DAFF 25A22 - Constructing the Past, Projecting the Future : Territory and Temporality in Brazil and Argentina

This interdisciplinary seminar will explore the temporal and territorial entanglements in Brazil and Argentina since their consolidation as nation-states in the first third of the 19th century until contemporary times. Some of the materials we will work with, in addition to theoretical texts, are films, short stories, political and aesthetic manifestos, and architectural and urban projects. The goal is to analyze and discuss political, social, aesthetical, and literary expressions that, in a variety of ways, address and/or develop what is one of the critical issues in the discursive construction around these countries: the apparent need to narratively connect the present moment to a colonial and pre-colonial past and a future to come, not rarely using fiction as a methodology. The comparative focus on these two countries, in addition to being widely used in the Humanities in specific studies on each country, is justified by the way in which the issues to be explored in the course occur in their similarities and differences, shedding light on the constructions of time and space in what are the two most extensive countries in South America, not only individually but in relation to each other. Furthermore, the methodological and theoretical foundation developed throughout the semester will help consider temporal and spatial issues in other contexts within Latin America and, generally, the Global South. An intermediate knowledge of Latin America's political and social contexts is recommended but not mandatory.

Anita RIVERA GUERRA

Séminaire

English

Spring 2024-2025

Students will be graded in three different manners: 30% weekly response papers, 10% classroom attendance and participation, and a final paper of approximately 5,000 words on a topic discussed during the semester (60%).