Logo UAB

Literary Genres and Contemporary Society

Code: 105836 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Catalan Philology: Literary Studies and Linguistics FB 1
English and Catalan Studies FB 1
Catalan and Spanish Studies OB 1

Contact

Name:
Victor Martinez Gil
Email:
victor.martinez@uab.cat

Teachers

Francesc Foguet Boreu

Teaching groups languages

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


Prerequisites

There are none. 


Objectives and Contextualisation

The subject, of a propaedeutic nature, describes and analyses from a formal and social point of view the various literary genres in Catalan literature from the end of the 19th century onwards.


Competences

    Catalan Philology: Literary Studies and Linguistics
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights, diversity and democratic values.
  • Apply concepts, resources and methods of literary analysis to Catalan literature taking into account the sources, periods of Western literary history and social context.
  • Assess gender inequalities when acting in this field of knowledge.
  • Carry out historical studies on the trends, genres and authors of the Catalan literary tradition.
  • Critically read and interpret texts.
  • Demonstrate a mastery of the rules of the Catalan language, its linguistic bases and all its application in the academic and professional fields.
  • Display teamwork skills.
  • Identify the main tendencies, most significant authors and most representative work in Catalan literature.
  • Innovate in the methods and processes of this area of knowledge in response to the needs and wishes of society.
  • Produce written work and oral presentations that are effective and framed in the appropriate register.
  • 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 be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • 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.
  • Use information in accordance with academic ethics.
    English and Catalan Studies
  • Act in one's own field of knowledge evaluating inequalities based on sex/gender.
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Carry out effective written work or oral presentations adapted to the appropriate register in different languages.
  • Critically evaluate the literary and cultural production in the Catalan and English languages and their historical and social context.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the rules of Catalan and mastery of its foundations and applications in the academic and professional fields.
  • Innovate in the methods and processes of this area of knowledge in response to the needs and wishes of society.
  • Recognise the most significant periods, traditions, tendencies, authors and works of literature in the Catalan and English languages in their socio-historical context.
  • 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.
    Catalan and Spanish Studies
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Carry out effective written work or oral presentations adapted to the appropriate register in different languages.
  • Carry out historical-type studies on tendences, genres and authors of the Catalan and Spanish literary tradition.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the rules of Catalan and Spanish and mastery of their applications in the academic and professional fields.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams with the aim of attaining the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
  • Innovate in the methods and processes of this area of knowledge in response to the needs and wishes of society.
  • Recognise the most significant periods, traditions, tendences, authors and works in Catalan and Spanish literature in their historical and social contexts.
  • 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 have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • 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 sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Use the methodology and concepts of literary analysis taking into account the sources and the historical and social context.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply the tools and know consult the documentary sources.
  2. Apply the tools and know consult the specific documentary sources.
  3. Comment on literary texts, apply the acquired tools and take into account the historical and sociocultural context.
  4. Comment on literary texts, using the instruments acquired, with regard to the historical, social and cultural context.
  5. Commenting on literary texts, applying the acquired tools and taking into account the historical and sociocultural context.
  6. Critically interpret literary works take into account the relationships between different areas of literature and its relationships with human, artistic and social areas.
  7. Critically interpret literary works, taking into account the relationships between the different areas within literature and their relationship to humanistic, artistic and social areas.
  8. Critically interpreting literary works taking into account the relationships between the different areas of literature and its relationships with human, artistic and social areas.
  9. Demonstrate knowledge of the topics related to the study of literature and its methods of analysis.
  10. Describe the historical context of contemporary Catalan literature and relate works to their historical and cultural context.
  11. Develop effective written work and oral presentations and adapted to the appropriate register.
  12. Discern the sex/gender factor in the configuration of the literary canon.
  13. Gain a greater capacity for reading, interpreting and critically analysing literary and linguistic texts.
  14. Identify principal and secondary ideas and express them using correct language.
  15. Identify relationships between literature and history, art and other cultural movements.
  16. Identify the key elements of Western cultural tradition from the 19th century to the present day.
  17. Identify the main and secondary ideas and express them with linguistic correctness.
  18. Identify the relationships between literature and history, art and other cultural movements.
  19. Identifying the key elements of the Western culture from the 19th century to the present.
  20. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  21. Identifying the relationships of literature with history, art or other cultural movements.
  22. Interpret Western cultural tradition from the 19th century to the present day, pinpointing features of the Western tradition in a contemporary text.
  23. Maintain an attitude of respect for the opinions, values, behaviors and practices of others.
  24. Make appropriate use of the knowledge acquired in order to collect data and handle documentary sources in the study of Catalan language and literature.
  25. Master oral and written expression in Catalan.
  26. Plan, organise and carry out work in a team.
  27. Present and explain overall perspectives on phenomena of contemporary Catalan literature.
  28. Produce critical texts on the main trends, the most significant authors and the most representative works in Catalan literature.
  29. Produce normatively correct written and oral texts.
  30. Produce work in accordance with academic ethics.
  31. Produce written and oral texts with correction rules.
  32. Produce written work and oral presentations that are effective and framed in the appropriate register.
  33. Properly apply the knowledge gained to data collection and management of documentary sources application to the study of Catalan language and literature.
  34. Respect the opinions, values, behaviour and customs of others.
  35. Strengthen the capacity of reading, interpretation and critical analysis of literary texts and language.
  36. Substantiate, understand and explain the diversity of ethical and aesthetic values at different times in our history and culture.
  37. Use IT tools and be able to consult specific documentary sources.
  38. Use technological resources (digital and audiovisual) to acquire knowledge and apply it in language and literature.
  39. Write text commentaries from a critical standpoint.

Content

1. General concepts about contemporary literary genres

1.1. Theoretical approaches: criticism and poetics

1.2. Sociological approaches: genres, public and markets

 

2. Popular narrative genres and consumer genres

2.1. Consumer genres from Modernism to the 1930s

2.2. Consumer genres from the post-war to postmodernism

Reading seminars: Narracions extraordinàries by Joan Santamaria; Joc brut by Manuel de Pedrolo; Solastàlgia by Ada Castells

 

3. Poetry and literary and media consumption (flipped classrooms)

 

4. Contemporary theatrical trends

4.1. The 20th century: from Modernist theatre to relative drama

4.2. The 21st century: the emergence of playwrights and dramaturgies

Reading seminar: El retaule del flautista by Jordi Teixidor

 

5. The literature of the self: diaries, memoirs, autobiographies, travel books

5.1. Approach to the literature of the self

5.2. A sample of authors and texts

Reading seminar: Diccionari per a ociosos by Joan Fuster

 

6. Literature and journalism

6.1. Overview of the Catalan journalistic tradition

6.2 Two great writers/journalists: Gaziel and Josep Pla

Reading seminar: Un pensament de sal, un pessic de pebre by Montserrat Roig

 

Readings

  1. Narracions extraordinàries by Joan Santamaria
  2. Joc brut by Manuel de Pedrolo
  3. Solastàlgia by Ada Castells
  4. El retaule del flautista by Jordi Teixidor
  5. Diccionari per a ociosos by Joan Fuster.
  6. Un pensament de sal, un pessic de pebre by Montserrat Roig

Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Theoretical classes and text discussion seminars 28 1.12 24, 37, 4, 10, 12, 25, 28, 30, 27, 32, 16, 14, 18, 7, 22, 34, 26, 13, 29, 39, 38
Type: Supervised      
Commentary, oral or written, of readings in the classroom 28 1.12 24, 37, 4, 10, 12, 25, 28, 30, 27, 32, 16, 14, 18, 7, 22, 34, 26, 13, 29, 39, 38
Type: Autonomous      
Documentation, reading, writing and study 28 1.12 24, 37, 4, 10, 12, 25, 28, 30, 27, 32, 16, 14, 18, 7, 22, 34, 26, 13, 29, 39, 38

The course combines theoretical classes with reading seminars, tutorials and the preparation and presentation of individual and team work.

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.

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
First written test 25 % 3 0.12 24, 33, 1, 37, 2, 36, 5, 3, 4, 9, 10, 12, 25, 28, 30, 27, 32, 16, 19, 17, 20, 14, 18, 21, 15, 8, 6, 7, 22, 23, 34, 13, 35, 29, 31, 11, 39, 38
Group work 35 % 35 1.4 24, 37, 36, 4, 9, 10, 12, 25, 30, 27, 32, 16, 14, 18, 6, 7, 34, 26, 13, 29, 31, 38
Reading seminars and Flipped Classrooms 15 % 25 1 24, 1, 37, 3, 4, 9, 10, 12, 25, 28, 30, 27, 32, 19, 14, 15, 6, 7, 22, 34, 26, 13, 29, 39, 38
Second written test 25 % 3 0.12 24, 33, 1, 37, 2, 36, 5, 3, 4, 9, 10, 12, 25, 28, 30, 27, 32, 19, 16, 14, 18, 15, 21, 6, 8, 7, 22, 23, 34, 35, 13, 29, 31, 11, 39, 38

Assessment

1. First partial exam on topics 1-2: 25% of the final grade.

2. Active participation in seminar debates and especially in flipped classrooms (topic 3): 15% of the final grade.

3. The group work (of 4 people) consists of conducting a video interview with a current writer who discusses his literary work, the relationship with contemporary society and the link he establishes with literary tradition. It will have to be edited and published on a virtual platform so that it can be retrieved, via the Internet, in class. Duration of the interview: 10 minutes. The following aspects of each interview will be assessed in particular: 1) preparation of the interview; 2) adequacy to the formal level; 3) specificity of the questions, and 4) depth of the issues raised. Presentation and viewing in class. 35 % of the final grade.

4. Second partial exam on topics 4-6: 25% of the final grade. The length of the answer cannot exceed two sides of a sheet of paper.

 

To participate in the retake, students must have previously been evaluated in a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of two thirds of the total grade for the subject, and must have achieved an overall grade between 3.5 and 4.9. The maximum grade for the retake is 5.

To pass the subject, a 5 must be obtained.

The student will receive the grade of “Not assessable” provided that they have not submitted more than 30% of the assessment activities.

 

Additional notes

If the student commits any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an assessment act, this assessment act will be graded 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be instructed. In the event that several irregularities occur in the assessment acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.

 

In this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is not allowed in any of its phases. Any work that includes fragments generated with AI will be considered a lack of academic honesty and may lead to a partial or total penalty in the grade of the activity, or greater sanctions in serious cases.

 

In the event that the tests cannot be done in person, their format will be adapted (maintaining their weighting) to the possibilities offered by the UAB's virtual tools. Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or exercise discussions through Teams, ensuring that all students can access them.

 

At the time of carrying out each assessment activity, the teacher will inform the students (Moodle) of the procedure and date of review of the grades.

Unique evaluation is not available.


Bibliography

 

General bibliography and about the readings

 

Aran, Ramon; Foguet, Francesc (cur.) (2021): Jordi Teixidor i el teatre català contemporani, Barcelona, Societat Catalana de Llengua i Literatura, filial de l’Institut d’Estudis Catalans, i Institut del Teatre, 2021.

Ayats, Aïda; Foguet, Francesc (cur.) (2021): La dramatúrgia catalana al segle XXI, balanç crític, Barcelona, Societat Catalana de Llengua i Literatura.

Bou, Enric (1993): Papers privats, Barcelona, Edicions 62.

Bou, Enric (2009) (dir.): Panorama crític de la literatura catalana. De la postguerra a l’actualitat, Barcelona, Vicens Vives (especialment el capítol dedicat als gèneres).

Broch, Àlex (1991): La literatura catalana dels anys vuitanta, Barcelona, Edicions 62.

Broch, Àlex; Cornudella, Joan (cur.) (2016): Poesia catalana avui 2000-2015, Juneda, Fonoll.

Broch, Àlex; Cornudella, Joan (cur.) (2017): Novel·la catalana avui 2000-2016, Juneda,Fonoll.

Broch, Àlex; Cornudella, Joan; Foguet, Francesc (cur.) (2018): Teatre català avui 2000-2017, Juneda, Fonoll.

Camps, Josep; Dasca, Maria (cur.) (2019): La narrativa catalana al segle XXI, balanç crític, Barcelona, Institut d’Estudis Catalans, Societat Catalana de Llengua i Literatura.

Camps, Josep; Foguet, Francesc (2025): Primera lliçó sobre Manuel de Pedrolo, Barcelona, Publicacions de l’Abadia de Montserrat i Càtedra Màrius Torres.

Casals Perpinyà, Lluc (2025): Leviatans contra Franco. De la utopia de preguerra a la distopia antifranquista en la ciència-ficció catalana, Vilanova i la Geltrú, El Cep i la Nansa.

Couégnas, Daniel (1992): Introduction à la paralittérature, París, Seuil.

Espinós, Joaquim, et al. (ed.) (2011): Autobiografies, memòries, autoficcions, Catarroja-Barcelona, Afers.

Foguet i Boreu, Francesc (2022):«El retaule del flautista (1970), de Jordi Teixidor. Censura, recepción, pervivencia y patrimonialización de una obra popular», dins Antonia Amo Sánchez, Maria Llombart Huesca i Gabriel Sansano (ed.), Miradas del sur. Patrimonialización de la memoria colectiva, Sant Vicent del Raspeig / Avignon, Publicacions de la Universitat d’Alacant / Éditions Universitaires d’Avignon, p. 15-31.

https://ddd.uab.cat/record/264894?ln=ca

García Berrio, Antonio; Huerta Calvo, Javier (1992): Los géneros literarios: sistema e historia, Madrid, Cátedra.

Garrido Gallardo, Miguel A. (ed.) (1988): Teoría de los géneros literarios, Madrid, Arco/Libros.

Gassol, Olívia; Bagur, Òscar (cur.) (2018): La poesia catalana al segle XXI, balanç crític, Barcelona, Institut d'Estudis Catalans, Societat Catalana de Llengua i Literatura.

Gimferrer, Pere (1996): Literatura catalana i periodisme, Barcelona, Centre d'Investigació de la Comunicació.

López-Pampló, Gonçal (2023): Primera lliçó sobre l’assaig, Barcelona, Publicacions de l’Abadia de Montserrat i Càtedra Màrius Torres.

Malé, Jordi; Borràs, Laura (ed.) (2008): Poètiques catalanes del segle XX, Barcelona, Editorial UOC.

Martí Monterde, Antoni (2019): Joan Fuster: la paraula assaig, Catarroja-Barcelona, Afers.

Martínez-Gil, Víctor(ed.) (2004): Els altres mons de la literatura catalana. Antologia de narrativa fantàstica i especulativa, Barcelona, Galàxia Gutenberg / Cercle de Lectors.

Martínez-Gil, Víctor (2017): «Introducció. Les “Narracions Extraordinàries” de Joan Santamaria: del fantàstic feréstec a la “weird fiction”», dins Joan Santamaria, Narracions extraordinàries,Víctor Martínez-Gil (ed.), Barcelona, Més llibres, p. 5-34.

Martínez-Gil, Víctor; Sopena, Mireia (cur.) (2023): L’assaig en català al segle XXI, balanç crític, Barcelona: Societat Catalana de Llengua i Literatura (filial de l’IEC). 

Molas, Joaquim (2022): Apunts de literatura «Industrial», X. García ed., Barcelona, Publicacions de l’Abadia de Montserrat.

Munné-Jordà, A. (2013): «Estudi preliminar. La ciència-ficció: una visió catalana», dins A. Munné-Jordà (ed.), Futurs imperfectes. Antologia de la ciència-ficció, Barcelona, Edicions 62, p. 9-69.

Panyella, Ramon (ed.) (2010): Concepcions i discursos sobre la modernitat en la literatura catalana dels segles XIX i XX, Lleida, Punctum i GELCC.

Panyella, Ramon; Marrugat, Jordi (eds.) (2006): L'escriptor i la seva imatge. Contribució a la història dels intel·lectuals en la literatura catalana contemporània, Barcelona, Grup d’Estudis de Literatura Catalana Contemporània / L'Avenç.

Picornell Belenguer, Mercè (2013): Continuïtats i desviacions: debats crítics sobre la cultura catalana en el vèrtex 1960-1970, Palma, Lleonard Muntaner.

Piquer Vidal, Adolf; Martín Escribà, Àlex (2006): Catalana i criminal. La novel·la detectivesca del segle XX, Palma, Documenta Balear.

Schaeffer, Jean-Marie (2006): ¿Qué es un género literario?,Madrid, Akal.

Todorov, Tzvetan (1976): Introduction à la littérature fantastique, París, Seuil.

Torres, Aina (2016): Montserrat Roig: la memòria viva, Carcaixent, Sembra Llibres.

 

Webgraphy

 

Traces

https://traces.uab.cat/

 

Lletra (UOC)

https://lletra.uoc.edu/

 

Espais Escrits

https://www.espaisescrits.cat/

 

AELC

https://www.escriptors.cat/

 

Munné-Jordà, A. Bibliografia catalana de ciència-ficció i fantasia 1868-2021

https://www.sccff.cat/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/amjBiblioCF1873-2000.pdf


Software

  None


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