Brazil: History and Culture

3 credits · Undergraduate credit

This course examines the history of Brazil, focusing on literature and performance as expressions of the national or regional cultural identities, with particular attention to racial categories and African heritage. Topics include: indigenous societies and responses to European invasion; slavery and paternalism; religious expression; and the ways that racial and ethnic identification has inspired much of Brazil's unique cultural production. When possible, we will include various ways of learning about cultural expression, incorporating interdisciplinary sources such as fiction, archival documents, testimony, ethnography, recorded music, and dance/movement.