Brazilian Culture

3 credits · Undergraduate credit

This course will offer an introduction to Brazilian culture, history, and politics, as seen primarily through key literary and filmic texts. Our focus will be primarily on the time period immediately following the arrival of the Portuguese royal family to Brazil in 1808 until today, at a time when Brazil is emerging as a major global economic and geopolitical power. In spite of this evolving reality, Brazil continues to be a country with significant socio-economic disparities that are in part the legacy of colonialism. Through short stories, poetry, feature films, and documentaries we will explore the main themes, namely: national identity, authoritarianism, the role of women, social exclusion, dictatorship, and modernization.