So, after much debate internal I on BBC decide. My first post will be in response to
(drum roll) dddddddddddddddddddddddd...
THIS ARTICLE:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37334382 YYYYYAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!
Basically, quite a few members of the populous of the Catalan region of Spain are again protesting for the right to hold a referendum for independence from Spain.
"Now, wait a second," the average American might say, "they've been together forever. They're like peanut butter and jelly! Why would they do this? Why should I care? Where even is Catalonia anyway?"
Thank you, average citizen, for such a timely leading question. Catalonia is a semi-autonomous region in the north-East part of Spain. For more information, skip to the bottom of the page. Back to the topic at hand: Catalan Independence. What's going on?
Well, a lot of things. And I would argue that social studies--particularly history--come in handy.
After all, that's the point of history: it gives context to the present day. So...context, ARISE!
1) Language
Etymology--the study of the history of words--is absolutely fascinating. For example, we know from texts (See Romance de la Perdida de Alhama <http://www.poesi.as/indx0036.htm>, written just after the Reconquista, for details) that fairly modern Spanish was extant by the time Ferdinand and Isabel were married in 1492, uniting the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile. However, that part of the Iberian peninsula wouldn't be called Spain until their son, Carlos I of Spain, took the throne.
Fun fact, most languages are named after their country of origin:
English comes from England.
Japanese comes from Japan.
German comes from Germany (or, "Aleman es de Alemania" if you speak Spanish).
So, if there was no Spain for Spanish to come from, what did they call the language? Castilian, nothing more than a glorified regional dialect that took over its neighbors. But wait--you say--what does this have to do with Catalan independence? Simple: the regional dialect of Catalonia is Catalan, a separate language from Spanish.
This isn't a story of people starting together only to grow apart. These are people with a completely different language being forced together by monarchs failing to have more than one child. But is that really enough? Not by itself, I would argue, but there are other factors to consider.
2) Location
There is a saying: Africa starts past the Pyrenees. Basically, the culture of the Iberian peninsula is just weird compared to the rest of Western Europe. There's a very good reason for this, too. See, for 700 years, Spain (and, yes Portugal, you get a mention here too) was under control of muslims. First, as a part of the Umayyad caliphate--where it was known as Al Andalus--until it eventually fractured into several smaller muslim kingdoms.
Once again, what does this have to do with Catalan?
The Pyrenees are a mountain range separating the Iberian peninsula from the rest of Europe. As anyone who has read, The Song of Roland knows, this is where the Franks halted the muslim advance, and started to retake the land from those heathens with their algebra (named after one of the works of one of its muslim inventors <http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=algebra>) and translations of pagans like Plato and Aristotle.
Sorry, got off on a tangent there.
Catalan was one of the first parts of the peninsula to be reconquered (or Reconquistado in Spanish), meaning that it was one of the areas that had the least amount of muslim influence. In the grand scheme of things, the difference of 100 years or so is not that much, but it still gives Catalonia a place in history and culture that is not reflected in the rest of the country. Bordering the Pyrenees also gives it cultural connections to France--such as sharing the Occitan language (one of my favorite languages by name only. My favorite is Walloon, because it's just so much fun to say. WALLOON!), and being in the same historic region (at least, according to Wikipedia, so please take that with a grain of salt the size of the meteor that killed the dinosaurs).
In short, Catalan can be seen as the gateway into Europe, which gives it a unique flare.
3) Economics
Now we get to more modern stuff, and the things that are really mattering in these elections. See, the previous stuff gave the catalonians a sense of identity before modern times (and helps explain their many attempts at gaining independence over the centuries), while economics--if many are to be believed--is what makes the world go round (actually, it's physics, having to do with forces and conserving the momentum of tiny particles that started so far back too few people actually care).
See, here's the thing. According to the article that started this all, Catalonia has about 16% of Spain's population. However, they produce about 19% of Spain's total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It also makes up about 6% (quick and dirty % math, I'm definitely a little off) of the total land of Spain.
Read: Catalonia is an economic powerhouse of Spain, at least in terms of power/ square mile.
During the reign of Franko, the region underwent intense industrialization (he destroyed any sense kind of autonomy, and did his best to rid them of the Catalan language in official use). These days, with Spain moving--as are many "western" countries--towards a more service-centered economy, unhappiness with the government in Madrid is high (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29478415) with many feeling as though they are a powerhouse--they hosted an Olympics in '92, and got off far better with less debt than many of the more recent games--and that they are being taken advantage of. Are they? Well, according to the article cited a few sentences back, Catalonia received about 8,500,000,000 (8.5 billion) euros less in aid than it sent to the government in the form of taxes in 2011. So, given that big (not, "US Deficit" big. More, "most people will never see that much money in their entire lives" big) number, it's very understandable that the region would feel taken advantage of.
So, why should I care?
This is the big question. It's one that students are constantly asking, and one that so few teachers can adequately answer.
But I'm going to try.
So, independence for Catalonia is the result of a process that has been going on for a very long time. There have been many attempts at leaving Aragaon, Aragon & Castile, and Spain over the centuries, and they have all failed. However, understanding why there was this feeling that independence was an option helps explain why Catalonia is still considering independence now.
It also applies to our own country.
Catalonia could be viewed as a laboratory, to see how these factors can potentially play out. Take, for example, the economic argument of feeling taken advantage of. Believe it or not, most states do not receive a 1-1 return for every tax dollar sent to Washington DC. Some--such as Mississippi, New Mexico, Alabama, and Louisiana--receive more in aid than they send in taxes (<http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/05/which-states-are-givers-and-which-are-takers/361668/>). Others--such as Delaware and Minnesota--receive less than they give (hmmm...to what extent is a state's reputation as a giver or a taker affected by the dominant political party? What about how it votes in presidential elections?). This is the exact same situation that exists in Spain, where Catalonia is one of the big givers. Am I saying that Delaware is suddenly going to try leaving the union? No. However, as in Spain there are definite regional differences in America. UNLIKE Spain, there is a unifying language, and a fairly unified culture and structural system.
In terms of America, Catalonia could be used as a, "what if" scenario. Mostly, what if we had modern day independence attempts in here? Would the central government allow it? Or, as with Madrid, would they block it? Currently, there are many independence movements, but they are usually small and at the fringe. What influences them? What drives them? What do they want, and how do they hope to achieve it? By understanding the events that are going on around us, as well as the history that provides them context, we can find the questions to help us better understand the places where we live.
The fun part!!!!
First, some back story (apologies for the lack of citations. Most of this part is just memory from a plethora of history and Spanish classes, hence its brevity): Let's just say that for this post, Spain's history starts with its conquest by Rome. It then became the province of Hispania. When the Western empire fell, Hispania was conquered by the Visigoths. The Visigoths then lost it to the muslims (yay, Umayyad Caliphate). They managed to hold it for about 700 years. During that time Catalan (a principality under Barcelona) appeared, and soon joined Aragon (a kingdom) [http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20345071]. In 1492, the Christians--under Ferdinand and Isabella of Castile and Aragon--conquered Grenada, ending muslim rule in Spain. The two kingdoms stayed united when the monarchs had a single child. After that, they were conquered by Napoleonic France--only to be freed at the end of the war. They then endured a Civil War, where they were conquered by the Spanish fascists under Franco. When he died, power was given to Juan Carlos, heir to the old throne of Spain, who restored the kingdom without conquering it. So far, the kingdom has endured.
Bonus fun feature (lucky you, dear reader):
Technology is amazing, in that it can both divide and unify. In America, the advent in TV has unified English. Regional dialects and slang are disappearing, replaced by an odd standard (<http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/09/bat-hides-and-frog-stranglers/499046/>), which sounds decidedly west coast! For places like Spain, however, technology could be see as a divider. Yes, it would not surprise me if their Spanish is undergoing a unifying like our English (I haven't done the research, but I would love for someone to do so and report on it); however, it is also giving new life to formerly dying languages. Where once regional dialects like Catalan were relegated to conversations and the occasional eclectic newspaper, technology has given them a platform to communicate to larger audiences in broader ways. There are undoubtedly Catalan language TV stations, websites, blogs, youtube videos, etc. (There's even an ATM in the vatican that has the option of dispensing cash in latin. IN LATIN. This is a language that, by all rights, shouldn't even have a word for ATM.) Technology is another factor that influences how people see themselves and the world around them. Without taking technology into account, the modern student of current cultures sill no doubt only get part of the story, and perhaps even miss out on what might be the most important part.
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