why there is the Virtual Campus (among other reasons), it must be taken into account. Therefore, Course Guide aside, students must pay attention to the specifications that each of the teachers determines for the correct follow-up of the course.

In the general methodology, students must take into account three major mechanisms: explanations in the classroom (which can be with all kinds of technical supports: PowerPoint, documentaries and images); the work of the students, especially in the area of reading and writing exercises, in addition to the analysis of the materials provided (both in the classroom and in the Virtual Campus); and tutorials, that is, the space for consultations and problem solving with the teacher during office hours.

These mechanisms are common to the subject. Then, in each group, the teacher adapts it to their own profile.

The teachers of the subject will be sensitive to the gender perspective.

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.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Two Written test and one presentation of papers. Note about 10: 8 points in two exams; 2 points in exercices, reviews, and papers. 7.5 0.3 23, 2, 1, 3, 29, 12, 5, 19, 31, 6, 18, 7, 8, 9, 10, 4, 20, 13, 17, 14, 15, 16, 22, 21, 11, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 24, 35, 34, 32, 33

The final grade will be the result of three assessed activities:

1. First midterm. Assessment of the contents of the first part of the course. 4 points (40% of the final grade).

2. Second midterm. Assessment of the contents of the second part of the course. 4 points (40% of the final grade).

3. In-class practical exercise. 2 points (20% of the final grade). An analysis and commentary exercise, carried out in the classroom, on a document, graph, image, etc.

After completing each assessment activity, the instructor will inform students (via Virtual Campus) of the procedure and the date for grade review.

The final assessment for the course will be based on the three aforementioned exercises, which will be distributed over the 15 weeks of teaching.

To pass the course, students must complete all three exercises and achieve a passing grade (5 points), weighting the grades for the three assessment activities according to the percentage for each. If your final grade is between 3.5 and 4.9, you may take a make-up exam to pass the subject.

The schedule of assessment tests cannot be modified (except in exceptional, duly justified cases). Erasmus students who request to reschedule an exam must submit a letter from their home university to the professor justifying their request.

 

Evaluation surveys

15 minutes of a class will be reserved, within the timetable established by the centre/title, for the complementation by the students of the assessment surveys of the teaching staff's performance and the assessment of the subject.

 

Single evaluation

Students who so express it may take a single evaluation. Choosing this option does not exclude class attendance. This will consist of three evaluation activities that will represent, respectively, 25%, 25% and 50% of the final grade. The first two will be analyzes of historical materials and must be delivered on the day of the synthesis exam/assignment, which will consist of a final exam on the day set in the calendar. The course grade will correspond to the sum of the three activities. The same assessment method as continuous assement will be used. Should the final mark be between 3.5 and 4.9, the student will be able toresit the final exam to pass the subject.

 

Recovery

Students are entitled to retake the subject if they have been assessed on the set of activities whose weight represents at least two-thirds of the total grade for the subject. The retake exam does not serve to raise the grade; it only allows students who need it to pass with a final grade of 5.

 

Not assessed

Students will obtain a Not assessed/Not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items.

 

Plagiarism

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.

This subject allows the use of AI technologies exclusively for support tasks such as bibliographic or content-based searches. 


Bibliography

At the beginning of the course, the teaching staff will have placed in the virtual Campus a general bibliography of the subject, which will be completed with a specific one, linked to the development of the syllabus throughout the course.

Two books with general references are:

MOLINERO, Carme; VILANOVA, Francesc; RISQUES, Manel (eds.): Sobre el franquisme i Catalunya. Barcelona: Efadós, 2015.

MOLINERO, Carme; YSÀS, Pere (dirs.): De la dictadura a la democràcia, 1960-1980, vol. 11, de Història, Societat, Política, Cultura als Països Catalans. Barcelona: Enciclopèdia Catalana, 1998.


Software

The follow-up of the subject does not require any singular specific computer program.


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 Catalan second semester morning-mixed