Culture & Civilizations of Latin America

This course will study a selection of countries from one of the most diverse and fascinating regions in the world: Latin America. Many centuries before most of the Western Hemisphere advocated for social integration and pluralism, denizens of the Spanish Empire had the first experience of multiculturalism through the mixing of ethnicities.

Students will study a wide variety of themes from multiple Latin American countries with a particular emphasis on Argentina. Framed in a historical perspective, this course compares customs, traditions, and values from Latin American and US cultures. Students will analyze the concept of Latinidad and the construction of dominant and alternative Latin American social identities and cultural products by engaging with the realm of the popular and contemporary media. Students will also differentiate the challenges some of these countries face in terms of political stability, uneven modernity, and economic growth as well as examine how these may impact their cultural development.

The course guides students to successfully navigate and adapt to Latin American ways of life, leading to the acquisition of enhanced intercultural strategies. While traversing the theoretical terrain of the socio-political components of Latin America, students will reflect on cultural differences and to what extent these countries' societies and traditions are linked to their historical configuration, political regimes, and economic structures.