Prospectus

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Culture: Latin America

Course
2015-2016

Admission requirements

This course is only available for students in the BA International Studies.

Limited places are also open for exchange students. Please note: this course takes place in The Hague.

Description

When studying a particular region of the world, knowledge of its cultural and linguistic universe is crucial. The study of culture and the language in which it is expressed allows the understanding of the deeper structures behind history, politics and economy. This course looks at this vibrant and dynamic region, from the Caribbean to Patagonia, and revises the regional scholarly traditions in the study and circulation of culture.
The cultural and linguistic diversity is characteristic of the Latin American region. The colonial experience as well as modern processes of globalization and transnationalism have led to the encounter of cultures with a variety of effects. The presence of indigenous traditions, Western notions of modernity, structural inequality and experiences with amongst others neocolonialism and slavery have given shape to the languages, practices and products that nowadays constitue the cultural expressions of Latin Americans.
Drawing from insights of cultural studies and socio-linguistics, the course introduces key concepts, such as hybridity and transculturation, that enable a deeper comprehension of cultural phenomena in Latin America, including Cuban blogging, indigenous social movements, the Brazilian favela, Latin American cinema, telenovelas, etc.

Course objectives

To introduce to students to key concepts for the studying and understanding of a diversity of expressions of Latin American culture. – To create insight in the complexity and particularity of the processes in which cultural meaning is produced in the Latin American region. – To enable students to relate specific cultural expressions to its wider social and political context.

Timetable

The timetable is available on the BA International Studies website

Mode of instruction

Lecture course with tutorials. The course consists of 12 lectures and 4 tutorial sessions on socio-cultural, linguistic and artistic phenomena in Latin America.
Note that presence during lectures and tutorials is compulsory. With proper notification to the tutor you may miss a maximum of four lectures (no more than two per block!). Being absent without notification can result in a lower grade or exclusion from the final exam or essay.

Course Load

  • Lectures: 12 × 2 = 24

  • Study of compulsory literature: 34

  • Tutorials: 4 × 2 = 8

  • Preparation tutorials = 34

  • Preparation midterm exam = 20

  • Preparation final exam = 20

Assessment method

Tutorials 30%
Midterm Exam 30%
Final Exam 40%

If the final grade is insufficient (lower than a 6), there is the possibility of retaking the full 70% of the exam material, replacing both the earlier mid- and endterm grades. No resit for the tutorials is possible.

To complete the final mark, please take notice of the following:
the final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average

Blackboard

Blackboard will be used. For tutorial groups: please enroll in blackboard after your enrolment in uSis
Students are requested to register on Blackboard for this course.

Reading list

Reading list will be announced on Blackboard in due course.

Registration

Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.

General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch

Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs

Not applicable.

Contact

Dr. S. Brandellero, email s.l.a.brandellero@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Dr. N. Timmer, email n.timmer@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Dr. S. Valdivia Rivera, email s.valdivia.rivera@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Dr. P. Gonzalez, email p.gonzalez@hum.leidenuniv.nl