HIS-353 History of Race, Gender and Culture in Latin America

The history of race and gender in Latin America share ambiguous boundaries with culture. This course will examine these concepts in terms of how power, historical events, ideology, and social forces have shaped their meaning during colonial and post-colonial Latin America. Categories of race, color and ethnicity have been constructed, contested, and negotiated since the earliest encounters between Europeans, African, and indigenous peoples in the Americas. The roles of men and women were also a critical part of the establishment of hegemonic colonial rule, process of nation-state formation, and counter-hegemonic projects (revolution and rebellion). The determination of cultural identities and citizenship are crucial to understanding the political and economic struggles of social groups and individuals. This course will thus address the question of how Latin American art, film, and cultural expressions have dealt with issues of gender and identity formation.