by Gage Patterson For my research project into the culture of Spain, I decided to see how the Spanish people feel about one of my favorite things: movies. Prior to traveling to Spain and taking the class, I did not know too much about Spanish cinema. I knew a few Spanish actors such as Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz and I had previously done a research project on Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar in high school, but other than that, I had no previous knowledge. Over the course of taking the class, I learned quite a bit. One big thing was that Franco basically caused the downfall of Spanish movies. When he was dictator, he required movie theaters to play a certain number of big American blockbusters to try to rake in money because that is what he thought the people wanted to see. Due to this, Spanish directors and their movies did not make nearly enough money to warrant another try so most directors gave up during Franco's reign. This giving up lead to the decline of actual Spanish culture being transmitted across the world. Cinema is usually a way for a culture to spread and diffuse across the globe, but without any real Spanish movies being produced, Spain sort of became a blank space in the mind of most of the world culturally. During Franco's reign, there was also a lot of censorship so directors could not actually put what they wanted to in their own films. Why would a creative, artistic person want to pour their heart and soul into a project only to have it ripped up and the original meaning behind it taken out? The answer is they would not. That is why there was a void of Spanish cinema during the dictator's reign. You would think that once Franco died in 1975, then the censorship would be over and that more Spanish films would begin to be released, but this was not the case. Censorship did not end until 1977, two years after Franco died. This end in censorship did not actually help the Spanish film industry. Spanish directors wanted to do films that meant something and that were very artsy and made people think. This was very different from the high octane American blockbusters that the people were used to, so these Spanish films were not very well attended. The people were more interested in going out to bars at night instead of spending time at a movie theater.
While in Spain, I noticed that these feelings are still relatively true. The whole time we were there, I noticed a single movie theater on the way to our first hotel in Madrid. This theater however did not seem busy at all. Most of the people just walked on by and entered the local bars instead. There did not seem to be much interest in cinema. Also, just walking around the streets, I did not see one poster for Spanish movies. The only posters I saw were for big American movies such as Taken 3, Into the Woods, and Annie. It seems that Franco's idea of bringing in big American hits still lives on today. I did learn that there is a big film festival every year in San Sebastian in September in which the show some of the greatest Spanish films of that year. Last year, the seven films had received 35 Goya nominations between them. That seems to show that the film industry is starting to get more footing in Spain amongst the people. The Spanish are starting to feel more pride in their culture and want it shown to the rest of the world through cinema.
Caitlin Barclay As a Communications major, I am always analyzing the uses and effects of different types of media on culture, and was particularly interested in researching the differences and similarities of mass media in Spain and the US.
The first question I wanted to answer was where Spain and the US are different regarding the types of media they most consume. Considering America’s reputation for media consumption, I assumed that Spain’s consumption would be a lot less. However, it seems that the amount of media available to the public is not much different, only the amount that is actively consumed by the citizens. For instance, Spain has nearly every social media and internet site available to Americans (except NETFLIX!), but only spends a fraction of the hours spent by Americans. Statistics show that the average American spends about 2.5 hours a day using their mobile device, in comparison with 1.7 hours by the average Spaniard. Another detail that may contribute to lesser consumption of electronic media is the amount of print media still available to Spain. A phrase often uttered in the communications field is “print is a dying art”, but the amount of newspaper and magazine stands in every city we visited reassured me that this is not a worry yet!
Another major difference between American and Spanish media is the imposition of censorship; an issue I was well aware of even before our trip. It seems that one of the main “culture shocks” Americans experience collectively when traveling to Spain is the everyday use of images in advertising that, in the United States, would be considered too risque and even pornographic. However taboo they may seem to visitors, these images do not seem to have any negative impact on society. Perhaps the fact that the exposed human body is displayed so often makes it less taboo and does not become an issue.
Before our excursion to the Iberian Peninsula, I was not aware of the amount of international media present in Spanish culture. In the United States, it is very seldom that media such as films, television, and music from other countries are featured in pop culture, especially not media in another language. Contrastingly, a majority of the media consumed by Spaniards is from America, and is either dubbed to Spanish or watched by English-speakers. It makes sense, as America is definitely a cultural hub when it comes to media production, but I would have guessed that many more actors and artists would be featured This was one of the biggest differences I observed between our cultures. I believe that paying more attention to international media would be extremely beneficial and help the average American become more aware of daily life in other cultures.
I expected many more contrasts between American and Spanish media before studying Spanish culture in person. What I found is that media spans across cultural differences and connects people no matter the languages. Spanish youth and pop culture seems to be very similar to American culture, with a few differences including more lax censorship laws. Spain has experienced a lot of change over the past century and it is very interesting to see this change represented in media as they create their own and welcome international influences.
Author: Allison Wellnitz Spanish Culture Course: Media and Communication
I decided to chose the topic of media and communication for my project. I made this choice because aside from my major in Music Theater, I am also majoring in Communication as well here at Carthage. I thought it would be interesting to learn about the usage of media and communication in another country then my own. While in Spain I wanted to observe both the similarities, and differences between the United States and Spain. I decided to focus on the main sources of media, including, television, newspapers, internet, phone, and the radio. I also wanted to focus on observing the communication skills between locals and tourists. Prior to our Spanish culture class, I was not too familiar with the media usage and communication skills pertaining to Spain specifically. I did not even know that there were other official languages used other than “traditional Spanish” (Castilian). In High School I actually had the opportunity to take a few years of Spanish. My freshmen and Sophomore year we focused on grammar, and vocabulary. When I was a junior in high school we focused more on the culture of Spain, however we did not focus on this topic of media and communication. Therefore, I was very excited to learn about this more through our class, and this project.
Television While I was in Spain, one night I had the opportunity to watch TV for about and hour or so. I was able to watch some of the news, and I even was able to view a popular telenovela. Majority of the television shows are in Castilian, however in each region it is possible to find programs in the languages specific to the region (Basque, Galician, Catalan). Prior to the 1980’s there were only two television stations which were owned by the state, TVE-1 and TVE-2. Today there are six popular stations; TVE-1, TVE-2, Antena 3, La Cuatro, Telecinco, and La Sexta. These stations include programs such as soap operas, documentaries, game shows, sports and commercial programing, and even international imports from Britain and America. Each region of Spain has their own set of stations as well including TV3 in Catalonia and ETB channels in the Basque Country. Spaniards, on average, watch about 3 and a half hours of television daily only an hour less than American’s consume daily. The relationship between Spain and Television began under Franco. Television, and all sources of media, were used as a voice for the regime, and many programs were censored.
Radio While I was in Spain, I unfortunately did not have the best opportunities to listen to the radio. However, while I was shopping at a store, I was able to hear music playing, and one night I had the chance to go out to the club to get a feel of the music they play on the radio too. I was surprised about the amount of American “top 40” music I heard! One day I heard Justin Bieber in a few different stores! Its crazy to think about how much our culture plays a role on others. According to our text, 16-19 million people are listening to Spanish radio daily, 3 million of those being between the hours of midnight and 3am. It is a source not only for music, but peoples daily news. There are two key organizations, Cadena SER and Radio National de España (RNE). Both are a mix of sports, music, soap operas, news, and talk shows.
Internet Compared to other European Nations, Spaniards are lagging with their internet usage. While I was in Spain, I observed that Wifi connection was not as good in comparison to what we are use to in the States. Perfect and fast connection is definitely a blessing that we have at home. In the states, I always observe that people are constantly on their phones, while in Spain I noticed that people are interested in personal interactions, and rarely did I see people browsing on their phones in public. Only about 40 % of Spanish families are online. Spaniards are also hesitant to shop online as well. According to a study in the UK 74% of people shop online, while in Spain only 20% of people would. While in spain I also noticed the numerous amount of pay phones on the streets, however, I didn't see too many people using them.
Newspapers Under Franco’s reign there was censorship among newspapers as well. After his death in 1975, the press was able to gain freedom. El Pais, Spain’s most known and read newspaper, lead as an influential source during the transition between dicatorship and democracy. Since then many other daily papers have became popular including El Mundo, El Razon, La Vangaurdia, and ABC. In all of the regions papers are published in Castilian, however it is most definitely possible to find newspapers published in the regions tounge. As I was walking through the streets in Spain, it was very easy to find Tabloids, and Newspaper stands with many different choice, especially in downtown Madrid or on Las Ramblas in Barcelona. When we stayed in Tolosa, outside of San Sabastian, we even found a newspaper, printed in Basque, which has an article published informing locals about our choir concert.
Communication with Tourists Early on in my trip I noted the fact that Spain is a country that is use to tourists, and non native “spanish” speaking people. This doesn’t really surprise me though because who wouldn’t want to visit a country that is so diverse in food, geography, religion, and culture. Just about everywhere we went, whether it was a restaurant, a monument, cathedral, signs, menus, and brochures, were also in English, especially in Barcelona and Madrid. In some areas I noticed things were written in other languages as well. In Barcelona, I especially noticed that almost everything was written out first in Catalan, then Spanish, and following that, English. At home in America we only really have things written out in English, and Spanish. Aside from this, people also are very adaptive to helping you as well. Everywhere we visited there would be at least one person who was able to speak in English well. I feel like it is in their nature to be kind, and help outsiders as much as possible. I was also fortunate to take part in the musical theater master class. It was interesting to see how universal music really is, and how I was able to sing songs in English, that were still very well known in Spain. Prior to our trip I was extremely nervous about not knowing Spanish as much as I want to, and was worried about language barriers. By the time it was our second day there, I was no longer scared and was put at ease. My favorite part about the communication between ourselves, and the locals was when we sang in their regions native languages. Seeing the joy and pride in their eyes, was probably my favorite part of the entire trip.
Conclusion All in All, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Spain. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. It went by too fast, but I am thankful for the opportunities we had in such a short amount of time. It was also my first experience leaving the United States. Sometimes people can be so well adjusted to what they are use to, and I loved being able to try different things, and leave my comfort zone. I learned a lot about myself and found a new love of discovery in Spain. I can not wait to go back to this beautiful country one, and fall in love more than I already am. It is a country of beauty, tradition, culture, diversity, hope, strength, love, and most of all pride.
My topic was the film industry in Spain. I chose this topic because I love movies and the story and adventure that comes along with them, and I wanted to know how similar (or not) that the film cultures between Spain and America were.
Before studying this topic, I knew nothing about it. I didn't even know that there are some major movies released in America that were from Spain.
In Spain, the movie industry is very different from America. The film industry took much longer to become popular in Spain. When it began, it took forever to become popular due to the population of Spain having more important priorities than going to see a movie. film and what it involved was constantly changing. Under Franco, film was strictly censored and constantly boring. However, when Franco fell, his censorship fell with him (after about two years). The film industry took this advantage and went crazy. There were movies that tried to break every kind of rule there was, and had all sorts of anti-censorship in it. Currently, the Spanish are some of the most enthusiastic film-goers in the world. But don't think this means that the Spanish are the best filmmakers; around one in every seven tickets sold is for a Spanish, homegrown production. They import movies from all over, especially from America. The Spanish love the action and adventure in American films. They also have several film festivals in their bigger cities, with genres such as international films, erotic films, gay films, and horror films.
While in Spain, I saw countless numbers of posters for American films, especially for Liam Neeson's "Taken 3". I was hoping to find a cinema to at least see how it was set up and possibly see a film, but we either didn't have time or I couldn't find a cinema. We did visit the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca that a large part of the movie Vantage Point was filmed in.
In conclusion, I'm very glad I studied the Spanish film industry and I'm happy to have seen all I did in Spain. I do really wish I could have seen a movie in a Spanish cinema. I guess I'll just have to go back and do just that!
Medios de comunicación/comunicación es la tema de mi proyecto. Quería que escribir sobre este tema porque las características de comunicación en España son similares de los Estados Unidos, pero al mismo tiempo son muy diferentes. También, tengo una especialidad de psicología y una especialidad secundaria en español, y este tema me dio una oportunidad para utilizar los dos intereses para examinar una parte de la cultura de España.
Antes de la clase de cultura con Profesora Rivero-Vila y la gira de España, no sabía mucho sobre los comunicaciones de este país. Vi una telenovela de Mexico en mi clase de español y yo supuse que las telenovelas están populares en España también. Leí artículos sobre políticas o eventos actuales en clase de paises hispanos pero nunca solamente de España o un periódico completo. Sabía las personas del país hablan con un acento diferente del acento aprendí en clase, pero no sabía sobre los lenguas oficiales (además de castellano) o los dialectos.
Periódicos y Revistas Periódicos en España no son muy populares con muchas personas. Durante la dictadura de Franco, medios de comunicaciones sufrieron a causa de muchas leyes y la censura. Hoy, una persona en diez compra un periódico todos los días, menos en comparación con otros países. El periódico más popular es El País, una publicación de Madrid en castellano. Todos los regiones de lenguas en España publican periódicos en castellano, pero algunos utilizan otros idiomas (como vasco/catalán/galego) además de castellano.
Cuando estuve en España, busqué quioscos con varios periódicos y revistas. Los calles ocupados sobre Gran Vía en Madrid o Las Ramblas en Barcelona tienen uno o dos quioscos en cada bloque de ciudad. Las revistas son similares o las mismas de las revistas en los Estados Unidos, como Vogue, Cosmo y otros. Fue común para observar revistas o DVDs eróticas en los mismos quioscos con El País o La Vanguardia. Muchos de nuestras hoteles tuvieron periódicos por los invitados en varias lenguas, especialmente castellano y ingles. Bares y restaurantes tuvieron periódicos también, pero no observé muchas personas leerlos.
Quioscos en Barcelona, Santander, y Salamanca.
Televisión Estuve correcta cuando suponer que telenovelas son populares en España. En promedio, españoles ven tres y media horas de televisión todos los días. Programas populares incluyen programas de juegos, programas de debate, y deportes (especialmente fútbol). Mayor de los programas transmiten en castellano, pero canals en vasco y galego existen también. Las palabrotas y las temas de adultos son comunes en televisión.
No vi mucho televisión cuando estuve en España, pero vi un poco de una telenovela, y una película en alemania. Los bares tienen televisores para ver partidos de fútbol y otros deportes. Todos de nuestras hoteles tuvieron televisores, y fue más común para tener un televisor en comparación que un conexión bueno al internet. El internet no es muy importa a españoles, y este característica es muy sorprendente por personas de los Estados Unidos.
Turismo y Comunicaciones España es una destinación muy popular por turistas de varios partes del mundo. Todos aspectos del país se ayudan interesar personas: el religión, la cultura, y la geografía diversa. Desde la Reconquista y los Reyes Católicos, la fe católica es un gran parte de la cultura y la arquitectura de España. Las ciudades tienen las catedrales, las basílicas, o otros sitios de peregrinación. La ciudad y catedral de Santiago de Compostela, La Sagrada Familia de Gaudí en Barcelona, la montaña de Montserrat, y la Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza son ejemplos de sitios famosos y religiosos. Otros sitios de turismo populares en España incluyen los museos (especialmente el Prado y La Reina Sofía en Madrid), la escultura de Woody Allen o el edificio de Santiago Calatrava en Oviedo, o los casinos en Santander y San Sebastián. La geografía diversa es un otro razón porque España es muy popular para los vacaciones: hay las playas, las islas, las montañas, y los espacios verdes.
En España, observé muchas indicaciones que el país vive con la ayuda de turismo. Los signos y folletos están escrito en castellano, pero depende que donde estás, también en otras lenguas como francés, inglés, catalán, vasco, galego, árabe, y varias lenguas asiáticas. No sé sobre todas las lenguas, pero en algunos signos en inglés, hay errores de gramática y ortografía (espero que no haya muchos errores similares en este documento). Busqué los ejemplos específicos de signos con lenguas múltiples en El Prado, La Sagrada Familia, la Catedral en Salamanca, Montserrat, y otros lugares. Tengo los folletos en castellano e inglés del Prado, y tarjetas de oración de La Sagrada Familia. Muchos restaurantes tienen menús en castellano o catalán e inglés por turistas que no entienden español.
Un signo con error pequeño. "...to be partrof his grave."
En conclusión Me encanta España. Mi viaje a este país fue una experiencia fabulosa y espero que vuelva en el futuro para estudiar. Las formas de medios de comunicaciones son diversas e interesantes. Todas personas pueden buscar periódicos o programas de televisión perfectos para sus intereses. La existencia de los signos, los folletos, y los menús en varias lenguas se ayudan España continua ser un país de turismo.
The topic of my project is media/communications. I wanted to write about this topic because the characteristics of communication in Spain are similar to those in the United States, but at the same time are very different. Also, I am a Psychology major and a Spanish minor, and this topic gave me an opportunity to use both interests to examine one part of the culture in Spain.
Before the culture class with Professor Rivero-Vila and the tour of Spain, I did not know a lot about the communications of this country. I watched a Mexican telenovela in my Spanish class and assumed that telenovelas are also popular in Spain. I read articles about politics or current events in class from Hispanic countries, but never solely from Spain or an entire newspaper. I knew the people of Spain talk with an accent different from the one I learned in class, but did not know about the official languages (besides Castilian) or the dialects.
Newspapers Newspapers in Spain are not very popular with many people. During Franco’s dictatorship, the media suffered because of many laws and censorship. Today, one in ten people buy a newspaper every day, less than people in other countries. The most popular newspaper is El Pais, a Castilian publication from Madrid. All of the regions (defined by official languages) publish newspapers in Castilian, but many use other languages (Basque, Catalan, Galician) besides Castilian.
When I was in Spain, I found many kiosks with various newspapers and magazines. The busy streets such as Gran Vía in Madrid or Las Ramblas in Barcelona have one or two kiosks for every city block. The magazines are similar or the same as the ones in the United States, like Vogue, Cosmo, and others. It is common to see erotic magazines or DVDs in the same kiosks that sell serious newspapers such as El País or La Vanguardia. Many of our hotels had newspapers for the guests in various languages, especially Castilian and English. Bars and restaurants have newspapers too, but I did not see many people read them.
Television I was correct when I assumed that telenovelas are popular in Spain. On average, Spaniards watch three and a half hours of television a day. Popular programs include game shows, talk shows, and sports (soccer especially). Most of the programs are broadcast in Castilian, but channels in Basque and Galicain also exist. Swear words and adult themes are common on television.
I did not watch a lot of TV while I was in Spain, but I watched a little bit of a telenovela and a German film. Bars have television sets to watch soccer games and other sports. All of our hotels had television sets, and it was more common to have a television set compared to a good internet connection. The internet is not very important to Spaniards, and this characteristic is very surprising to people of the United States.
Tourism and Communication Spain is a popular tourist destination for tourists from various parts of the world. All of the aspects of the country help interest people: the religion, culture, and diverse geography. Since the Reconquest and Catholic Kings, the Catholic faith is a huge part of the culture and architecture of Spain. Cities have cathedrals, basilicas, and other pilgrimage sites. The city and cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the mountain of Montserrat, and the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza are examples of famous religious sites. Other popular tourist sites include museums (especially the Prado and Queen Sofia museums in Madrid), the sculpture of Woody Allen and Santiago Calatrava building in Oviedo, and the casinos in Santander and San Sebastian. The diverse geography is another reason why Spain is very popular for holidays: it has beaches, islands, mountains, and green spaces.
In Spain, I saw many indications that the country lives with the help of tourism. The signs and brochures are written in Castilian, but depending on where you are, are also in other languages like French, English, Catalan, Basque, Galician, Arabic, and various Asian languages. I do not know about all of the languages, but in some English signs, there were grammatical and spelling errors (I hope there are not many similar errors in this paper). I found specific examples of signs in multiple languages in the Prado, La Sagrada Familia, the Cathedral in Salamanca, Montserrat, and other places. I have brochures in Castilian and English from the Prado, and prayer cards from La Sagrada Familia. Many restaurants have menus in Castilian or Catalan and English for tourists who do not understand Spanish.
In conclusion I love Spain. My trip to this country was a fabulous experience and I hope to return in the future to study. The forms of media are diverse and interesting. All people can find newspapers or television programs perfect for their interests. The existence of signs, brochures, and menus in various languages help Spain continue to be a country of tourism.