Sociology of Latin American Literature

3 units

This class is an introduction to the field of sociology of literature as relevant to Latin America. This field is focused on the study of literature as a material and institutional practice and of the concrete structures of production, circulation and reception of literary works. The class will focus on the study of issues such as: the construction of an autonomous literary field within the field of cultural production; the sociology of literary form; and the relationship between literature and the economic market, via institutions such as magazines, publishers and agents. These questions will be explored through both theoretical discussions and case studies, mostly focused in Mexico. The course will focus readings from major theories of literary sociology (including Georg Lukàcs, Franco Moretti, Pierre Bourdieu and others), major interventions on the subject by Latin American critics (Pedro Ángel Palou, Ericka Beckman, Jean Franco and others) and some canonical authors which will be used to exemplify the theories (José Asunción Silva, Jorge Cuesta, José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi, Juan Rulfo and others). Readings in English and Spanish, course taught in Spanish. Prereq. Graduate standing.