Race, Communication, and Technology in the Dawn of Latin America

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course examines the material and discursive relation between race and communication technologies in Latin American literatures and cultures. It focuses on the contributions made by indigenous and Afro-descendant people’s political actions and communicational tactics to the foundation and transformation of the Latin American literary canon. Through readings of literature, film, and other cultural artifacts, students will explore the ways in which race and communication technologies were intertwined throughout the birth of Latin American “writing”, and how the political and artistic practices performed by racialized groups shaped the cultural production of the region. Additionally, students will analyze how new media technologies have influenced power dynamics and cultural production in contemporary Latin America. By the end of the course, students will have developed a basic understanding of the foundation of Latin American literary tradition, focused on the tense and dynamic relation that it had with racialized groups, and communication technologies.