About this Event
Instituto Cervantes in London presents a lecture series marking 50 years since the beginning of democracy in Spain.
The third event in the series will feature two lectures by renowned Hispanists: Duncan Wheeler from the University of Leeds and Nuria Capdevila-Argüelles from the University of Exeter.
Following the presentations, the roundtable discussion will be chaired by Sara Wright, Director of the Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland.
The topics of the lectures are:
"Following Franco: Spanish Culture and Politics in Transition" by Duncan Wheeler
In 1995, twenty years after Franco’s death, the television programme La Transición (Victoria Prego) offered viewers a widely accepted narrative of Spain’s passage from dictatorship to democracy. As a secondary school student, Duncan was convinced that the Transition was Spain’s success story. Fifteen years later, he began writing a book on the subject, Following Franco: Spanish Culture and Politics in Transition. In this talk, Duncan will explore how the Transition has been conceptualised by historians and the public in different years—1995, 2010, and 2025. To illustrate his arguments, he will address specific aspects of the research underpinning his monograph, such as interviews with political figures (e.g. Felipe González, Soledad Becerril, and Alfonso Guerra), and the attempt to incorporate new approaches through the analysis of popular and celebrity cultures.
"Spanish Women, Spanish Feminism: In Transition" by Nuria Capdevila-Argüelles
Gender mainstreaming and, more broadly, feminist perspectives always prompt reinterpretations of history, society, and culture. This applies to the Spanish Transition as well. In fact, from a feminist point of view, it could be argued that the Transition is still ongoing, and that we need to understand how it continues in the Spanish context. Let us use women’s contributions to history and culture—the experiences of key “Spanish women in transition,” their work and networks—to consider whether the Transition is actually us, rather than something that began 50 years ago and simply took the country from dictatorship to democracy.
Event organised in collaboration with The Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland.
Event in English.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Instituto Cervantes London, 15-19 Devereux Ct, London, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
