Cultural Studies in Spanish America

This is a culture class, taught in Spanish, in which we will explore the origins and meanings of the terms “culture” and “cultural studies,” a particular approach to culture, as it is manifested in a Spanish American context. This critical approach crosses conventional disciplinary boundaries and so will we, examining a variety of texts, phenomena, and themes that extend traditional concepts of "culture." Topics considered will include: sports-- fútbol and lucha libre-- music in literature, melodrama and the telenovela, manifestations of Indian and mestizo identities in the late 20th-21st centuries, tourism, and contemporary urban existence.