SPAN3222: Interpreting Modern and Contemporary Latin America

The aim of this course is to organize a discussion around the issues of nation building and modernization in Latin America through the study of representative 19th- century authors. The selected materials are essential documents of their times, and often influential statements about the history, identity, and culture of the region. Through a close examination of essays, novels, short stories, poems, and other texts students can appreciate their cultural legacy and understand the socio-historical context and the intellectual forces that shaped Modern Latin America. Concentration will center on the textual strategies, topics, world views, motivations, projects, and expectations explicit or implicit in the texts, their significance at the time, and their importance for understanding the formation of what we know as Latin America today. The course also examines Modern Latin America by analyzing the role of political discourse and the legacies of colonialism in the region. With literary texts and documents, students will deal with different theoretical approaches deriving from the humanities and the social sciences. Such interdisciplinary method will provide the tools, concepts, and strategic visions to carry on analytical tasks in class. All the work for the course, except for certain supplementary readings, will be in Spanish. Requirements will include preparation of assigned readings, presentation of analytical and comprehensive tasks, class discussions, and a research project. The course provides training in analytical thinking and cultural critique of Modern Latin America, bringing a global perspective to our curriculum.prereq: A grade of C- or better in SPAN 3104W or SPAN 3104V or TLDO 3104W or ARGN 3104W or SPAN 3105W or SPAN 3105V or TLDO 3105W or SPAN 3107W or SPAN 3107V or TLDO 3107W

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