During the twentieth century, Spain experienced war, dictatorship and democracy. Beneath the political upheaval is also a history of extraordinary social, economic and cultural change, from an explosion in city living and the ‘emptying’ of the countryside to substantial shifts in systems and practices of religious belief. This paper is an introduction to the history of twentieth century Spain through the prism of the relationship between state and society. Rather than foregrounding political ruptures like the Civil War, the emphasis is on tracing long term process of social change and on understanding Spain as both a ‘problem’ and a ‘project’. We will discuss areas including the politics of water, ‘making’ citizens, and shifting gender norms, and draw on texts rooted in different methodological approaches, from geography to anthropology, sociology to economics.
