Undergraduate Course: Basque, vasco, euskaldun: the survival and reinvention of a pre-Indo-European language and culture in Western Europe. (ELCH08027)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course will provide an interdisciplinary survey of the culture, politics, language and society in the Basque Country or Euskal Herria. Basque Culture will be explored through the study of literary texts, academic monographs, art, music and film in their historical context. This course will be taught in English. |
| Course description |
This course will provide an interdisciplinary survey of the culture, language, society, and politics of the Basque Country with a focus on the period from the birth of Basque Nationalism in the late 19th century to the present day. It will explore the concepts of minority, nation and identity that lie at the heart of the current debates in the Basque country, and consider how these debates are informed by the perceived exceptionalism of the Basque language, both as a linguistic isolate historically celebrated as a unique survival of a pre-Indo-European language in western Europe, and as an acclaimed example of successful minority language revitalisation.
Analysis will include an examination of the broader cultural elements that have emerged around this exceptionalism and the dynamic rapport between the Basque region and the cultures of France and Spain. Content will be divided into a set of thematic blocks that cover the ancient and recent history of the Basque country; the history and revitalisation of the Basque language; Basque cultural expression, from the bertsolari traditions of improvised verse performance through to village masquerades; and an exploration of themes of magic, belief, violence and resistance in the Basque world through the literary works of novelist Bernardo Atxaga.
The module will be taught through lectures and small-group seminars. Students will prepare for each seminar by engaging with one or two key sources (academic, literary, art or film) and attending an initial interactive lecture on the theme, before delving more deeply into the content and debates through a student-led seminar discussion.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 21,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 21,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
154 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework 100%:
Presentation 40%
1,500-word essay 60%
The presentation will be in Week 7 semester 2, so the students will have time to incorporate feedback to the essay which is due in mid-April. |
| Feedback |
Throughout both semesters, students will receive regular oral formative feedback on their performance during classes in addition to individual feedback to four formative log entries during the course. They will also receive written feedback on all summative coursework. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Develop analytical, communication and presentation skills through group discussions and individual presentations on aspects of Basque literature and history.
- Engage in historical debate and how to adopt a critical approach to literature assessing the relationship between history and aspects of cultural expression.
- Familiarise oneself with the history and present dynamics of cultural and artistic expression in the Basque country Consider the present in relation to the past and understand the wider role of literature and memory in the shaping of a nation's development as well as its political institutions.
- Demonstrate self-reliance, initiative, organisational and problem-solving skills.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students will gain skills to be:
- Creative problem solvers and researchers
- Critical and reflective thinkers
- Effective and influential contributors
- Skilled communicators |
| Keywords | Euskara,Euskal Herria,Language,Culture,Delc |
Contacts
| Course organiser | |
Course secretary | |
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