Historical Consciousness in Latin America and the Caribbean

(4 Credits)

This course is an exploration of what can loosely be termed “historical consciousness” or “historical imagination,” that is, a broad field of images, narratives, and interpretations of history. Sociological aspects of collective memory and specific depictions of the past play a central role in the course, but we will also consider broader notions of time, the way the historical process is conceived, and the future as a projection of history. Among the questions at the core of our inquiry will be: why history matters in Latin American and Caribbean culture and politics, and how interpretations of history reflect concerns in the present. As a research seminar, it will be run in workshop fashion with students designing a project, conducting and presenting their research, and writing an original piece of historical analysis based on primary sources.