Module description
Module summary
"Mujer que sabe latín, no tendrá marido ni tiene buen fin.”
In this module we will examine how our place is the world is defined by gender. Gender, along with such variables as social class and race, is viewed as a primary vector of difference across societies worldwide.
This course introduces students to questions of gender in the culture and literature of Spanish America. The topic will be studied through a number of cultural expressions, including prose, poetry, theatre and film, from a variety of countries and across various historical periods.
Key concepts
Areas of study include: the introduction of key terms and concepts in the study of gender in Spanish America; the theories developed around gender in Spanish America; the comparison between Latin American and Anglo-European feminism; the study of texts and cultural expressions written at key historical moments. Students will be exposed to primary materials and theoretical approaches that will allow them to question claims of universality and to intertwine the personal and the political in intellectual discovery.
Assessment details
One 500 word blog post (10%); one 1000 word critical commentary (40%); 2000 word coursework essay (50%)
Educational aims & objectives
The module aims to:
- introduce students to key terms and concepts in the study of gender in Spanish America;
- study theories developed around gender in Spanish America;
- compare Latin American and Anglo-European feminisms;
- study texts and cultural expressions created at key historical moments;
- set the study of gender within appropriate cultural and historical contexts.
Learning outcomes
- An understanding of the historical and cultural contexts for the study of gender in Spanish America.
- An understanding of the core theoretical frameworks for the study of gender issues in literary and cultural expressions in Spanish America.
- An ability to read the texts and cultural expressions studies in an analytical way in terms of the theoretical frameworks studied.
- An ability to present and discuss the issues and ideas in oral presentations.
Teaching pattern
Two hours per week
Suggested reading list
Students are expected to own copies of these texts and/or of their translations.
- Emma Reyes, El libro de Emma Reyes
- Gabriela Mistral, Selected Poems bilingual edition, trans. Ursula K. Le Guin
- Manuel Puig, Boquitas pintadas