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

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Contemporary History of Catalonia and Spain

Code: 103107 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Journalism FB 1

Contact

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

Teachers

Aram Monfort Coll
Josep Lluis Martin Berbois

Teaching groups languages

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


Prerequisites

None.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The subject is aimed to give to future graduates in Journalism a basic university-level training on the fundamentals and evolution of 20th century Catalonia within the Spanish framework (especially, since the proclamation of the Spanish Republic in 1931). The students will learn about the political, social, economic and cultural dynamics that, beginning in the early 20th century, reach the 21st, and without which they could hardly interpret or explain the reality of current affairs.

 


Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
  • Demonstrate adequate knowledge of Catalonia's socio-communicative reality in the Spanish, European and global context.
  • Demonstrate adequate knowledge of the modern world and its recent historic development in terms of social, economic, political and cultural aspects.
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems 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 be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order 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 account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Value diversity and multiculturalism as a foundation for teamwork.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
  2. Establish links between communicative knowledge and historic analysis.
  3. Explain the state of the world and its historic development from a perspective appropriate to the different associated specialised journalisms.
  4. Identify the principal forms of sex- or gender-based inequality and discrimination present in society.
  5. Identify the social, economic and environmental implications of academic and professional activities within one's own area of knowledge.
  6. Link topical debates with historic knowledge.
  7. Memorise historic knowledge that allow the historic dimension of communication and journalism to be contextualised.
  8. Read, analyse, interpret and discuss texts featuring historic content and present the summary of the analysis in writing and in public.
  9. Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  10. 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.
  11. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  12. Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  13. 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.
  14. Value diversity and multiculturalism as a foundation for teamwork.
  15. 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.

Content

Introduction. Catalonia in contemporary Spain.

1. The Spanish Republic and the first modern autonomy (1931-1939).

2. The establishment of the Franco regime: a long postwar period (1939-1960).

4. The configuration of parliamentary democracy and economic growth (1977-1993).

Epilogue. From modernization to the economic crisis and the state model (1993 to the present day)

 

The calendar will be available on the first day of class, and singularly the dates of the evaluation activities. Students will find all informations on the Virtual Campus: the description of the activities, teaching materials, and any necessary information for the proper follow-up of the subject.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Seminars and practices 15 0.6 8, 6
Theoretical classes 37 1.48 2
Type: Supervised      
Paired learning exercises 9.5 0.38
tutorship 6 0.24
Type: Autonomous      
Personal study 45 1.8 7
Reading of texts. Writing of works. Preparation of comments. Bibliographic research 30 1.2 8, 7, 6

The teaching methodology is based on theoretical classes, as well as on readings, exercises and personal study. All this is supervised in the tutorials.

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
Essays, exercises or examinations covering part of the course 50% 3.5 0.14 3, 8, 6
Final exam 50% 4 0.16 1, 2, 5, 4, 7, 13, 12, 11, 9, 10, 14, 15

The calendar will be available on the first day of class. Students will find all information on the Virtual Campus: the description of the activities, teaching materials, and any necessary information for the proper follow-up of the subject. In case of a change of teaching modality for health reasons, teachers will make readjustments in the schedule and methodologies.

Grading will be based on three items. Two of them will be written exercises and will be assigned throughout the semester. The last written exercise will be a final exam (50% of the final assessment).

On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.

In order to pass, the student must get at least a final mark of 5, resulting from the weighted sum of the marks of the three evaluating items, according to their percentage. Should the final mark be between 3.5 and 4.9, the student will be able to resit the final exam to pass the subject.

 

Recovery

Students will be entitled to the revaluation of the subject. They should present a minimum of activities that equals two-thirds of the total grading. The retake exam is not aimed at improving the final mark. It only allows the student to pass the subject with a final mark of 5.

 

Not evaluable

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

 

Final mark

It will result from the weighted sum of the marks of the different evaluation items, according to their percentage. The resit exam willinclude contents of all the topics taught during the semester.

 

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. Should the final mark be between 3.5 and 4.9, the student will be able toresit the final exam to pass the subject.

 

Second enrolment

In the case of a second enrolment, students can do a single synthesis exam/assignment that will consist of final exam. The grading of the subject will correspond to the grade of the synthesis exam/assignment

 

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

BALCELLS, Albert; PÉREZ, Arturo; SABATÉ, Flocel; SIMON, Antoni: Història de Catalunya. Barcelona: L’Esfera dels Llibres, 2004.

CASANOVA, Julián: República y Guerra Civil. Barcelona: Crítica / Marcial Pons, 2007.

DOWLING, Andrew: La reconstrucció nacional de Catalunya. 1939-2012. Barcelona: Pasado & Presente, 2012.

FONTANA, Josep: La fi de l’Antic Règim i la industrialització (1787-1868). Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1998.

HURTADO, Víctor; MESTRE, Jesús; MISERACHS, Toni: Atles d’Història de Catalunya. Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1995.

MARÍN, José María; MOLINERO, Carme; YSÀS, Pere: Historia política de España. 1939-2000. Madrid: Istmo, 2001.

MARÍN, Martí: Història del franquisme a Catalunya. Vic: Eumo, 2006.

MARÍN, Martí: "¡Ha llegado España!". La política del franquisme a Catalunya (1938-1977). Vic: Eumo, 2019.

MOLINERO, Carme; RISQUES, Manel; VILANOVA, Francesc (coord.): Sobre el franquisme i Catalunya. El Papiol: Efadós, 2015.

MOLINERO, Carme; YSÀS, Pere: El règim franquista. Feixisme, modernització i consens. 2a ed. Vic: Eumo, 2003.

MOLINERO, Carme; YSÀS, Pere: Catalunya durant el franquisme. Barcelona: Empúries, 1999.

NÚÑEZ SEIXAS, Xosé Manoel (coord.): España en democracia, 1975-2011. Barcelona: Crítica / Marcial Pons, 2017.

RIQUER, Borja de: La dictadura de Franco. Barcelona: Crítica / Marcial Pons, 2010.

RIQUER, Borja de; MALUQUER DE MOTES, Jordi: La Catalunya autonòmica. 1975-2003. 2 vol. Barcelona: Edicions 62, 2003.

RIQUER, Borja de; CULLA, Joan B.: El franquisme i la transició democràtica (1939-1988). Barcelona: Edicions 62, 2000.

RISQUES, Manel (dir.), DUARTE, Àngel, RIQUER, Borja de, ROIG ROSICH, Josep Maria: Història de la Catalunya contemporània. De la guerra del Francès al nou Estatut. Barcelona: Pòrtic, 2006.

SOBREQUÉS i CALLICÓ, Jaume (dir.): Història contemporània de Catalunya. Vol. I i II. Barcelona: Columna, 1997-1998.

TÉBAR, Javier; RISQUES, Manel; MARÍN, Martí; CASANELLAS, Pau: Gobernadores. Barcelona en la España franquista (1939-1977). Granada: Comares, 2015.

TERMES, Josep: De la Revolució de Setembre a la fi de la guerra civil (1868-1939). Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1999.


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
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 Catalan first semester morning-mixed