Week 3 POL 130: The Catalonian Parliament

 Week 3 POL 130: The Catalonian Parliament

    After a long hot walk, Nadim guided us to the Parliament of Catalonia, which was a beautiful and historic building that is the center of Catalan governance which is a huge topic for our trip to Spain. Before this visit I didn't fully understand how strong the Catalan identity really was, but after learning about the government in the Parliament I could finally wrap my head around the politics that surround them. Our guide and research after explained that even though Spain is its own state, Catalonia has its own language, flag, and culture. I also learned that in 2017 this parliament voted to get independence from Spain which totally backfired and led to national backlash and the imprisonment of many Catalan leaders. 

    This connects with our learnings in POL 130 because Catalonia is an example of a sub-state nationalism where a regional identity pushes for sovereignty. This also shows how nationalism and unite cultures but also divide them. This can also compare the Spain and U.S. politics, because the states have some autonomy in their own government and certain niche laws, but not their own language or foreign relation policies. Even the architecture of the Parliament tells about the Francoist regime's repression over the Catalan identity into todays political debates. This shows how the power lives in many things such as symbols, rituals, and history. 

In the Parliament we got to witness the real political conflict that happens on a day to day basis with these officials. Concepts like federalism, nationalism, and identity are all used in these courts of law. It also, changes the way we think about power, because its not loud or obvious, its about who gets to fly their flag or speak their language. Visiting the Parliament was more of a deep dive into the politics of identity and autonomy. This trip helped me compare the theories from our POL 130 class and see how they work in the real world.