The nature of things: an object-oriented approach to Lusophone studies

This course addresses aspects of history, culture, politics, literature, and the arts in seven Portuguese-speaking countries: Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, and São Tomé and Príncipe. The course is designed to give students a hands-on approach to the study of Lusophone cultures: each week a country will be introduced by two objects paired with critical readings and short literary texts, music, or movies. We will be particularly mindful of objects that question and complicate the idea of “Lusophone,” against the backdrop of colonialism and postcolonialism, networks of design, production and consumption, extractivism and the environment, and creative industries. Conducted in Portuguese. Prerequistes: POBS 105 or POBS 0110 and POBS 0400 (or instructor’s permission)