The Politics of Memory in Postwar Western Europe
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| HIST2052 | History | 2 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- HIST2052
- School
- History
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
"Why has Germany undergone a process of Denazification while General Franco is still revered by large segments of Spanish society? Why do Portugal’s political elite refuse to engage with the country’s colonial past? Did General Franco single out Catalans for repression after winning the Spanish Civil War? And why has Mussolini's reputation experienced a revival in twenty-first-century Italy?
This module aims to answer these questions by examining the politicisation of memory and the rise of far-right movements in Europe from a transnational perspective. Students will explore how the past has been manipulated to serve present political purposes by focusing on a number of case studies: Spain (including Catalonia), Portugal and Italy among others. The first three lectures/seminars will familiarise students with relevant theoretical frameworks. Building on this body of knowledge, students will then explore how collective memories of the Second World War have been manipulated to influence the Fascism debate in Italy, the reappraisal of General Franco’s regime by Catalan independence movements, the toxic political legacy of Portugal’s difficulty in dealing with its colonial heritage, and Spain’s painful coming to terms with its recent dictatorial past."
Target Students
Students must have taken HIST1001 or HIST1002. Also available to exchange students hosted by the Department of History.
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
Assessment
- 50% Coursework 1: Piece of individually assessed coursework
- 50% Coursework 2: Piece of individually assessed coursework
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
This module will has three core aims:-to encourage students to think about the relationship between history and the politics of memory.-to develop students’ ability to engage critically with metanarratives.-to develop students’ critical understanding of relevant theoretical approaches.Learning Outcomes
- Knowledge and Understanding of:
By the end of the module students should be able to - explain and interpret the factors which contributed to the rise of far right movements and political mythology in the past two decades; understand key theories relating to Memory Studies; - assess the impact of the manipulation of the past on political structures, social relations and gender roles; - compare/contrast a selected number of political myths with the historiography - analyse primary sources on the politics of memory in contemporary Western Europe.
Professional and practical skills: Students will
- analyse information and arguments from a wide range of secondary and primary sources
- Plan, research and write a sustained piece of historical research
- use IT to access sources and complete written assignments
Transferable skills: Students will
- work effectively in collaboration with other students to research primary and secondary sources
- manage large and often incomplete bodies of information
- develop oral and written communication skills
- improve IT skills in word processing
Intellectual skills: Students will
- engage with key problems in interpreting the sources.
- assess and evaluate competing interpretations put forward by historians.
- construct coherent arguments about the subject matter.
Conveners
- Dr Ruben Leitao Prazeres Serem