Culture
This is a fun little cultural map that I found for Spain. There are several different images on this map that repeat themselves in different areas throughout the country. For example, you can spot wine bottles in three different places on the map: on by the city of Zaragoza, one slightly below that one to the right, and one in the south by Sevilla. This shows that wine is an important aspect of not only their economy, but also their culture and that it is a popular choice of drink to accompany their food. Fishing boats can be spotted along the coastlines, revealing that fish is a large part of their food. Also, there are several different churches with beautiful architecture to display their value of religion. Several bull-fighters occur across the country as well, which shows one aspect of their entertainment. All these and more add up to show the beautiful culture of Spain.
APA Citation: Sunday blog. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2015, from http://www.sundayblog.domeenoz.com/category/ahead-in/
At A glance...
Statistics
Country Demographic Data
Population Growth Rate 0.81%
Total Population Sex Ratio 0.97 males/females
Total Fertility Rate 1.48 children born/women
Life Expectancy at Birth 81.47 years
Birth Rate 9.88 births/1,000 population
Death Rate 9 deaths/1,000 population
Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sp.html
Population Growth Rate 0.81%
Total Population Sex Ratio 0.97 males/females
Total Fertility Rate 1.48 children born/women
Life Expectancy at Birth 81.47 years
Birth Rate 9.88 births/1,000 population
Death Rate 9 deaths/1,000 population
Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sp.html
Trends in Population, Education, and Health statistics
In the year 1800, the average number of children per woman in Spain was about 5 children (see figure 1). The average life expectancy at this time was 30 years of age. This means that most of a woman’s life was spent bearing and caring for her children. As time went on, the life expectancy average increased, and the number of children per woman decreased. By the year 2013, the life expectancy was at around 83 years and the number of children per woman was at 1.5. This graph suggests the trend that as time went on and lifestyles changed (introduction to new technologies, philosophies, etc.), women began to find new ways to spend their time and there was less of an importance placed on having children.
Figure 2 shows the average age that women were married (first marriages only) over time. In 1887, the average age was 24 years. This number gradually became larger, had a sudden backlash when the life expectancy hit 75, but then continued on to became an age later in life. By the year 2005, the average age was at about 27.5 years of age. Overall, as times became more modern, marriage was pushed back in life. Perhaps figure 3 could give some insight as to why women were beginning to have less children and getting married in life later. This graph shows the ratio of girls to boys in both primary and secondary education. The country started off with a fairly good ratio to begin with in 1971. About 8 girls to every 10 boys were in some sort of schooling. This number progressed and by the year 2010, girls actually exceeded boys in education. In 2010, there were about 10.5 girls to every 10 boys in schools. This number could be affected by an increase in the ratio of girls to boys birth wise, but regardless, there were still more girls attending schools compared to recent times. Women were beginning to recognize and act upon self-value and potential and thus began to pursue and education to become independently successful. To support this trend, is another graph displaying data for females over the age of 15 employed (figure 4). In 1991, only about 25% of the female population was employed. A gradual increase occurred and by the year 2007, that number was at about 43%. More women were graduating from primary and secondary schools and becoming a larger percentage of the work force. So, as time progressed, women in Spain were having less children, getting married later in life, pursuing extended educations, and getting more and more jobs. |
Religion
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Catholicism is a very widespread religion across the world that originated in Europe and had no exact start date. It is a form of Christianity believing in the Holy Trinity, the Pope, and common good. In the year 589, Roman Catholicism became the official religion of Spain (Brittanica). During the time that Roman Catholicism was the official religion, leaders of the country went to great lengths to ensure that all people within the country stayed true to the religion. In the late 15th century, general Tomas de Torquemada persuaded the ruler to threaten any Jewish people residing within the country to convert to Catholicism or otherwise be expelled from the country (Brittanica). The religion remained official until the Second Republic (1931-1936), but was restored as the official religion under General Francisco Franco's rule after the civil war (Brittanica). Then, again in 1978 it was declared that there was no official religion to the country of Spain with the Constitution (Brittanica). Ever since the 1970s, the number one religion is still Roman Catholicism in Spain, but other religions are growing in popularity as well including Islam, Judaism, and other Christian denominations such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and Seventh-day Adventists.
Since Roman Catholicism has been a huge part of the lives of Spaniards for such a long time, the Catholic culture blends in with the overall culture of Spain. It is very common for Catholics to attend mass on a weekly basis, usually on Sundays. Mass is compiled of prayers and ceremonies devoted to commemorating Jesus Christ's death at the cross and it is held within a church. Due to the high popularity of this service and the huge population of Catholics, there are many elaborate churches throughout Spain. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, there are 7 main themes of Catholic Social Teaching that affect how Catholics live their lives on a daily basis. Those include the life and dignity of the human person (1), the call to family, community, and participation (2), the rights and responsibilities (3), the option for the poor and vulnerable (4), the dignity of work and the rights of workers (5), solidarity (6), and care for God's creation (7). These teachings generally installed more conservative beliefs within the Spanish people on subjects such as marriage, abortion, war, the death penalty, euthanasia, and other controversial topics. Those beliefs can be reflected within their laws on such subjects. Also, since there is such a large importance placed upon family and community, more people get married, have children, and engage in traditional gender roles. Overall, the Catholic teachings on how to live life and be a good person are reflected in the legal systems, culture, and the economy of Spain. The beautiful churches throughout Spain not only serve as a meeting place for mass, but they are actually individually considered sacred places. The Catholics hold sanctuaries within their churches dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament (Catholicism.org). The Holy House is located in Nazareth and it is considered sacred to Catholics because it is the house where the Holy Family lived. Shrines are dedicated to specific sacred events, saints, apparitions, miracles, and/or destinations of pilgrimages and can be found all over the world. One particular shrine that is located within Spain is the Compostella, which was erected to honor St. James the Greater. The holiest of all places is the tabernacle, which houses the Eucharist outside of mass (catholic.com). Not only is Catholicism richly embedded within the Spanish culture, it also plays a large role within the government. For example, while Franco had control over Spain, Roman Catholicism actually had legal status in the country (countrystudies.org). The Roman Catholic Church could own its own property and even publish books. The Spanish government actually paid the salaries of the priests and provides much financial aid for expenses such as reconstruction of churches that were damaged during the civil war. The Church was not even expected to pay any taxes. For a while, Catholic religious instruction was mandatory throughout the country, even in public schools. The Church has such as powerful influence over the people that they could even change laws such as bans on divorce or the selling of contraceptives (countrystudies.org). Eventually, with the freedom of religion beginning in 1978, the government started to wean the Roman Catholic Church of financial assistance and it has less of an influence over the legal system today. It is very clear that Catholicism is not taken very lightly by the Spanish people. It is a deep part of their culture, government, and their history. Many Spaniards look to the Catholic Pope for leadership and inspiration on how to become a better person. Catholicism can be seen all over the country, from the architecture, to the educational systems, or even just in the average family. As time goes on and more people immigrate to Spain, new ideas and religions travel throughout the country. Catholicism is beginning to take more of a backseat role in the lives of the people, but it is still the leading way of life and will continue to be a staple of the Spanish lifestyle. |
Works Cited
Castilian. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/557573/Spain/70275/Castilian#toc70279
Category Archives: Holy Places. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from
http://catholicism.org/category/holy-places
Quick Questions. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from
http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/what-is-a-tabernacle
Seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17,
2015, from http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/seven-themes-of-catholic-social-teaching.cfm
Spain - RELIGION. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from
http://countrystudies.us/spain/44.htm
For more info...
Spain is a beautiful country rich in history and culture. To learn more about the country's unique culture, I encourage you to visit these two websites listed below.
http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/
The Don Quijote organization is dedicated to Spanish language learning. The link above leads you to a page all about Spain in particular. I thought that this website was great because it talks about particular inventions of culture that originated in Spain. The article is rather short, but at the bottom of the page are many other links to related articles including Spanish art, fashion, and even the best places to visit in the country!
http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Spain.html
This site has an immense amount of information! Basically anything you want to know about Spain is at least touched on here. There are also photos including along with the text to help demonstrate different aspects of the country.
http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/
The Don Quijote organization is dedicated to Spanish language learning. The link above leads you to a page all about Spain in particular. I thought that this website was great because it talks about particular inventions of culture that originated in Spain. The article is rather short, but at the bottom of the page are many other links to related articles including Spanish art, fashion, and even the best places to visit in the country!
http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Spain.html
This site has an immense amount of information! Basically anything you want to know about Spain is at least touched on here. There are also photos including along with the text to help demonstrate different aspects of the country.
Food
Paella is a very traditional dish in Spain. It is a combination of many different ingredients, usually including rice, seafood, vegetables, and some kind of meat (sausage, chicken, ham, etc.). It is usually seasoned with saffron. The dish came to be from influences of the Romans and the Arabs. Rice came to the area of Spain from the Arabs. The pan that is is traditionally cooked in came from Rome. The word paella translated from Arab means "left-overs". The dish was originally created in the Spanish city of Valencia. Nowadays, this dish is famous world-wide, and people go to Spain just to try their beloved paella!
Below is a recipe. Recipe and photo source: http://www.tienda.com/recipes/paellavalenciana.html
Mixed Paella - Version II - Paella Mixta - Versión II
Makes 6-8 servings.
Prep Time: 1 hr.
Cook Time: 1 hr. 20 min.
Ingredients:6 cups very strong chicken broth (bouillon)
1/2 tsp saffron
1/4 tsp smoked Spanish paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)
1 small onion, peeled
2 small chickens, about 2-1/2 lbs each
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 lb of cooking chorizo, in 1/4 inch slices
1/4 lb piece jamón serrano ham, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
4 tbsp chopped garlic
2 roasted piquillo peppers
1 lb small or medium shrimp, shelled
2 (Optional) Live lobsters, boiled, split and divided into tail sections and claws (discard or keep the head and small claws); or
4 (Optional) Lobster tails, split lengthwise;
8 (Optional) King crab claws; or
8 jumbo shrimp, in their shells, preferably heads on
3 cups short grain Spanish rice such as Bomba or Calasparra
5 tbsp chopped parsley
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 lb fresh or frozen peas
18 clams and/or mussels, scrubbed
Lemon wedges for garnish
Parsley for garnish
Preparation:
Heat the broth with the saffron, pimentón and the whole onion. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove the onion and measure the broth -- you need exactly 5-1/2 cups.
Cut the chickens into small serving pieces -- the whole breast in 4 parts, each thigh into 2 parts, the bony tip of the leg chopped off, the wing tip discarded, and the rest of the wing separated into 2 parts. Dry the pieces well and sprinkle with salt.
In a metal Paella pan, with about a 15 inch base, heat the oil. Add the chicken pieces and fry over high heat until golden. Remove to a warm platter. Add the chorizo, and jamón to the pan and stir fry about 10 minutes. Add the chopped onion, scallions, garlic, and pimentos and saute until the onion is wilted. Add the shrimp and the lobster and saute about 3 minutes more, or until the shrimp and lobster barely turn pink (the lobster will cook more in the oven.) Remove the shrimp and lobster to the platter with the chicken. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat it well with the oil. Sprinkle in the 5 tablespoons of chopped parsley and the crumbled bay leaves. (You can make in advance up to this point.)
Stir in the chicken broth, boiling hot, the wine, rice, and peas. Salt to taste. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, over medium high heat about 10 minutes. Bury the shrimp and the chicken in the rice. Add the clams and the mussels, pushing them into the rice, with the edge that will open facing up. Decorate the paella with the lobster pieces, then bake at 325 F, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let sit on top of the stove, lightly covered with foil, for about 10 minutes. To serve, decorate with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.
Lobster can be a little expensive, so replace it with a comparable amount of shrimp if you wish!
Recipe courtesy of Spain GourmeTour magazine.
Works Cited
The History of Paella. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2015, from http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/Paella/
Below is a recipe. Recipe and photo source: http://www.tienda.com/recipes/paellavalenciana.html
Mixed Paella - Version II - Paella Mixta - Versión II
Makes 6-8 servings.
Prep Time: 1 hr.
Cook Time: 1 hr. 20 min.
Ingredients:6 cups very strong chicken broth (bouillon)
1/2 tsp saffron
1/4 tsp smoked Spanish paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)
1 small onion, peeled
2 small chickens, about 2-1/2 lbs each
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 lb of cooking chorizo, in 1/4 inch slices
1/4 lb piece jamón serrano ham, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
4 tbsp chopped garlic
2 roasted piquillo peppers
1 lb small or medium shrimp, shelled
2 (Optional) Live lobsters, boiled, split and divided into tail sections and claws (discard or keep the head and small claws); or
4 (Optional) Lobster tails, split lengthwise;
8 (Optional) King crab claws; or
8 jumbo shrimp, in their shells, preferably heads on
3 cups short grain Spanish rice such as Bomba or Calasparra
5 tbsp chopped parsley
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 lb fresh or frozen peas
18 clams and/or mussels, scrubbed
Lemon wedges for garnish
Parsley for garnish
Preparation:
Heat the broth with the saffron, pimentón and the whole onion. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove the onion and measure the broth -- you need exactly 5-1/2 cups.
Cut the chickens into small serving pieces -- the whole breast in 4 parts, each thigh into 2 parts, the bony tip of the leg chopped off, the wing tip discarded, and the rest of the wing separated into 2 parts. Dry the pieces well and sprinkle with salt.
In a metal Paella pan, with about a 15 inch base, heat the oil. Add the chicken pieces and fry over high heat until golden. Remove to a warm platter. Add the chorizo, and jamón to the pan and stir fry about 10 minutes. Add the chopped onion, scallions, garlic, and pimentos and saute until the onion is wilted. Add the shrimp and the lobster and saute about 3 minutes more, or until the shrimp and lobster barely turn pink (the lobster will cook more in the oven.) Remove the shrimp and lobster to the platter with the chicken. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat it well with the oil. Sprinkle in the 5 tablespoons of chopped parsley and the crumbled bay leaves. (You can make in advance up to this point.)
Stir in the chicken broth, boiling hot, the wine, rice, and peas. Salt to taste. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, over medium high heat about 10 minutes. Bury the shrimp and the chicken in the rice. Add the clams and the mussels, pushing them into the rice, with the edge that will open facing up. Decorate the paella with the lobster pieces, then bake at 325 F, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let sit on top of the stove, lightly covered with foil, for about 10 minutes. To serve, decorate with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.
Lobster can be a little expensive, so replace it with a comparable amount of shrimp if you wish!
Recipe courtesy of Spain GourmeTour magazine.
Works Cited
The History of Paella. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2015, from http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/Paella/