Academic literature on the topic 'Spanish fiction Barcelona (Spain)'

Nuria Amat's view of literature between borders places her in the arduous trajectory of Spanish women writers, who have written their works from the periphery of Spanish fiction. Historically, few women have been among the canonical writers of Spain, and those who wrote were known for their ambivalent representations of their role as authors. Marginal writers of both sexes were forced to engage in literary disguises and subterfuges, “common and necessary practices for those who deviated from orthodoxy and convention” (Levine and Marson xxi). With the death of Franco in 1975, women writers of Spain such as Ana María Moix (b. 1947, Catalonia), Esther Tusquets (b. 1946, Catalonia), Marina Mayoral (b. 1942, Galicia), Lourdes Ortiz (b. 1943), Montserrat Roig (b. 1946, Catalonia), Cristina Fernández Cubas (b. 1945, Barcelona), and Rosa Montero (b. 1951, Madrid) began to explore their personal and national histories as the censorship ended. There soon followed a boom of female writers, who, “encouraged by the feminist movement and by all the changing atmosphere of the seventies, were able to find marketing success that soon made them visible” (Nichols 11).

Nuria Amat's view of literature between borders places her in the arduous trajectory of Spanish women writers, who have written their works from the periphery of Spanish fiction. Historically, few women have been among the canonical writers of Spain, and those who wrote were known for their ambivalent representations of their role as authors. Marginal writers of both sexes were forced to engage in literary disguises and subterfuges, “common and necessary practices for those who deviated from orthodoxy and convention” (Levine and Marson xxi). With the death of Franco in 1975, women writers of Spain such as Ana María Moix (b. 1947, Catalonia), Esther Tusquets (b. 1946, Catalonia), Marina Mayoral (b. 1942, Galicia), Lourdes Ortiz (b. 1943), Montserrat Roig (b. 1946, Catalonia), Cristina Fernández Cubas (b. 1945, Barcelona), and Rosa Montero (b. 1951, Madrid) began to explore their personal and national histories as the censorship ended. There soon followed a boom of female writers, who, “encouraged by the feminist movement and by all the changing atmosphere of the seventies, were able to find marketing success that soon made them visible” (Nichols 11).

Wyndham Lewis (1882-1957) visited Spain at least five times. The impact of these visits on his work was very significant. His novel The Revenge for Love (1937) is partly set in Spain, and is an important political novel of the 1930s; his painting The Siege of Barcelona (1936-37) is a significant statement about Spanish history and the Civil War. Less happy is the polemical essay Count Your Dead: They are Alive! (1937), which takes sides against the legitimate government. (He changed his mind the following year.) This discussion is based on themes apparent in Lewis’s understanding of Spain: his experience at the centre and on the margins; his overcoming of well-known clichés about Spain; his grasp of the importance of Spanish Anarchism; his recognition of the gaze or mirada as an element in life; and a final discussion of The Siege of Barcelona – which after 1939 was renamed The Surrender of Barcelona. That significant change indicates the seriousness of Lewis’s understanding of Spain.

Raymond Chandler published his first novel, The Big Sleep, in 1939. There are two Spanish translations of the novel, both titled El sueño eterno, one published in 1958 by Aguilar (Madrid) and the other in 1972 by Barral (Barcelona). This study analyzes irony in the two Spanish translations and concludes that both translations fail to reflect the degree of irony present in Chandler’s original, especially with respect to the translation of two key words, cute and giggle, and the dramatic effect of the novel’s climax is dampened as a consequence. Also, it is demonstrated that the 1972 version is, if not an outright plagiarism of the earlier 1958 version, at the very least a version which does not meet the criteria for originality.

Reflexology has been present throughout Spanish science since the last third of the nineteenth century and its importance can be seen in the works of authors such as Martín Salazar, Ramón y Cajal, Gómez Ocaña, Simarro and Turró. The most important research in Reflexology in Spain takes place a) at the Schools of Neurophysiology and Psychology in Barcelona and Madrid, b) with a group of authors specializing in pathological medicine and c) in the Military's Health Department. Pavlov's work was received in Spain with special interest. Fernández-España, who could be considered the “first Spanish Pavlovian,” emphasized Pavlov's work in a series dedicated to the study of objective psychology which was published between 1914 and 1924. Planelles was the first investigator to develop a program in Pavlovian experimentation, presenting his results in 1935. The Civil War (1936-1939) ended these and many other Spanish projects in psychology. After the war, interest in Reflexology and Pavlov's theories slowly rose again, first through psychosomatic medicine and then in the 60's because of the works of such authors as Monserrat-Esteve, Rof Carballo and Colodrón. The progressive inclusion of psychology in the Schools of Philosophy and Arts after 1968 marked the beginning of a new era.

Care pathways are excellent tools for quality management in health care concerning the standardization of care processes, as they promote organized and efficient patient care established on evidence-based practice. The implementation of a care pathway project at any health-care setting means a change of the organizational culture. E-pathways (electronic pathways) are strategic resources in order to get the successful implementation of a care pathway project. The concept of e-pathway is recent enough and there are some different experiences worldwide. In 2000, the first electronic pathways were implemented at Hospital de Mataró, in Barcelona, Spain. The benefits of using e-pathways (Eira Healthcare Server) are very clear at Hospital de Mataró: immediate records with no transcriptions, information in the palm of your hand, no prints, and rigour and reliability. Another recent and interesting experience is the development and introduction of e-pathways at Hospital General de l'Hospitalet, in Barcelona, Spain, using an SAP integrated health-care solution. The strategy planning of hospital managers should take into account the need and priority of any pathway project linked to e-pathways. Some experiences in Spain have proven that we do really need electronic support for pathways. Electronic pathways are a basic support and should not be postponed when implementing care pathways.

We report the information on loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting events which occurred on the Spanish Mediterranean coast in 2006. Two clutches of 78 and 82 eggs were discovered in the provinces of Valencia (eastern Spain) and Barcelona (north-eastern Spain). We discuss the increasing number of reports of sea turtle nests in Spain within the context of the nesting range of this species in the Mediterranean Sea.

Geographical object as locations of the films, analyzed in the article, are tackled not as places of interest. The author studies the reasons of this or that choice, the presentation methods of different cities and streets as reflections of the political, economic and cultural situation in the country. Geographical objects are of great importance in displaying the general atmosphere of life in Spain, and thus, the research of the very narrative object enables the author to come to a number of conclusions connected both with the history of Spain and the history of Spanish cinema.

In the last decade or so, the multiple political factions in Catalonia have adopted pro-independence initiatives in their platforms following the 2008 financial crisis. Catalonia’s position as representing a minority culture in the face of the centralized administration of Madrid presents a contentious history of fighting for the right ‘to be’, culminating in what today is viewed by many as an identity crisis.              Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Barcelona, this thesis examines how informants construct and transform their socio-cultural identities in the framework of the independence movement in Catalonia. It places informants’ experiences in the theoretical realm of ethnic boundaries, analyzing central issues of Catalan language normalization vis à vis the historical imposition of Spanish as the national language. These themes are broadened in light of the recent upsurge of Catalan secession, and explores identity politics within the background of Spanish and Catalan nationalisms.
En la última década, las múltiples facciones políticas de Cataluña han adoptado iniciativas de independencia en sus plataformas tras la crisis financiera de 2008. La posición de Cataluña como representante de una cultura minoritaria frente a la administración centralizada de Madrid presenta una historia contenciosa de lucha por el derecho 'a ser', culminando en lo que hoy muchos ven como una crisis de identidad. Basándose en el trabajo de campo llevado a cabo en Barcelona, ​​esta tesis examina cómo los informantes construyen y transforman sus identidades socioculturales en el marco del movimiento de independencia en Cataluña. Coloca las experiencias de los informantes en el ámbito teórico de las fronteras étnicas, analizando cuestiones centrales de la normalización de la lengua catalana frente a la imposición histórica del español como lengua nacional. Estos temas se amplían a la luz del reciente recrudecimiento de la secesión catalana y exploran la política de identidad en el contexto de los nacionalismos españoles y catalanes.

This dissertation analyzes the strategies that Spanish and Hispano-African authors employ when writing about Africa in the contemporary novel (1990-2010). Focusing on the former Spanish colonial territories of Morocco, Western Sahara, and Equatorial Guinea, I analyze the post-colonial literary discourse about these regions. This study examines the new ways of conceptualizing Africa that depart from an Orientalist framework as advanced by the novelists Lorenzo Silva, Concha López Sarasúa, Ramón Mayrata, María Dueñas, Fernando Gamboa, Montserrat Abumalham, Javier Reverte, Alberto Vázquez-Figueroa, and Donato Ndongo. Their works are representative of a recent trend in Spanish letters that signals a literary focus on Africa and the African Other. I examine these contemporary novels within their historical context, specifically engaging with the theoretical ideas of Edward Said’s Orientalism (1978), to determine to what extent his analysis of Orientalist discourse still holds value for a study of the Spanish novel of thirty years later. In addition, the work of theorists such as Gil Anidjar, Emmanuel Levinas, James C. Scott, Ryszard Kapuściński, Georges Van den Abbeele and Chandra Mohanty contribute to the analyses of specific works. These theorists provide a theoretical framework for my thesis that contemporary Spanish authors are writing Africa in ways that undermine and circumvent the legacy of Orientalist discourse. I seek to highlight the innovative approaches that these authors are taking towards their literary engagement with Africa. The imaginary that pertains to Africa has served an integral role in the history and creation of modern Spain, and it is illuminating to trace the influences that it continues to exert on Spanish writers. In the last thirty years, Spain’s relationship with Africa has dramatically changed through peace treaties, the independence of nations, migratory patterns, tourism, and in other substantial ways. Within this dissertation, I address these changes by focusing on literary representations of political engagement, gender issues, and travel to highlight how Africa is represented in light of these recent developments. As Spanish authors continue to engage with and to write about Africa, this study hopes to show that Orientalism is no longer a prevalent discourse in the contemporary Spanish novel.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Riverside, 2009.
Includes abstract. Title from first page of PDF file (viewed March 31, 2010). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Includes bibliographical references (p. 267-283). Also issued in print.

The thesis seeks to demonstrate that during the period between 1986 and 2006, some of the principal cities of the Spanish metropolitan system1, have undergone significant change in terms of their European competitiveness. It is suggested that in the case of Madrid and Barcelona in particular this change has been of such a magnitude to proportion them a much more important place within the European spatial configuration than that which they occupied in the mid-1980s. Empirical evidence is offered to support this conjecture. The thesis lies wholly within the framework of spatial planning at the European territorial scale.

It charts the comparative ascent of the Spanish cities from the moment of Spain's entry into the European Union (EU) in 1986 against the background of the development of European spatial policy, increased economic integration across Europe, the increased importance of the 'territorial' dimension of EU cohesion policy and an eventual waning of the applicability of the terminology of 'core' and 'periphery' to describe European geographical location.

Part One (Chapter 1) addresses the processes of urbanisation in general from a global perspective and then focuses on metropolitan growth in a number of different historical contexts from the start of the 19th Century. Parts Two (Chapters 2-5) and Three (Chapters 6-9) of the thesis carry out analyses at two contrasting but complementary spatial scales. Part Two examines the metropolitan growth processes in Spain, in the period since 1857, detecting the historical moments in which there were surges in the metropolitan populations of the seven cities of the metropolitan system. The dimensions of the spatial units of analysis corresponding to the seven Spanish metropolitan urban regions are described, based upon a methodology first developed by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in the context of a transnational spatial planning project of the INTERREG community initiative2. These seven spatial units form the basis for a socio-economic analysis of the structure of the metropolitan system, drawing upon data principally from the 2001 Census. If by 1930 one of the key characteristics of Spain's urban system was having not just one but two cities (Madrid and Barcelona) belonging to the group of 27 cities across the world with populations in excess of 1 million inhabitants3, this same differentiation between the country's two largest cities and the remainder of the urban system is equally valid today. Spain's urban system remains clearly bicephalous in being dominated by these same two cities in terms of demographic and economic strength.

Part Three begins by examining the evolution of European spatial policy against the background of an ever-enlarging European Union and changes with regard to the notion of cohesion - from a concept understood in terms of economic and social factors, to one in which the territorial dimension has become increasingly important. The European urban system is then critically examined through a number of key and influential studies, with particular regard to the rankings and hierarchies of metropolitan urban regions deriving there from and the changes in the placing of the Spanish metropolitan urban regions therein.

Taking inspiration from the seminal contribution of Manuel Castells4 in the context of the structural changes resulting from the informational and technological revolution, the thesis seeks to replicate the concept of a 'space of flows'. This is carried out through a 'network analysis' approach drawing upon air passenger flows between some 28 European metropolitan urban regions of the EU15+2 group of countries, enabling the analysis of the interaction between these 28 cities. This methodology enables arriving at a number of descriptive indicators which in turn, through the application of a multi-dimensional scaling mathematical technique, permits comparing the functional and physical distances of each of the metropolitan urban regions from the centre of the 'conceptual space of air passenger flows' and the centre of gravity. The resulting map of the functional positioning of the cities offers a spatial vision of metropolitan Europe quite different to that based upon Cartesian coordinates. Such an approach enables demonstrating that cities such as Barcelona, Madrid, Helsinki, Lisbon and Athens, traditionally considered as physically peripheral to the European core area, appear to be more favourably positioned in functional terms. Furthermore in the case of Spain the results indicate that Barcelona lies closer to the centre of the conceptual 'space of air passenger flows' than Madrid.

In light of this empirical evidence, together with the signs of increased economic integration across some parts of Spain, the prospects of Spain forming part of a wider European territorial concentration of flows and activities, and the recognition of the territorial capital of Madrid and Barcelona within recent EU spatial policy declarations, the thesis concludes in Part Four that these two metropolitan regions have undergone a clear consolidation and (re)positioning within the European metropolitan hierarchy.
La tesis trata de demostrar que durante el período entre 1986 y 2006, unas de las principales ciudades del sistema metropolitano español, han experimentado un cambio significativo en términos de su competitividad europea. Es sugerido que en el caso de Madrid y Barcelona en particular este cambio ha sido de tal magnitud para proporcionarlas un lugar mucho más importante dentro de la configuración territorial espacial europea que dichas ciudades ocuparon en el mediado de los años 80. Se ofrece evidencia empírica para sostener esta conjetura. La tesis se sitúa dentro demarco de la ordenación territorial a la escala europea. Traza la subida relativa de las ciudades españolas desde el momento de la entrada de España en la Unión Europea(UE) en 1986, contra el fondo del desarrollo de la política territorial europea, la integración económica aumentada a través de Europa, la importancia aumentada de la dimensión "territorial" de la política de la cohesión de UE y una eventual disminución de la aplicabilidad de la terminología del "centro" y la "periferia" para describir la ubicación geográfica europea. La Primera Parte (Capítulo 1) está dirigida a evaluar los procesos de la urbanización en general, desde una perspectiva global, y después se centra en examinar el crecimiento metropolitano en varios contextos históricos, a partir del comienzo del siglo XIX. La Segunda (Capítulos 2-5) y Tercera Partes (Capítulos 6-9) de la tesis llevan a cabo unos análisis en dos escalas territoriales contrastantes pero complementarias. La Segunda Parte examina los procesos del crecimiento metropolitano en España, a partir de 1857, discerniendo los momentos históricos en los que había oleadas en las poblaciones ‘metropolitanas’ de las siete ciudades del sistema metropolitano. Se describe las dimensiones de las unidades espaciales de análisis que corresponden a las siete regiones urbanas metropolitanas españolas, basadas en una metodología desarrollado por el Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña (UPC) en el contexto de un proyecto trasnacional de ordenación territorial de la iniciativa comunitaria INTERREG. Estas siete unidades espaciales forman la base para un análisis socioeconómico de la estructura del sistema metropolitano, utilizando datos principalmente del 2001 Censo. Si en el año 1930 una de las características claves del sistema urbano de España era de tener no sólo una, pero dos ciudades (Madrid y Barcelona) perteneciendo al grupo de 27 ciudades a través del mundo con poblaciones por encima de 1 millón de habitantes, esta misma diferenciación entre las dos ciudades más grandes del país y el resto del sistema urbano es hoy igualmente válida. El sistema urbano de España se queda claramente bicéfalo en ser dominado por estas mismas dos ciudades en términos de fuerza demográfica y económica. La Tercera Parte comienza examinando la evolución de la política territorial europea contra el fondo de una Unión Europea cada vez más grande y los cambios con respecto a la noción de la cohesión – de un concepto entendido en términos de factores económicos y sociales, a uno en que la dimensión territorial ha llegado a ser cada vez más importante. A continuación, se examina de manera crítica el sistema urbano europeo mediante algunos estudios influyentes, con la consideración particular a las clasificaciones y las jerarquías de las regiones urbanas metropolitanas que derivan de estos estudios, y a los cambios en la colocación de las regiones urbanas metropolitanas españolas en dichos estudios. Tomando inspiración de la contribución seminal de Manuel Castells en el contexto de los cambios estructurales que resultan de la revolución de información y tecnológica, la tesis trata de replicar el concepto de un 'espacio de flujos'. Esto es llevado a cabo por un enfoque de "network analysis" que utiliza los flujos de pasajeros aéreos entre unas 28 regiones urbanas metropolitanas europeas del grupo de EU15+2 países, permitiendo el análisis de la interacción entre estas 28 ciudades. Esta metodología permite desarrollar varios indicadores descriptivos que permiten, a su vez, por la aplicación de una técnica matemática de escalamiento multi-dimensional, comparar las distancias funcionales y físicas de cada una de las regiones urbanas metropolitanas del centro del 'espacio conceptual de flujos de pasajeros aéreos’ y el centro de la gravedad. El mapa resultante del posicionamiento funcional de las ciudades ofrece una visión espacial de Europa metropolitana bastante diferente a la que se base en los coordinados cartesianos. Tal enfoque permite demostrar que ciudades como Barcelona, Madrid, Helsinki, Lisboa y Atenas, consideradas tradicionalmente como físicamente periféricas al área central de europea, parecen ser posicionadas más favorablemente en términos funcionales. Además, en el caso de España, los resultados indican que Barcelona queda más cerca al centro del conceptual 'espacio de flujos de pasajero aéreos’ que Madrid. A la luz de esta evidencia empírica, junto con los signos de la integración económica aumentada a través de algunas partes de España, las perspectivas de que España formará parte una más amplia concentración territorial europea de flujos y actividades y del reconocimiento de la capital territorial de Madrid y Barcelona dentro de las recientes las declaraciones de política territorial de la UE, la tesis concluye, en la Cuarta Parte que estas dos regiones metropolitanas han experimentado una clara consolidación y (re)posicionamiento dentro de la jerarquía metropolitana europea.

The thesis seeks to demonstrate that during the period between 1986 and 2006, some of the principal cities of the Spanish metropolitan system1, have undergone significant change in terms of their European competitiveness. It is suggested that in the case of Madrid and Barcelona in particular this change has been of such a magnitude to proportion them a much more important place within the European spatial configuration than that which they occupied in the mid-1980s. Empirical evidence is offered to support this conjecture. The thesis lies wholly within the framework of spatial planning at the European territorial scale.It charts the comparative ascent of the Spanish cities from the moment of Spain's entry into the European Union (EU) in 1986 against the background of the development of European spatial policy, increased economic integration across Europe, the increased importance of the 'territorial' dimension of EU cohesion policy and an eventual waning of the applicability of the terminology of 'core' and 'periphery' to describe European geographical location.Part One (Chapter 1) addresses the processes of urbanisation in general from a global perspective and then focuses on metropolitan growth in a number of different historical contexts from the start of the 19th Century. Parts Two (Chapters 2-5) and Three (Chapters 6-9) of the thesis carry out analyses at two contrasting but complementary spatial scales. Part Two examines the metropolitan growth processes in Spain, in the period since 1857, detecting the historical moments in which there were surges in the metropolitan populations of the seven cities of the metropolitan system. The dimensions of the spatial units of analysis corresponding to the seven Spanish metropolitan urban regions are described, based upon a methodology first developed by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in the context of a transnational spatial planning project of the INTERREG community initiative2. These seven spatial units form the basis for a socio-economic analysis of the structure of the metropolitan system, drawing upon data principally from the 2001 Census. If by 1930 one of the key characteristics of Spain's urban system was having not just one but two cities (Madrid and Barcelona) belonging to the group of 27 cities across the world with populations in excess of 1 million inhabitants3, this same differentiation between the country's two largest cities and the remainder of the urban system is equally valid today. Spain's urban system remains clearly bicephalous in being dominated by these same two cities in terms of demographic and economic strength.Part Three begins by examining the evolution of European spatial policy against the background of an ever-enlarging European Union and changes with regard to the notion of cohesion - from a concept understood in terms of economic and social factors, to one in which the territorial dimension has become increasingly important. The European urban system is then critically examined through a number of key and influential studies, with particular regard to the rankings and hierarchies of metropolitan urban regions deriving there from and the changes in the placing of the Spanish metropolitan urban regions therein.Taking inspiration from the seminal contribution of Manuel Castells4 in the context of the structural changes resulting from the informational and technological revolution, the thesis seeks to replicate the concept of a 'space of flows'. This is carried out through a 'network analysis' approach drawing upon air passenger flows between some 28 European metropolitan urban regions of the EU15+2 group of countries, enabling the analysis of the interaction between these 28 cities. This methodology enables arriving at a number of descriptive indicators which in turn, through the application of a multi-dimensional scaling mathematical technique, permits comparing the functional and physical distances of each of the metropolitan urban regions from the centre of the 'conceptual space of air passenger flows' and the centre of gravity. The resulting map of the functional positioning of the cities offers a spatial vision of metropolitan Europe quite different to that based upon Cartesian coordinates. Such an approach enables demonstrating that cities such as Barcelona, Madrid, Helsinki, Lisbon and Athens, traditionally considered as physically peripheral to the European core area, appear to be more favourably positioned in functional terms. Furthermore in the case of Spain the results indicate that Barcelona lies closer to the centre of the conceptual 'space of air passenger flows' than Madrid.In light of this empirical evidence, together with the signs of increased economic integration across some parts of Spain, the prospects of Spain forming part of a wider European territorial concentration of flows and activities, and the recognition of the territorial capital of Madrid and Barcelona within recent EU spatial policy declarations, the thesis concludes in Part Four that these two metropolitan regions have undergone a clear consolidation and (re)positioning within the European metropolitan hierarchy.

Literary criticism has attacked more than once the romantic historical novel condemning it because it was presenting both at a time historical events and historical fiction, what was, according to some critics, encroaching upon the verisimilitude of the historical facts introduced in this kind of novel as well as diminishing the quality of the fictional story while hindering the process of creativity of the writers. Of course, the historical Spanish novel has also suffered from these pessimistic judgements, but it has been accused too of being in no way original for it was taken mainly as an imitation of Scott's works. We do not share this opinion, however, and think on the contrary that Spain has produced great historical fictions which are original from the standpoint of their plots and their characters.
In the first part of this thesis we will show how the Spanish hero of the historical, romantic novel is far from the model of hero typically depicted by Scott. The main objective of this study will be to define the entity or the masculine Spanish protagonist of the genre in question. For this purpose, we will compare three protagonists, Usdrobal, Macias and Jimeno, from three chosen Spanish novels, between each other and with other secondary characters, especially with their antagonists. The physical and moral aspects will be particularly underlined as we examine, for example, Lavater's science and, at the same, time, the actions, reactions and attitudes of these protagonists. As a result, we will be able to establish their profile and personality. Parallels will also be made, whenever useful, with other significant Spanish and European characters. In this analysis it will be made clear that these romantic beings who suffer terribly throughout their lives are vulnerable and original in opposition to both the traditional and the Scottian heroes.

Abstract This chapter uses as a case Spanish cities such as Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Bilbao, Seville, Valencia and Barcelona, to explore the role that degrowth social movement actors and ideas have played in protest action directed at the tourism sector in recent years. The authors identify important episodes of contestation in which degrowth activists have been present. Particularly after 2015, the Neighbourhood Assembly for Sustainable Tourism, a degrowth-inspired association made up of grassroots organizations, assemblies and groups, has made several efforts to reduce the flow of tourists to Barcelona in an attempt to reverse the damaging social, economic, cultural and environmental effects that mass tourism is having on the city. In its attempt to explore various degrowth issues, the chapter sets out a conceptual framework that draws from key literature in the field of political discourse analysis, Althusserian treatment of ideology and interpellation, and work on degrowth and tourism.

Abstract This chapter uses as a case Spanish cities such as Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Bilbao, Seville, Valencia and Barcelona, to explore the role that degrowth social movement actors and ideas have played in protest action directed at the tourism sector in recent years. The authors identify important episodes of contestation in which degrowth activists have been present. Particularly after 2015, the Neighbourhood Assembly for Sustainable Tourism, a degrowth-inspired association made up of grassroots organizations, assemblies and groups, has made several efforts to reduce the flow of tourists to Barcelona in an attempt to reverse the damaging social, economic, cultural and environmental effects that mass tourism is having on the city. In its attempt to explore various degrowth issues, the chapter sets out a conceptual framework that draws from key literature in the field of political discourse analysis, Althusserian treatment of ideology and interpellation, and work on degrowth and tourism.

Medieval historical fiction is a popular genre in Spanish publishing. This essay interrogates the popularity of these novels, and explores the possible theoretical frameworks for understanding its contribution to Spanish cultural identity. It traces the rise of medieval historical fiction set in the “España de las Tres Culturas” from the early 1990s, with particular reference to 1992’s Quincentennial commemorations. Furthermore, the subject matter of these novels (convivencia between ethno-religious communities) links it to modern social and political issues – Islamic immigration, terrorism, cultural diversity, Holocaust memorialisation and historical memory – that also arose in the 1990s, giving it special relevance. To understand the contribution of this genre to Spain’s historical vision, this essays examines its relation to both history and memory, highlighting the problem of reading historical fiction in either of these ways. The paper concludes that a better way to understand historical fiction’s contribution to Spanish cultural identity is to see it as a part of a process of constructing a national mythscape, rather than as part of Spain’s history or collective memory.

‘Spain and Portugal’ highlights the key garden designs of Spain and Portugal from the 16th century to the present day. The two greatest gardens of the Spanish Golden Age were commissioned by King Philip II at Aranjuez and the Escorial, which showed the influence of both Flemish and Italian gardens. Other key Spanish gardens described include La Granja de San Ildefonso in Segovia and Antoni Gaudí’s Parc Güell in Barcelona. Portuguese gardens of the 16th and 17th centuries incorporated glazed tiles—azulejos—and Arabic water tanks. Gardens described include the Golden Age Quinta da Bacalhoa and Castelo Branco, the 18th-century garden of the Palácio Nacional de Queluz; and Jacques Gréber’s modernist Parque de Serralves.

The chapter covers the emergence and development of specific LGBTQ film festivals in France, Spain and the UK. The festivals studied are FIRE !! (Barcelona), LesGaiCineMad (Madrid), FICGLB (Barcelona), Zinegoak (Bilbao), Chéries-Chéris (Paris), Ecrans Mixtes (Lyon), Des Images aux mots (Toulouse), the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival/Flare as well as queer film seasons at Manchester’s Cornerhouse cinema, including POUTfest. Audience responses are used to finesse ideas of how the festivals fit into wider discourses on film festivals in relation to niche designing, space and locality, and responsiveness to community and individual spectators’ needs. The chapter draws on the corpus of written questionnaire responses to programmed films across the festivals.

This chapter discusses a share certificate issued by the defunct Barcelona Traction company, and explores the layers of its meaning and significance. First, to the general public it tells the story of a Canadian company, with Spanish subsidiaries, whose shares were mainly owned by Belgian citizens. Second, it reminds lawyers of the dispute between Belgium and Spain before the International Court of Justice, in the matter of the corporate hijacking of the company at the hands of Francisco Franco’s cronies. Third, it evokes to international jurists controversial technicalities like the nationality of transnational corporations and the nature of state obligations owed erga omnes, that is, to the international community. The chapter illustrates how a piece of paper has—within a certain epistemic circle—quasi-mystical connotations, speaking to the promises and the unfulfilled potential of international law.

In the recent international debate about mass housing estates built during the decades of rapid urban growth after the World War II different approaches coexist. Many studies, including diagnosis about their current state, have been carried out, some of them from a social and economic standpoint; other offer architectural and historical approaches. It has only been in the last years, that urban planning and urban design perspectives have been considered in depth. In the case of Spain, some global visions complement more specific approaches, such as the ones focused on the obsolescence of dwelling typologies and urban forms. In addition to this, there are consolidated teams working on some cities, especially Madrid and Barcelona, which continue developing previous studies started some decades ago. Our starting point is that Spanish collective housing (polígonos) constitutes a huge legacy which needs accurate diagnosis. Our research has been developed from an urban design perspective, focusing on urban forms and free open spaces. The goal is to add some nuances to some excessively generic interpretations, trying to find ‘indicators’ (such as density, urban integration, diversity…) that allow a suitable evaluation of ‘each’ case, besides a qualitative approach. Although there are common factors that have led to a general loss of urban quality, it is necessary to take into account the specificities of each city, context, transformation processes, etc. In this way, future necessary interventions could provide more appropriate knowledge for the regeneration, recovery or reactivation of these estates. This paper addresses with a comparative perspective some case studies of Spanish polígonos built in Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza between 1950 and 1975. Contrasting the original situation at the time of their construction with their current state, the quality of the urban projects (classified in ‘Best’, ‘Good’, ‘Standard’, ‘Poor’) and the resilience or the obsolescence processes has been tested.

Vicente Iborra Pallarés¹, Francisco Zaragoza Saura2 ¹Building Sciences and Urbanism Department. University of Alicante. Alicante. Politécnica IV, módulo III, 1ª planta. Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n. 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig ²Concejalía de Urbanismo, Ayuntamiento de Altea. Plaza José María Planelles, 1. 03590 Altea E-mail: vicente.iborra@ua.es, zaragozasaura@gmail.com Keywords (3-5): Public space, historical urban evolution, tourism phenomena, urbanistic project, educational experience Conference topics and scale: City transformations The town of Altea (Alicante, Spain) has an important urban center that has historically been characterized by two contrasting situations: on one hand, the settlements located on the seaside elevations (Bellaguarda and the Renaissance Bastion) linked to the agricultural uses of the fertile valleys of the rivers Algar and els Arcs, and on the other hand the coastal developments, originally fishery, but nowadays with touristic uses on the maritime front. All these elements configure an urban nucleus that, due to its urban, architectural and landscape qualities, gives rise to one of the main tourist attractions of the region. However, the area described nowadays presents an important problem related to the use and habitability of public space, which is invaded by the presence of the private vehicle, even along the seaside, due to its touristic relevance. This article presents the results of an academic experience developed to study different possibilities of urban transformations for the municipality of Altea, taking as a project site the urban vacuum still conserved between the two situations previously described: the historical areas on the coastal elevations (Dalt) and new urban developments parallel to the seaside (Baix). This academic activity, performed by nearly 50 students from the University of Alicante, was developed in the context of the design course Urbanism 5 during the academic year 2015-16, thanks to the agreement signed between the Municipality of Altea and the University of Alicante. References (100 words) Busquets, J. and Correa, F. (2006) Cities X lines: a new lens for the Urbanistic Project (Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Cambridge). Europan Europe (2016) Project and processes (http://www.europan-europe.eu/en/project-and-processes/) accessed January-May 2016. Fernández Per, A. and Mozas, J. (2010) Strategy public (a+t ediciones, Vitoria-Gasteiz). Gehl, J. (2006) La humanización del espacio urbano: la vida social entre los edificios (Reverté, Barcelona). Koolhaas, R. (1995) S, M, L, XL (The Monacelli Press, New York). Lynch, K. (1960) The Image of the City (The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, Cambridge). Rebois, D. (ed.) (2014) Europan 12 results. The adaptable city /1 (Europan Europe, Paris).