Meet the Catalans
Eva Juarros Daussà
Course Proposal
Visitors to Spain who land in Barcelona, one of its main cities, are up for a surprise:
people there do not want to be called Spaniards; there is no flamenco, no bullfights, no
Spanish flag, no king; people do not even have Spanish as their main language! One
wonders where she is. Well… she has landed in Catalonia, where the Catalans live.
Divided today between Spanish and French territory, Catalonia has been a nation since
Medieval times; it has its own language and distinctive cultural, political and legal
tradition that have shaped the character of the country and its people.
In this course we will embark upon a virtual travel to Catalonia in order to meet the
Catalans. We will visit their places, from the mythical Mediterranian to the mystic
Pyrenées, and of course Barcelona, one of the liveliest cities in Europe. We will learn
their history, so that we understand the construction of Catalan identity –not Spaniards,
not French!— and their traditions: the sardana (their national dance) the human castles
and towers, and the spectacular bonfires. We will share recipies from Catalan cuisine:
from Valencia’s paella to Mallorca’s ensiamada. We will examine their language, and
the way they use it to assess their identity. We will listen to their music –the habaneras,
the protest songs of Raimón and Lluís Llach, and the Catalan rock of Els Pets. We will
admire their art, which includes Gaudí, Picasso, Dalí and Miró, and have a look at their
literature and cinema; we will witness how Catalans express themselves in today’s radio,
press and TV. We will even meet one of them –the instructor herself!
The course will be taught in two-hour sessions throughout one week. Each day will be
devoted to one aspect of Catalan culture: history and places, language and identity,
traditions (including cuisine), music and media, and art and literature. Original materials
from Catalonia, including pictures, video and audio recordings and published and web
resources, will be shown. The students will come out of the course with a thorough
knowledge of the elements of Catalan identity, and plenty of references to further their
knowledge of the Catalan language, literature and art.
No additional fee is necessary. I will need a classroom equipped with overhead projector
for transparencies, and the usual audio and video equipment.
Bio Sketch
Eva Juarros Daussà was born in Barcelona. She came to the USA in 1995 to meet the
Americans as she worked towards her PhD in Linguistics, which she received from the
University of Massachusetts in 2003. She currently teaches in the Department of Spanish
and Portuguese at Smith College.
Short description
Embark on a virtual travel to Catalonia and meet the Catalans. Visit their places, from the
mythical Mediterranian to the mystic Pyrenées, and Barcelona, one of the liveliest cities
in Europe. Learn their history and traditions: sardana (their national dance), the human
towers and spectacular bonfires, and their cuisine: from Valencia’s paella to Mallorca’s
ensiamada. Examine their language, Catalan. Listen to their music –the habaneras, the
protest songs, and the new rock groups. Admire their art, including Gaudí, Dalí and Miró,
and their literature and cinema. Witness Catalan radio, press and TV. Even meet one of
them –the instructor herself!