What is the role of material and digital culture in memory debates? How can we enhance public access to and engagement with the past?

This module arises out of a current research project on which I am engaged with colleagues in Spain, Canada and the US: to produce a virtual or online museum of the Spanish Civil War.

The specific learning objectives of the module are to examine memory debates in relation to the Spanish Civil War through: a) the production of digital exhibition entries explaining objects, documents or visual and written texts relating to the conflict; b) the analysis of certain key works which engage with the memory of the war through cultural practices; c) a reflection of the role of public history and digital platforms in the wider dissemination of questions arising from contested pasts. Materials studied include: online documentary and material objects, monuments and memorial places, film, fiction and photography.

Students will engage in primary research; develop their skills for textual and visual analysis; and learn about, and potentially contribute to, the wider project goals.

Course Outline