Subject
Teaching staff
Introduction
The Mediterranean is a realm of distant dreams and harsh realities. Throughout this course, we will examine the concept of the Mediterranean and its evolution from different perspectives, then proceed to study the Mediterranean cultural and natural heritage in all its diversity and richness, before finally tackling contemporary opportunities and challenges that can bring us together or push us apart. Throughout the course, there will be case studies and activities to enhance the students’ exposure and challenge their perception of the Mediterranean.
Pre-course requirements
No particular background is required for this course other than a good command of English and a desire to engage in discussions and collaborative work on a wide range of Mediterranean themes.
Objectives
- To acquire a basic understanding of the complexity and the richness of the Mediterranean and the development of the concept.
- To appreciate the Mediterranean heritage for its diversity, uniqueness and fragility.
- To understand the current issues that have been shaping life in the Mediterranean and its surrounding region(s).
Competences / Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- E20 - Ability to reflect on human-environment interaction and the organisation of the resulting territory.
- E27 - Ability to work in multicultural contexts.
- E04 - Ability to recognise and interpret cultural manifestations.
- E33 - Ability to relate concepts of heritage, homeland and cultural identity.
- E37 - To have current knowledge of the areas of study related to international issues, taking into account contributions from relevant resources, such as a critical reflection on the impact of tourism (including cultural tourism) on development.
- E29 - Skills for mediating in conflicts involving intercultural factors.
- E09 - To understand the limits and forms of intercultural communication.
Learning outcomes of the subject
By the end of the course, the students should be able to:
Identify and engage in the current Mediterranean discussions through a multidisciplinary approach; explore the richness, diversity, sophistication and uniqueness of the Mediterranean heritage; examine the delicate balance(s) between human beings and Nature, as well as the human impact on the environment in the Mediterranean region; analyse the cultural identity/identities of the Mediterranean through comparative analyses and a study of multiple stakeholders; study the major factors (historical, cultural, political,...) that bring people(s) together and/or push them apart in the Mediterranean region; develop a thorough understanding of relevant terms; apply critical thinking to different modes of cultural expression (artistic, literary, intangible, etc.).
Syllabus
I. Conceptual Framework: Between Lyricism & Pragmatism
- Mediterranean or Mediterraneans? (Geographical Perspective)
- From Mare Nostrum to the Euro-Med (Historical Perspective)
- A ‘Mediterranean’ Culture? (Cultural Perspective)
- A World without the Mediterranean (Geostrategic Perspective)
II. Shared Mediterranean Heritage: Common Icons of Identity
- Introduction to Mediterranean Heritage
Civilising Sea, Corrupting Sea
- Mediterranean Cultural Heritage
2.1. Learning, Thought & Spirituality
Writing and the first alphabet
The first monotheistic religions
The first philosophers
The first great libraries & universities
The ‘Uomo Universale’ model
2.2. Artistic & Literary Expression
The birth pangs of human creativity
Art for eternity
The first Mediterranean epic poems
An explosion of ‘-isms’
2.3. Archaeological sites & the Built Environment
Architecture defying time
Classical urban models
Medinas, port-cities, fishermen villages
Cityscape and soundscape
Archaeological revelations & underwater worlds
2.4. Intangible Heritage
Oral Traditions & Performing Arts
Social Practices, Rituals, Knowledge concerning Nature
Traditional Crafts
2.5. Other Types of Heritage
Industrial, Scientific & Technical Heritage
Ethnographic Elements
Documentary & Digital Heritage
- Mediterranean Natural Heritage
3.1. Biodiversity
Flora & fauna
Habitats & ecosystems
Endangered species
3.2. Geodiversity
Materials, forms & transformational processes
Deltas, archipelagos, peninsulas, wetlands, etc.
- Mediterranean Mixed Heritage
4.1. Sacred Sites & Sanctuaries
4.2. Reservations & Cultural Landscapes
4.3. Cultural & Pilgrimage Routes
- Heritage Management & Protection
- Cultural Tourism and Mediterranean ‘Heritage Industries’
III. The Way Forward: The Tides Return Forever
Opportunities & Challenges beyond the Human Condition
- Regional Efforts (Union for the Mediterranean)
- Initiatives (Euromed Heritage Programme, H2020, Blue Economy…)
Chapter Class 01 - Introduction: a civilizing sea, a corrupting sea
Teaching and learning activities
In person
Apart from regular discussions in class, the teaching methodology is based on real-life case studies at the beginning of each class, complemented with reading material and relevant outdoor activities.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
- Participation: 30%
- Assignments: 30%
- Essay: 40%
Bibliography and resources
The Mediterranean: a shared heritage
Mohammed Elrazzaz
Euro-Mediterranean University (Piran, 2018)
The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean
David Abulafia
Oxford University Press; Reprint edition (September 1, 2013)
Memory and the Mediterranean
Fernand Braudel
Vintage; Reprint edition (December 3, 2002)
The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II, Vol. 1-2
Fernand Braudel
University of California Press; Reprint edition (July 16, 1996)
The Corrupting Sea: A Study of Mediterranean History
Peregrine Horden and Nicholas Purcell
Wiley-Blackwell (April 7, 2000)
Mediterranean Passages: Readings from Dido to Derrida
Miriam Cooke and Erdag Göknar
The University of North Carolina Press; First Edition edition (October 20, 2008)
Back to the Garden: Nature and the Mediterranean World from Prehistory to the Present
James H.S. McGregor
Yale University Press (February 10, 2015)
Southern Thought and Other Essays on the Mediterranean
Franco Cassano
Fordham University Press; 1 edition (May 1, 2012)
Teaching and learning material
Material Case Study 10 - Literature mirroring Conflicts
casestudy10-literaturemirroringconflicts.pdf Case Study 11 - What is an art style?
casestudy11-whatisanartstyle.pdf Case Study 12 - The Story of Art
casestudy12-thestoryofart.pdf Case Study 13 - Mediterranean Archaeology
casestudy13-mediterraneanarchaeology.pdf Case Study 14 - The Temples of Malta
casestudy14-themegalithictemplesofmalta.pdf Case Study 15 - Palestinian Hikayeh and Sicilian Puppets
casestudy15-palestinianhikayehasicilianpuppets.pdf Case Study 16 - Moroccan Argan and Cordoban Patios
casestudy16-argantreesacordobanpatios.pdf Case Study 17 - Croatian Gingerbread & Bosnian Zmijanje
casestudy17-croatiangingerbreadabosnianzmijanje.pdf Case Study 18 - Intro to Industrial Heritage
casestudy18-introducingindustrialheritage.pdf Case Study 1 - North and South
casestudy1-northandsouth.pdf Case Study 20 - Cultural Heritage Revisited
casestudy20-culturalheritagerevisited.pdf Case Study 21 - Loggerhead Turtle
casestudy21-loggerheadturtle.pdf Case Study 22 - Cabo de Gata Geopark
casestudy22-cabodegatageopark.pdf Case Study 23 - Ibiza, Biodiversity & Culture
casestudy23-ibiza,biodiversityaculture.pdf Case Study 24 - Partenrship for Pompeii
casestudy24-partenrshipforpompeii.pdf Case Study 25 - The Dark Side of Cultural Tourism
casestudy25-thedarksideofculturaltourism.pdf Case Study 26 - Destruction of Palmyra
casestudy26-destructionofpalmyra.pdf Case Study 27 - Mare Nostrum
casestudy27-marenostrum.pdf Case Study 2 - The Neolithic Revolution
casestudy2-neolithicrevolution.pdf Case Study 3 - Where history repeats itself
casestudy3-wherehistoryrepeatsitself.pdf Case Study 4 - Frontier Sea
casestudy4.1-afrontiersea.pdf Case Study 5 - The Sixth Continent
casestudy5-thesixthcontinent.pdf Case Study 6 - Mediterranean Security
casestudy6-securityofthemediterraneansea.pdf Case Study 7 - World Heritage Convention
casestudy7-worldheritageconvention.pdf Case Study 8 - Qué es el Patrimonio Cultural?
casestudy8-queeselpatrimoniocultural.pdf Case Study 9 - Greek Drama
casestudy9-greekdrama.pdf Class 01 - Introduction: a civilizing sea, a corrupting sea
class1-introduction.pptx Class 02 - Mediterranean Geography
class2-geographicalperspective.pptx Class 03 - Mediterranean History Part 1
class3-historicalperspective-i.pptx Class 04 - Mediterranean History Part 2
class4-historicalperspective-ii.pptx Class 05 - Mediterranean Culture
class5-culturalperspective.pptx Class 06 - Geostrategic Perspective
class6-strategicperspective.pptx Class 07 - Intro to Heritage
class7-introtoheritage.pptx Class 08 - Learning, Thought and Spirituality
class8-learning,thoughtaspirituality.pptx Class 09 / 10: Literary Expression and Oral Tradition
class9-10-literaryexpression.pptx Class 11: Artistic Expression Part 1
class11-artisticexpressioni.pptx Class 12: Artistic Expression Part 2
class12-artisticexpressionii.ppt Class 13: Archaeology and Urban Development
class13-archaeologicalsitesaurbanhistory.pptx Class 14: Masterpieces of Architecture
class14-architecture.pptx Class 15: Oral Tradition and Performing Arts
class15-oraltraditionaperformingarts.pptx Class 16: Rituals, Festivals and Ancestral Knowledge
class16-rituals,festivals,ancestralknowledge.pptx Class 17: Traditional Crafts
class17-traditionalcrafts.pptx Class 18: Industrial and Scientific Heritage
class18-industrialascientificheritage.pptx Class 19: Documentary Heritage
class19-documentaryheritage.pptx Class 20: Cultural Heritage Review
class20-culturalheritagereview.pptx Class 21: Mediterranean Biodiversity
class21-biodiversity.pptx Class 22: Mediterranean Geodiversity
class22-geodiversity.pptx Class 23: Mediterranean Mixed Heritage
class23-mixedheritage.pptx Class 24: Heritage Management
class24-heritagemanagement.pptx Class 25: Heritage Industries
class25-heritageindustries.pptx Class 26: Disappearing Heritage Assignment
class26-disappearingheritageassignmentpresentation.pptx Class 27: Global Trends
class27-globaltrendsaheritagedebates.pptx Readings 10 - The Mediterranean of Albert Camus
10.themediterraneanofalbertcamus.pdf Readings 11 - The First Fresco Masters
11.thefirstfrescomasters.pdf Readings 12 - The Mediterranean of Picasso
12.themediterraneanofpicasso.pdf Readings 13 - The World's First Cities
13.theworldsoldestcities.pdf Readings 14 - The Basilica - From Rome to Byzantium
14.thebasilica-fromrometobyzantium.pdf Readings 15 - Performing Arts & Oral Tradition
15.performingartsaoraltradition.pdf Readings 16 - Social Practices, Rituals & Festivals
16.socialpractices,ritualsafestivals.pdf Readings 17 - Traditional Knowledge & Practices
17.traditionalknowledgeapractices.pdf Readings 18 - Industrial Landmarks
18.industriallandmarks.pdf Readings 1 - Mediterraneans - David Abulafia
1.mediterraneans-davidabulafia.pdf Readings 20 - World Heritage Brochure
20.worldheritagebrochure.pdf Readings 21 - The Mediterranean as Biodiversity Hotspot
21.themediterraneanasbiodiversityhotspot.pdf Readings 22 - Geodiversity down the Spotlight
22.geodiversitydownthespot.pdf Readings 23 - Cultural Landscapes - Culture meets Nature
23.culturallandscapes-culturemeetsnature.pdf Readings 24 - The Need for Heritage Management
24.theneedforheritagemanagement.pdf Readings 25 - UNESCO Sustainable Tourism Programme
25.unescosustainabletourismprogramme.pdf Readings 26 - Terrorism and Heritage
26.terrorismandheritage.pdf Readings 27 - Ten Key Findings on Cultural Heritage
27.tenkeyfindingsonculturalheritage.pdf Readings 2 - A Sea that defines the Land
2.aseathatdefinestheland.pdf Readings 3 - Towards the Garden of the Hesperides
3.towardsthegardenofthehesperides.pdf Readings 4 - The Mediterranean of the Romantics
4.themediterraneanoftheromantics.pdf Readings 5 - Ithaka - The Mediterranean of Cavafy
5.ithaka-themediterraneanofcavafy.pdf Readings 6 - A Living Civilization
6.alivingcivilization.pdf Readings 7 - The Heritage Rash
7.theheritagerash.pdf Readings 8 - The Odyssey of Mediterranean Knowledge
8.theodysseyofmediterraneanknowledge.pdf Readings 9 - Godfathers of Renaissance Literature
9.godfathersofrenaissanceliterature.pdf