Through the Sangria Glass: A look at Spain's cultural differences through their
traditional drinks
An Honors Thesis (HONRS 499)
By:
Amberly Pressler
Thesis Advisor
Suzy Smith
Ball State University
May 2012
Expected Date of Graduation: May 5,2012
Abstract:
The purpose of this thesis was to further explore the cultural diversity between the United
States and Spain. Through personal experience and independent research I have created a
bilingual multimedia website that explores Spain's culture and traditions through their
popular alcoholic drinks. The website also explains the differences between Spain's
drinking culture and the United State's drink culture. Four interviews were conducted,
one with a Spanish proprietor of a bar in Central Spain, one with a Ball State Spanish
professor who also teaches classes in Central Spain, one with a Ball State student who
was raised in Eastern Spain, and one from a professor who lives and teaches in Northern
Spain. The website is composed of three print articles, three videos, two interactive
graphics, and various pictures that all come together to portray the cultural pieces of
Spain.
Acknowledgments:
A number of people had a hand in making my thesis a success. Foremost, I would like to
thank my advisor Suzy Smith for always keeping me on task, being flexible, and helping
me create my fIrst official website.
I would also like to thank Dr. Lisa Kuriscak for all her hard work and help. I would not
have been able to do this without you. Dr. Chin-Sook Pak was also a big help. Both
Spanish professors helped me extend my knowledge and usage of the Spanish language.
Finally, I would like to thank Kristen Reed for her help with the interactive graphics.
Author/Artist Statement:
My main goal for my honors thesis was to incorporate both my majors:
Telecommunications and Spanish. I wanted to create something that would showcase all
the work I had completed in college and be an accessible tool for students. I believe my
creative project truly reflects the knowledge I acquired in the last four years. It is a
multimedia bilingual website that explains the Spanish drinking culture through their
traditional drinks: Sangria, Queimada, and Sidra. The address to my website is
raiseaglass.weebly .com
I began my thesis last summer when I was studying in Segovia, Spain. It was the
first time I had ever been to Europe and I spent the first few weeks just taking in the
Spanish culture. I noticed many aspects that were different from the United States. What
sparked the idea for my project was when we went to order a drink at a restaurant and an
alcoholic beverage was cheaper than a Coke. I was taken aback by this. From there, I
began noticing other differences between the drinking cultures. I realized this was a
pertinent subject to college students. It was particularly relevant to college students who
study abroad and want to know what to expect in the country they will study in. I fmally
decided that I wanted to give students and faculty a "taste" of the drinking culture of
Spain in comparison to the United States.
Sangria was a drink I had heard of prior to studying in Spain. It's a popular drink
with Spanish roots that is popular around the world. I began asking the Segovian locals
where I could find the most authentic Sangria. Many Spaniards led me to "El Oso
Blanco" which was a bar located in Segovia. I interviewed the proprietor and he agreed to
give me his Sangria recipe. This is a big step for Spaniards because they are proud and do
not like to give up their secrets. However, he knew it was for a literary project so he was
willing to help me out. I filmed him making his Sangria and this was a cultural
experience for me and my peers. He explained why each ingredient was selected and how
much of it to add to the drink. This video is an integral component to my project because
it was rich in culture and information. This video can be found on the "Experience" page
of my website.
After I returned from Spain I wanted more sources that had connections with the
Spanish culture. I interviewed Dr. Lisa Kuriscak from the Modern Languages and
Classics department who also teaches classes in Segovia, Spain. I also interviewed Ball
State student Anna Leno who grew up in Barcelona, Spain. These interviews gave me
two different perspectives on the same subject. To further use my Spanish speaking
ability, I conducted both of these interviews in Spanish. I transcribed their interviews into
English and wrote articles in Spanish and English based on the information that I
collected.
One aspect that Dr. Kuriscak introduced was that there were other traditional
drinks aside from Sangria. Sangria was not very popular in the northern regions of Spain.
Dr. Kuriscak contacted a few of her friends from Galicia and Asturias and I was able to
use their information when creating the "Traditional Drinks from Spain" page of my
website. Since I had filmed the process of Sangria, I wanted to show the processes of
these two drinks as well. I found two videos on Y ouTube that showed the presentation of
Sidra and Queimada. These can be found under the "Traditions" Page.
)
After researching these two drinks I realized there was a common ingredient in
each of the three drinks: Wine. So under the "Home" page I incorporated a written article
(again, in English and Spanish) on wine and its' history in Spain. I felt this was necessary
under the home page because wine was technically the home of all three of these drinks.
Another element of my website is the graphics on the "Traditions" page. These
graphic shows the regions of Spain where Sidra, Queimada, and Sangria are popular. It
also gives the recipe of each of the drinks and how it is presented. I realized that
presentation was an important part of the drinking culture in Spain. Most Spaniards
viewed their drinks as art. The presentation was almost more important than the drink
itself.
Since the reason behind creating this website to describe the differences between
Spain's drinking culture and the United State's drinking culture, I decided to write a text
article comparing the concept of alcohol in each country. I felt this article was necessary
to explain the different experiences one can expect to have when drinking in the United
States and Spain. This article can be found under the "Experience" page.
I created an even mix of print and video because these mediums are currently
converging into one industry. My professors taught both of these elements in my
telecommunications classes because now we are being trained to become multimedia
journalists. Therefore, I wanted to show both of these elements in my project.
My second goal of my senior project was that my website could be accessible and
helpful for others. I chose to make a multimedia website because it was the most efficient
medium for video, text, pictures, and graphics. I decided to make a website because I had
o
never made one on my own before. Now, instead of a project I will put on a shelf to
collect dust, I have a concrete version of my senior project that will forever exist in
cyberspace. Also, it is a reference tool for future Ball State students who are curious
about Spain's traditions and culture.
The biggest challenge of my senior thesis was creating a bilingual website.
Translation and transcription was a long and tiring process, but I am glad that I did it in
the end. Now Spanish speakers can access and use my website as well as English
speakers. Every English component has a Spanish counterpart. The website is easily
navigable for anyone who speaks either English or Spanish.
My senior project was a rewarding but challenging experience. I not only got to
incorporate both of my majors, but I learned a lot about Spanish culture and a lot about
myself in the process. I truly feel that my website is a capstone project that describes my
experiences while attending Ball State.
The home page of my website (http://raiseaglass.weebly.com)
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