In this blog you are to comment on one or more of the assigned articles in relation with any of the topics touched on in the lecture PDFs every week. Your posts should be brief (150 words or the equivalent to 1 paragraph) and, most importantly, a reflection of your preparation for class.
Sec 1C - Week 7
Spain in the Eighteenth Century: Enlightened Despotism
Roma people, otherwise known as gypsies have always been widely marginalized in all regions of the world. It goes a far back as history has told up until recently. Roma people were even isolated during the Nazi regime which lead to wide sterilization and later, the internment of Roma people in death and concentration camps. During the 17th century Spain had a similar frame of mind with the Roma people, they either had to integrate the were expelled from the country. However, lately things have changed in Spain, there is finally signs of tolerance towards Roma people. There are government funded programs that help Roma people get jobs and help the children stay in school. Roma stereotypes include that Roma children do not stay in school that long, that they get married early and that they can not keep steady jobs. Spain is focusing on tackling these problems rather than trying to change their political and societal views. Spain is acting as though a model for other European countries that also have large Roma populations. It might be a difficult road ahead for the Roma population, especially since there are groups of people that still assign a negative connotation with Roma people. These people have been stigmatized all their life, it will take the cooperation of others in order to improve their living conditions.
For this particular week, I found most of the articles to be quite intriguing and substantially informative. As per the article that interested me the most was the one featured on the LA Times|World entitled “Live bullfights return to Spanish public TV after six years.” As far as televised bullfights are concerned, I was completely unaware that such a cultural tradition in Spain was once televised but later banned. Apparently, the then-socialist government of Madrid (six years ago) established bans that would prohibit the televised broadcasting of bullfighting on public television. Much of influence for these bans arose from the fact that it was utterly unacceptable to broadcast the live killing of animals when children were most prone to watch television and that it was immoral to classify animal cruelty as a traditional ‘sport’ or ‘art form.’ Although I have personally not witnessed a bullfight—in person or on the internet—I believe that the preservation of a traditional art form that has become a national symbol for Spain should be kept intact. However, I wish to establish that I am against the complete ban of bullfighting on TV solely based on my belief that bullfighting is considered to be an important contributor to Spain’s national identity, and not because I am a fanatic of animal cruelty or the voluntary slaughter of animals for sheer joy. Furthermore, the article also mentioned bullfighting in Catalonia, where animal rights groups deem the sport inherently cruel—which has led to an indefinite ban in the region. Moreover, the current Prime Minister (Mariano Rojoy) has decided that the airing of live bullfights will resume. Nevertheless, Catalonia has kept its stance and remains to be the only Spanish mainland entity where its branch “will bock the incoming signal from the central broadcaster when the evening bullfight begins,” highlighting the fact that the practice of bullfighting is considered to be illegal in that particular region. Certainly, Catalonia seems to be the only mainland region that increasingly advocated on behalf of banning live bullfights, only adding to the consistent clashing of ideals and beliefs between this specific entity and the rest of Spain. Relative to recent political events as seen in Week 4’s article “Catalonia declares intent to hold independence referendum,” it seems as if this particular cultural tradition only adds to the many reasons Catalonia wishes to secede from Spain. Since the political, cultural, and traditional characteristics of Catalonia and the rest of Spain seem to be in constant disagreement, it only allows us to appropriately question the future of the Spanish Empire. Jose Alberto Rojas
One of the stereotypical images of Spain is the Flamenco, Gypsies, and the obsession with the color red. I didn’t have time to read all of the articles, so I browsed to see which on related more to the course and seemed interesting. The article most appealing to skimming the articles was, “In Spain, Gypsies Find Easier Path to Integration.” I found it to relate to the first lecture of the class when Torrecilla talked about the stereotypes of Spain. The image that comes to mind when I think about Gypsies, is the movie hunchback of Notre Dame, I didn’t really perceive the Gypsies how the article characterizes them. In the article, it states that the gypsies “frequently survive in isolated encampments, reviled as beggars and petty thieves.” I was really contemplating about this statement because I did not know their lifestyle until now. Of course Disney tries to sugar coat everything as if the life of Gypsies has no harm to it or worries but in reality, everyone has problems.
This week, I particularly enjoyed reading about Spain’s participation in the American Revolution. Before reading this article, I only knew basic information about the involvement of the three main players: Britain, France, and the 13 Colonies. I was fascinated to learn that Spain gave extensive financial support to the Colonies in the form of loans and, in some cases, direct money contributions; this monetary support helped fund the war effort and stabilize America’s new currency, the Continental. Although Spain did not supply any troops, they indirectly helped the Americans by tying up the English navy in Minorca, Gibraltar, and the English Channel. In the greater scheme of things, after Spain’s decline in the 17th century, the monarchy hoped to regain some of its lost land, and respect, by re-staking their claim in the Americas. While by the 18th century most of Spain’s empire in Europe had disappeared, the empire reached its biggest extension in North America. During the 18th century, Spain colonized California, halted Russian expansion in North America, and fought many battles in the south for control of Louisiana and Florida. Thus, Spain mainly assisted the Colonies in the American Revolution to potentially gain an upper hand in the future and to reclaim the land it has lost to Britain.
When I think of bulls, I instantly think of the annual Corrida de Toros en Pamplona, but with bulls, bullfighting, blood, and danger come to mind. To me, bullfighting is neither an art form or sport as it is mentioned in the article “Live Bullfights Return to Spanish Public TV after 6 years.” I see bullfighting as animal cruelty since these poor and innocent bulls are infuriated only to be killed later. I truly do not see the purpose in gentlemen using this act to prove their bravery during the Middle Ages since there are other ways to prove bravery that do not involve killing animals. Therefore, reading in the article that bullfighting would be broadcasted again after bullfighting advocates convinced the government to view the practice as a form of art and not a sport astounded me. I understand that bullfighting is a big part of Spanish history since it dates back to the Middle Ages, but I still think it should be stopped. Torturing an animal is not a form of entertainment, and if it means so much to Spanish history, then Spain should stick to other forms of entertainment like flamenco which is also part of its history. I was cognizant that bullfighting had been banned from TV so children wouldn’t see it, but I think this practice should just be banned in general.
Out of the articles this week, my favorites were the ones on Spanish Bullfighting on TV and the gypsies integration into Spain. In lecture this week we talked about how Spain’s stereotype took on a whole new image in the 18th century as Spain strived to be an independent European entity and be totally different than Spain. This stereotype included bullfighting, gypsies, flamenco, and Andalusia. The gypsies became a symbol of Spanish identity but were still a poor, marginalized group for many years. I was surprised to find out that although more and more gypsies are getting jobs in Spain like Emilia Gonzalez. I thought it was strange, too, how the manicurist was so surprised at the gypsy woman’s ability and remarked that she had never gotten to know a gypsy woman before. After years and years of being a marginalized group it is good that gypsies are going to school and getting jobs, but there is still an attitude about the gypsies in Spain, or Europe as a whole that needs to change before the gypsies can be fully successful and accepted as a group in Spain. In the article on Bullfighting, it is interesting that bullfighting is coming back to Spanish TV- it is almost like a rebirth of Spanish identification in the sport. Bullfighting is returning to TV because Prime Minister Rajoy has worked with the television companies to have bullfighting back because he believes it is an art form deeply rooted in Spanish history. Although bullfighting is an important sport to Spain and is an important art form for Spaniards, I do believe it is cruel to animals and that if it has to go on, there should be very specific regulations on what is allowed and bullfighting should happen as little as possible.
The article of the integration of Gypsy culture into Spanish culture was very interesting and also helped me relate it to the the stigmas of Muslims, and Jews have had throughout Spain's history. The fact that Spain is making an effort to integrate them into the job force shows alot about how Spain is beginning to compensate the past repurcussions of some minority groups. This effort in reformed policies for the Gypsies also shows the recognition that Gypsies also play a big part in Spanish identity and culture.
The article about gypsies was interesting. I found it depressing to read that in Europe, the children of gypsies are often put in classes for children with learning or mental decapitations. The connection that the Spaniards made with themselves during the enlightment was interesting. Gypsies are usually associated wit the marginal, low class that has low moral values, why would Spaniards prefer being thought as marginal than French. It makes no sense to be but I guess during that era, it was important for a national identity. In addition, it felt good to read that some gypsies are becoming more successful in Spain, nonetheless, it is not enough. Additionally, the article about bullfight returning to TV is disturbing to me. Just the image of the bleeding bull laying on the floor, agonizing is cruel. I completely disagree with torturing innocent animals. Even if the bull and bullfights are part of the Spanish culture, I am annoyed of reading about animal cruelty.
The article about the integration of the Gypsy people in Spain was the most interesting to me out of this week’s articles. As far as I know, the Gypsies have always been stereotyped as violent, beggars, lustful, and pretty much crazy. Such views about them were confirmed both the article and in today’s lecture. During 18th century Spain, the Gypsies became the most marginalized group and were treated harshly, to the point of expulsion from the country. One cannot help but to notice the parallelism between this situation and that of the Jews and Muslim, who also suffered and were forced to leave the country if they did not “adapt” to Spanish beliefs. A little bit shocking, however, was to learn that the majority of Gypsy people throughout Europe are still very much marginalized and live in less than humane living conditions. What Spain is trying to do, that is the integration and acceptation of the Gypsy community, seems like a right route to take. The granting of citizenship, education for children, and programs to help obtain jobs has been very successful, even more so compared to the rest of Europe.
Prior to this class, I never gave second thought as to how the American Revolution was financed. I am really surprised that the Spanish of all people were able to aid the war despite their own problems. In1628 Spain lost territory to both France and Italy and despite multiple attempts to reclaim their land by 1635 they lost again. Also the crisis of 1627 through 1635 This is why decades later during the American Revolution the Spanish were aiding the war in an effort to reclaim some of their land from France and Italy. In the blog "Spain in the American Revolution " it is explained that the Spanish used their always powerful vessels in order to disrupt British ships and therefore helping out the Americans in a big way. I would not have guessed Spain as being some of the founding for the war, but it makes sense with Spanish interests. In the end perhaps Spain would have received more land and places like Louisiana and Mississippi would have been Spanish speaking regions instead.
The article that I found the most interesting this week was the one about the Gypsy community in Spain. Taking what was presented in lecture, it is ironic to see that during the 18th century gypsies were one of the most persecuted and marginalized groups by the mainstream Spanish society and at the same time their traditions and contributions such as flamenco were incorporated as part of the definition of the Spanish identity. There was obviously an evident conflict of interest during that time period that has now been addressed and is being worked on by the Spanish government. It is nice to see that there are programs whose sole purpose is to help the progression of this typically marginalized group and that this is being done to help integrate them into society. Even though this is being done, it is still questionable what the true reasons for why the government is implementing these programs. Maybe they are doing it for a type of compensation for marginalizing the group yet taking elements from their culture to categorize what is Spain. It is also interesting to note that the government only seems to only be doing something for this marginalized group yet has problems with developing programs or reforms for the inclusion of another marginalized group, Muslims, that has also greatly contributed to the development of the nation and culture of Spain.
During lecture today and while reading “In Spain, Gypsies Find Easier Path to Integration,” I was struck by the fact that gypsy customs like Flamenco have become such a big part of Spanish culture despite Roma people themselves being marginalized. I was, however, also surprised to see that Spain is making progress in helping the Roma people, especially compared to the rest of Europe. The article mentions that Spain’s success is possibly because they concentrate on “practical matters” instead of addressing arbitrary issues like prejudice and political rights. But I think the Spanish government should make an effort to find a balance between resolving those practicalities and undertaking the matter of political rights. After all, issues like poverty cannot be fully resolved unless institutional and social discrimination against Roma people is addressed as well.
The article regarding the return of televised bullfights was rather intriguing. The article described how current Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had to work extensively to remove a ban that had been in place deeming bullfights to be a blood sport and preventing their airing on live public television when children could be watching. As Professor Torrecilla mentioned in class, men used to fight bulls in order to show their bravery since the middle ages. Currently however, I feel such a sport is simple barbaric. It promotes violence even as a form of art and encourages a cavalier attitude towards life as bullfighting doesn't come without significant risks to both the fighter and the bull. More than anything I can understand the cultural value of such a sport and its importance in Spanish history and customs, however, it should not be made accessible as a live televised event for young children. Instead of watching potential deaths of animals or people, children can be educated about bullfighting in their history classes and still preserve their culture.
For this week's reading, two of the articles that caught my attention were the one on Gypsies and the one on Bullfighting. Both of these articles relate back to the first lecture we had, in which Professor Torrecilla talked about the stereotypes associated with Spain, and both these topics form a big part of Spain. Bullfighting, and bulls in general have been part of Spain for a long time. The bull is so associated with Spain that most people know that it represents Spain. At the caves of Altamira there were a lot of paintings of animals, including bulls, all done in red, meaning that bull have been in the Iberian peninsula for a very long time. I can understand why some people would want bullfighting to be banned, but at the same time I feel that it makes up a large part of the national identity. By bringing back bullfighting to public Tv, it gives people who are proud of their identity to watch, and those who do not want to see, are not forced to. Gypsies are also largely associated with Spain. It was interesting to read that Spain's government has had programs for the last 30 years meant to help them to have access to housing and employment. But even though they are now being helped, there was a time when they were also persecuted, just like many groups have been persecuted in Spain's history. This topic could also be tied back to the issue of giving citizenship to Jews but not to Muslims, since Gypsies have been given the rights of citizens after having been persecuted.
For this weeks readings week 7, the article that stood out to me was 'live bullfights return to spain public tv six years" because this show how Spain is trying to bring back an old spanish tradition. Bullfighting is historically important for country of Spain and it was banned due to its aggressive measures bullfighting takes on. In my opinion, this reflects to this weeks lecture about the 18th century in Spain, how Spaniards defined the level of Spanish you were based on how similar you were to French. In other words, the more French and "modern" you try to be, the less Spaniard you were. Bullfighting was also banned because the Spanish kings in 18th century believed it was related to French and it was too dangerous and represented the aggressiveness. In my opinion, I believe bullfighting should be banned because it is animal cruelty and animal cruelty shouldnt be exposed in national television, regardless animals should not be harmed in general even if its tradition or not.
Roma people, otherwise known as gypsies have always been widely marginalized in all regions of the world. It goes a far back as history has told up until recently. Roma people were even isolated during the Nazi regime which lead to wide sterilization and later, the internment of Roma people in death and concentration camps. During the 17th century Spain had a similar frame of mind with the Roma people, they either had to integrate the were expelled from the country. However, lately things have changed in Spain, there is finally signs of tolerance towards Roma people. There are government funded programs that help Roma people get jobs and help the children stay in school. Roma stereotypes include that Roma children do not stay in school that long, that they get married early and that they can not keep steady jobs. Spain is focusing on tackling these problems rather than trying to change their political and societal views. Spain is acting as though a model for other European countries that also have large Roma populations. It might be a difficult road ahead for the Roma population, especially since there are groups of people that still assign a negative connotation with Roma people. These people have been stigmatized all their life, it will take the cooperation of others in order to improve their living conditions.
ReplyDeleteFor this particular week, I found most of the articles to be quite intriguing and substantially informative. As per the article that interested me the most was the one featured on the LA Times|World entitled “Live bullfights return to Spanish public TV after six years.” As far as televised bullfights are concerned, I was completely unaware that such a cultural tradition in Spain was once televised but later banned. Apparently, the then-socialist government of Madrid (six years ago) established bans that would prohibit the televised broadcasting of bullfighting on public television. Much of influence for these bans arose from the fact that it was utterly unacceptable to broadcast the live killing of animals when children were most prone to watch television and that it was immoral to classify animal cruelty as a traditional ‘sport’ or ‘art form.’ Although I have personally not witnessed a bullfight—in person or on the internet—I believe that the preservation of a traditional art form that has become a national symbol for Spain should be kept intact. However, I wish to establish that I am against the complete ban of bullfighting on TV solely based on my belief that bullfighting is considered to be an important contributor to Spain’s national identity, and not because I am a fanatic of animal cruelty or the voluntary slaughter of animals for sheer joy. Furthermore, the article also mentioned bullfighting in Catalonia, where animal rights groups deem the sport inherently cruel—which has led to an indefinite ban in the region. Moreover, the current Prime Minister (Mariano Rojoy) has decided that the airing of live bullfights will resume. Nevertheless, Catalonia has kept its stance and remains to be the only Spanish mainland entity where its branch “will bock the incoming signal from the central broadcaster when the evening bullfight begins,” highlighting the fact that the practice of bullfighting is considered to be illegal in that particular region. Certainly, Catalonia seems to be the only mainland region that increasingly advocated on behalf of banning live bullfights, only adding to the consistent clashing of ideals and beliefs between this specific entity and the rest of Spain. Relative to recent political events as seen in Week 4’s article “Catalonia declares intent to hold independence referendum,” it seems as if this particular cultural tradition only adds to the many reasons Catalonia wishes to secede from Spain. Since the political, cultural, and traditional characteristics of Catalonia and the rest of Spain seem to be in constant disagreement, it only allows us to appropriately question the future of the Spanish Empire.
ReplyDeleteJose Alberto Rojas
One of the stereotypical images of Spain is the Flamenco, Gypsies, and the obsession with the color red. I didn’t have time to read all of the articles, so I browsed to see which on related more to the course and seemed interesting. The article most appealing to skimming the articles was, “In Spain, Gypsies Find Easier Path to Integration.” I found it to relate to the first lecture of the class when Torrecilla talked about the stereotypes of Spain. The image that comes to mind when I think about Gypsies, is the movie hunchback of Notre Dame, I didn’t really perceive the Gypsies how the article characterizes them. In the article, it states that the gypsies “frequently survive in isolated encampments, reviled as beggars and petty thieves.” I was really contemplating about this statement because I did not know their lifestyle until now. Of course Disney tries to sugar coat everything as if the life of Gypsies has no harm to it or worries but in reality, everyone has problems.
ReplyDeleteThis week, I particularly enjoyed reading about Spain’s participation in the American Revolution. Before reading this article, I only knew basic information about the involvement of the three main players: Britain, France, and the 13 Colonies. I was fascinated to learn that Spain gave extensive financial support to the Colonies in the form of loans and, in some cases, direct money contributions; this monetary support helped fund the war effort and stabilize America’s new currency, the Continental. Although Spain did not supply any troops, they indirectly helped the Americans by tying up the English navy in Minorca, Gibraltar, and the English Channel. In the greater scheme of things, after Spain’s decline in the 17th century, the monarchy hoped to regain some of its lost land, and respect, by re-staking their claim in the Americas. While by the 18th century most of Spain’s empire in Europe had disappeared, the empire reached its biggest extension in North America. During the 18th century, Spain colonized California, halted Russian expansion in North America, and fought many battles in the south for control of Louisiana and Florida. Thus, Spain mainly assisted the Colonies in the American Revolution to potentially gain an upper hand in the future and to reclaim the land it has lost to Britain.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of bulls, I instantly think of the annual Corrida de Toros en Pamplona, but with bulls, bullfighting, blood, and danger come to mind. To me, bullfighting is neither an art form or sport as it is mentioned in the article “Live Bullfights Return to Spanish Public TV after 6 years.” I see bullfighting as animal cruelty since these poor and innocent bulls are infuriated only to be killed later. I truly do not see the purpose in gentlemen using this act to prove their bravery during the Middle Ages since there are other ways to prove bravery that do not involve killing animals. Therefore, reading in the article that bullfighting would be broadcasted again after bullfighting advocates convinced the government to view the practice as a form of art and not a sport astounded me. I understand that bullfighting is a big part of Spanish history since it dates back to the Middle Ages, but I still think it should be stopped. Torturing an animal is not a form of entertainment, and if it means so much to Spanish history, then Spain should stick to other forms of entertainment like flamenco which is also part of its history. I was cognizant that bullfighting had been banned from TV so children wouldn’t see it, but I think this practice should just be banned in general.
ReplyDeleteOut of the articles this week, my favorites were the ones on Spanish Bullfighting on TV and the gypsies integration into Spain. In lecture this week we talked about how Spain’s stereotype took on a whole new image in the 18th century as Spain strived to be an independent European entity and be totally different than Spain. This stereotype included bullfighting, gypsies, flamenco, and Andalusia. The gypsies became a symbol of Spanish identity but were still a poor, marginalized group for many years. I was surprised to find out that although more and more gypsies are getting jobs in Spain like Emilia Gonzalez. I thought it was strange, too, how the manicurist was so surprised at the gypsy woman’s ability and remarked that she had never gotten to know a gypsy woman before. After years and years of being a marginalized group it is good that gypsies are going to school and getting jobs, but there is still an attitude about the gypsies in Spain, or Europe as a whole that needs to change before the gypsies can be fully successful and accepted as a group in Spain. In the article on Bullfighting, it is interesting that bullfighting is coming back to Spanish TV- it is almost like a rebirth of Spanish identification in the sport. Bullfighting is returning to TV because Prime Minister Rajoy has worked with the television companies to have bullfighting back because he believes it is an art form deeply rooted in Spanish history. Although bullfighting is an important sport to Spain and is an important art form for Spaniards, I do believe it is cruel to animals and that if it has to go on, there should be very specific regulations on what is allowed and bullfighting should happen as little as possible.
ReplyDeleteThe article of the integration of Gypsy culture into Spanish culture was very interesting and also helped me relate it to the the stigmas of Muslims, and Jews have had throughout Spain's history. The fact that Spain is making an effort to integrate them into the job force shows alot about how Spain is beginning to compensate the past repurcussions of some minority groups. This effort in reformed policies for the Gypsies also shows the recognition that Gypsies also play a big part in Spanish identity and culture.
ReplyDeleteThe article about gypsies was interesting. I found it depressing to read that in Europe, the children of gypsies are often put in classes for children with learning or mental decapitations. The connection that the Spaniards made with themselves during the enlightment was interesting. Gypsies are usually associated wit the marginal, low class that has low moral values, why would Spaniards prefer being thought as marginal than French. It makes no sense to be but I guess during that era, it was important for a national identity. In addition, it felt good to read that some gypsies are becoming more successful in Spain, nonetheless, it is not enough. Additionally, the article about bullfight returning to TV is disturbing to me. Just the image of the bleeding bull laying on the floor, agonizing is cruel. I completely disagree with torturing innocent animals. Even if the bull and bullfights are part of the Spanish culture, I am annoyed of reading about animal cruelty.
ReplyDeleteThe article about the integration of the Gypsy people in Spain was the most interesting to me out of this week’s articles. As far as I know, the Gypsies have always been stereotyped as violent, beggars, lustful, and pretty much crazy. Such views about them were confirmed both the article and in today’s lecture. During 18th century Spain, the Gypsies became the most marginalized group and were treated harshly, to the point of expulsion from the country. One cannot help but to notice the parallelism between this situation and that of the Jews and Muslim, who also suffered and were forced to leave the country if they did not “adapt” to Spanish beliefs. A little bit shocking, however, was to learn that the majority of Gypsy people throughout Europe are still very much marginalized and live in less than humane living conditions. What Spain is trying to do, that is the integration and acceptation of the Gypsy community, seems like a right route to take. The granting of citizenship, education for children, and programs to help obtain jobs has been very successful, even more so compared to the rest of Europe.
ReplyDeletePrior to this class, I never gave second thought as to how the American Revolution was financed. I am really surprised that the Spanish of all people were able to aid the war despite their own problems. In1628 Spain lost territory to both France and Italy and despite multiple attempts to reclaim their land by 1635 they lost again. Also the crisis of 1627 through 1635 This is why decades later during the American Revolution the Spanish were aiding the war in an effort to reclaim some of their land from France and Italy. In the blog "Spain in the American Revolution " it is explained that the Spanish used their always powerful vessels in order to disrupt British ships and therefore helping out the Americans in a big way. I would not have guessed Spain as being some of the founding for the war, but it makes sense with Spanish interests. In the end perhaps Spain would have received more land and places like Louisiana and Mississippi would have been Spanish speaking regions instead.
ReplyDeleteThe article that I found the most interesting this week was the one about the Gypsy community in Spain. Taking what was presented in lecture, it is ironic to see that during the 18th century gypsies were one of the most persecuted and marginalized groups by the mainstream Spanish society and at the same time their traditions and contributions such as flamenco were incorporated as part of the definition of the Spanish identity. There was obviously an evident conflict of interest during that time period that has now been addressed and is being worked on by the Spanish government. It is nice to see that there are programs whose sole purpose is to help the progression of this typically marginalized group and that this is being done to help integrate them into society. Even though this is being done, it is still questionable what the true reasons for why the government is implementing these programs. Maybe they are doing it for a type of compensation for marginalizing the group yet taking elements from their culture to categorize what is Spain. It is also interesting to note that the government only seems to only be doing something for this marginalized group yet has problems with developing programs or reforms for the inclusion of another marginalized group, Muslims, that has also greatly contributed to the development of the nation and culture of Spain.
ReplyDeleteDuring lecture today and while reading “In Spain, Gypsies Find Easier Path to Integration,” I was struck by the fact that gypsy customs like Flamenco have become such a big part of Spanish culture despite Roma people themselves being marginalized. I was, however, also surprised to see that Spain is making progress in helping the Roma people, especially compared to the rest of Europe. The article mentions that Spain’s success is possibly because they concentrate on “practical matters” instead of addressing arbitrary issues like prejudice and political rights. But I think the Spanish government should make an effort to find a balance between resolving those practicalities and undertaking the matter of political rights. After all, issues like poverty cannot be fully resolved unless institutional and social discrimination against Roma people is addressed as well.
ReplyDeleteThe article regarding the return of televised bullfights was rather intriguing. The article described how current Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had to work extensively to remove a ban that had been in place deeming bullfights to be a blood sport and preventing their airing on live public television when children could be watching. As Professor Torrecilla mentioned in class, men used to fight bulls in order to show their bravery since the middle ages. Currently however, I feel such a sport is simple barbaric. It promotes violence even as a form of art and encourages a cavalier attitude towards life as bullfighting doesn't come without significant risks to both the fighter and the bull. More than anything I can understand the cultural value of such a sport and its importance in Spanish history and customs, however, it should not be made accessible as a live televised event for young children. Instead of watching potential deaths of animals or people, children can be educated about bullfighting in their history classes and still preserve their culture.
ReplyDeleteFor this week's reading, two of the articles that caught my attention were the one on Gypsies and the one on Bullfighting. Both of these articles relate back to the first lecture we had, in which Professor Torrecilla talked about the stereotypes associated with Spain, and both these topics form a big part of Spain. Bullfighting, and bulls in general have been part of Spain for a long time. The bull is so associated with Spain that most people know that it represents Spain. At the caves of Altamira there were a lot of paintings of animals, including bulls, all done in red, meaning that bull have been in the Iberian peninsula for a very long time. I can understand why some people would want bullfighting to be banned, but at the same time I feel that it makes up a large part of the national identity. By bringing back bullfighting to public Tv, it gives people who are proud of their identity to watch, and those who do not want to see, are not forced to. Gypsies are also largely associated with Spain. It was interesting to read that Spain's government has had programs for the last 30 years meant to help them to have access to housing and employment. But even though they are now being helped, there was a time when they were also persecuted, just like many groups have been persecuted in Spain's history. This topic could also be tied back to the issue of giving citizenship to Jews but not to Muslims, since Gypsies have been given the rights of citizens after having been persecuted.
ReplyDeleteFor this weeks readings week 7, the article that stood out to me was 'live bullfights return to spain public tv six years" because this show how Spain is trying to bring back an old spanish tradition. Bullfighting is historically important for country of Spain and it was banned due to its aggressive measures bullfighting takes on. In my opinion, this reflects to this weeks lecture about the 18th century in Spain, how Spaniards defined the level of Spanish you were based on how similar you were to French. In other words, the more French and "modern" you try to be, the less Spaniard you were. Bullfighting was also banned because the Spanish kings in 18th century believed it was related to French and it was too dangerous and represented the aggressiveness. In my opinion, I believe bullfighting should be banned because it is animal cruelty and animal cruelty shouldnt be exposed in national television, regardless animals should not be harmed in general even if its tradition or not.
ReplyDelete