It has been said: there are, at the same time, one any many spain. Discuss - Essay Example

Anthropology Four decades ago, Spain was one of the most poor, underdeveloped and conflict prone country under a fascist dictator who controlled all aspects of the Spaniards. Form arresting tourists wearing exposing clothing, poor infrastructure and poverty outside the major Spaniard cities to biting famines that killed and impoverished many Spaniards, the country was at the height of poverty. However, forty years ago when Spain initiated major economic, political, and social changes, the country is currently one of the leading technological giants, most democratic and equal society for citizens and visitors.

In addition, Spain is one of the largest tourist destinations globally. The country experienced major changes especially in 1986, when it was allowed to join the European Union, a plan that worked perfectly for. The different people who have experienced the various eras of Spanish history have different experiences and practices, with the current young generation in Spain being the most powerful and an impetus to the rapid changes in the country. This makes Spain to be one very similar but yet different people.

Hooper (3) notes the first differences across the three different generations of Spaniards can be well observed and explained in a family setting with family members spreading across the three distinct generations of Spain’s history. The grandparents who symbolize a poor agricultural past are in most cases dark and shorter; their children who are the main beneficiaries of the post Franco boom where important changes in the life of Spaniards were experienced are tall and slim. These people were mostly raised on the Mediterranean diets, while the grand children who reflect modernity and are victims or beneficiaries of the current modernity in Spain are more likely to be overweight.

The three generations explain the effects of the three main historical eras that mark Spain’s history today. Hooper in this context chooses to dedicate the first part of the book to illustrate the history of Spain after the death of Franco, whose rule made Spain a fossilized state from the 1940s after the civil wars and fascist leadership took over. The succeeding period was largely marked by building institutions and focusing more on doing away with corrupt and old backward practices, which were repealed by a socialist party that was responsible for major changes in the country.

Kavanagh (126) illustrates some of the differences in agriculture in Spain. Farming methods especially agriculture underwent transitions that were replicated by the life of the Spaniards of the day. From the vast grazing lands of cattle and sheep where agricultural methods were poor and unplanned, the villages from the 1980s experienced drastic boom where the ministry of public works seemed to invest everything on infrastructure, the silent and dark villages for the first time had street lights, running water and people began to build toilets where none existed before (Hooper, 2).

This portrays the sharp contrast between the first and second generations of the Spaniards in farming methods, and that had its roots in the 1980s. For the first time against the culture and traditions of villagers, their decisions were being made far away from their villages, which largely affected their economic patterns such as the market days, farming methods, breeds of animals, transitions from farming to real estate in restructuring the poorly designed urban areas among other major decisions that affected their lives (Kavanagh, 126).

This was contrary to the lives their fathers had, where most of their decisions at the village level, observed poor farming methods and lived under awkward dictatorship that governed every aspect of their lives including dressing. Hooper (2) observes that one of the critical changes that occurred across the three different generations was that people who had been excluded from the public life were gradually finding space and support to participate in public matters. For example, while from the dictatorial regime and up to the time preceding 1980 Spain was controlled by corruption, graft kickbacks and influences that denied others their rights, this was rapidly changing in 1980s where for example more women were getting into leadership roles, the needs of the poor in remote villages were being addressed with provision of the basic needs and education facilities, to each modern times where Spain became an equal society with the rights of all being respected.

As Hooper brings out, the modern Spain is more interesting, and portrays more liberal and new advances in life compared to two generations before. Though many Spaniards have over the time considered themselves as Christians in history, in addition to the church’s influence in the country’s political and social dynamics (Puertolas, 126) the state sicne1986 continues to support the church with public funding, which portrays the significance of link between politics and church as Puertolas indicates.

However, since the advent democracy, church members have drastically decreased, though many Spaniards consider themselves Christians; the religion occupies a central position in the Spanish history, as it is inherently grounded in people and their culture. Religious powers are still strong and effective in Spain (Hooper, 92). From the laws banning topless sun bathing and wearing of exposing clothing in the 1970s under the dictatorial Spain, Spain had gone a mile longer by accepting gay marriages in its modernity, (Hooper, 108) with the country’s birth rate gradually in decline, more women in employment opportunities, and adult children living with their parents as a family unit (Hooper, 125).

Hooper on the same brings out the current society vices. While the traditionally men spent time in farms looking after livestock, or farming, currently, many are spending more time in lotteries where they lose more on gambling than they could spend on buying fruits or vegetables. It is the through such passive occupations that at the beginning Hopper noted the current generation to be an obese Spaniard society. From the 1940s Spain has undergone three distinct eras with the three generations portraying different attributes depending on the social and economic prevailing atmosphere.

While the first generation lived under a dictator who controlled their lives and had poor farming methods, the second generation was marked by major political, and social changes in the Spanish context to promote development, which for the first time penetrated to village levels. The two generations were strongly Christians. The third generation marked by a decrease in Christianity, low birth rates, equality, gaysim, among other modern and global attributes. These generations portray that Spain is made of similar yet very different people.

Work Cited John Hooper, The New Spaniards, London: Penguin, second revised edition, 2006 Kavanagh, William Villages of the Sierra de Gredos, MI: University of Michigan, 1994 Puertolas Rodriguez, A Comprehensive View of Medieval Spain Americo Castro and the Meaning of Spanish Civilization Ed Jose Barcia R., Berkeley: University of California, 1976