Culture & Civilization of Argentina

You focus in this course on the culture and civilization of Argentina. Following a survey of Argentine history from colonial to modern times, you begin analyzing the contemporary culture and civilization of Argentina using historical and sociological tools. Integrating intercultural components comparing home and host customs, traditions and values, this course enables you to identify and assess the influence of history in a culture in which you are immersed. Topics include: the culture of indigenous peoples; the origins of the harsh nomadic life of the gauchos; and the living conditions and lifestyles in Patagonia and other areas outside of Buenos Aires. Central to the development of the region as we know it today was the cultural impact of immigrant peoples, largely European--especially Spanish and Italian--but also African and others, which is visually evident in the wonderful architecture of Buenos Aires (long regarded as the Paris of South America) as well as in the other plastic arts.

The course will include study excursions to historically and architecturally significant neighborhoods, monuments, churches, and civic buildings as well as to the city's impressive art museums. Of course, no consideration of the culture of this city and region would be complete without an appreciation of the urban musical phenomenon called tango, which you will have the opportunity to experience first hand, with excursions to the San Telmo and La Boca neighborhoods famous for their tango performances. In addition to tango, folk music, such as that sung by Mercedes Sosa, "The Voice of the Voiceless Ones," evokes an appreciation for the dramatic and often tragic history associated with the era of Juan and Eva (Evita) Perón, the military dictatorships, the "dirty war" (1976-83), the human rights abuses and the rise of organizations like the "Madres de Plaza de Mayo,"that continue to protest the record of abuses even today. In addition to the arts, important features of daily life such as sports, religion, education, popular entertainment, and culinary customs and behaviors, will be observed and discussed.


Furthermore, in order to maximize your integration into Argentine culture, this course helps you critically analyze what culture is and helps you develop intercultural strategies to more easily understand, adapt and learn local customs. Thus, you are required to reflect on cultural differences between the United States and Argentina as a means of analyzing and better navigating the culture of your new host surroundings. Thus, by the end of the course, you will understand that a country' customs and traditions are linked to its historical, social and economic evolution.