Scenes of Portuguese History: Cultural approaches to modern politics

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 6
• Convenor: to be confirmed
• Assessment: a 10-minute class presentation (20%) and a 3500-word essay (80%)

This module narrates the dramatic history of Portuguese modern politics through different cultural objects: literature, music, film and political discourse. Its aim is twofold: to familiarise you with some of the different forms taken by twentieth-century Portuguese politics (fascism, colonialism, revolution and democracy) and to analyse those political forms as historical scenes with their own performances, actors and plots.

Classes will combine a chronological approach to different political regimes and events, on the one hand, with narratives, images and sounds recognisable in each period. This will include the relations between poetry and authoritarianism, literature and colonialism, film and revolution, and rock and democracy.

Indicative module content

• The ideology of Portuguese fascism
• Salazarism and comedy film
• Salazarism and fado
• Anti-Fascism and poetry
• Colonialism and literature
• Democratisation and popular music
• Revolution and cinema
• Democracy and militant song
• Democracy and rock
• Memory and trauma in Portuguese democracy