The Politics of Gendered Life Stories in Spain

Macarena Gordillo de Paz is a Lecturer in International Studies and Languages at the University of Technology Sydney. She is a cultural theorist who analyses how the evolution of Spanish national identity in the popular culture context has shaped Contemporary Spain, revealing the underlying historical narratives of gender and transnational politics. She also develops innovative approaches to teaching and learning through the embedding of cultural, international, and linguistic studies to create an engaging educational environment that inspires and supports students’ lifelong journey. Nicholas Manganas is Senior Lecturer in International Studies and Global Societies at the University of Technology Sydney. He is a cultural theorist who examines how historical narratives persist as active forces in shaping the political, cultural, and affective life of the present. His work explores how the past is mobilised in contemporary contexts—sometimes to reinforce authority, sometimes to challenge it—across areas including crisis politics and collective memory. He is the author of Las dos Españas: Terror and Crisis in Contemporary Spain (2016) and Crisis Cultures: Narratives of Western Modernity in the Digital Age (2024).