Department of Spanish and Portuguese

Prerequisite: S280 or S310 or equivalent.

What is Cultural Studies? What is the relationship between material culture and non-material culture? This course takes on these questions, offering an introduction to conducting cultural studies research and visual analysis while grounding students in the trajectory of the cultural history of the Hispanic world. Focusing on key moments of cultural exchange and identity construction, we will trace the formation of cultural practices in Spain and Latin America from the pre-Columbian period through the twenty-first century. We will cover pre-contact societies on both sides of the Atlantic; contact, conquest, and the ages of exploration; Latin American independence and identity development; and 20th-Century dictatorships. In addition to this content, students will embark on individual research that spans the breadth of the semester, giving them the opportunity to follow their curiosity and to develop skills in finding, assessing, and synthesizing information that will support their own close readings of visual texts, as well as developing skills with digital tools that will allow for the sharing of their findings. Class evaluation is split between that research project, engagement with materials and in class, and comprehension/retention of information.

HISP-S 324     #5027        11:10A-12:25P     TR       BH 145       Prof. Rhi Johnson

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