Bothell Cultural Studies 589 – Topics in Global Cultural Studies

Culture and Resistance in the Americas 
?When you say ?America? you refer to the territory stretching between the icecaps of the two poles.?  Diego Rivera, Mexican muralist
Course description: This course will center on the question, how is culture used to articulate resistance? We will look at some of the rich history of political cultural production in Latin America, the Caribbean, and diaspora used by social movement actors as voices of resistance and opposition. Additionally, we will consider the role said cultural productions play in documenting and archiving marginalized histories. Specifically, we will focus on film, murals, graffiti art, music, popular theater, testimonies and oral histories, fictional writing, and independent libraries. We conclude the quarter with a discussion of activist scholarship. Examples come from Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the diaspora.
Course learning goals ~ By the end of this class:
You should have a solid grasp of late twentieth-century Latin American political history
You should understand the place of culture in articulating political messages
You should be able to see the role of revolutionary cultural productions in growing historical archives
You should be a stronger and more capable writer
You should be a more confident and competent researcher
Graduate students: You should make progress on your portfolio and/or capstone project
Required texts:
Aguirre, Carmen. 2010. The Refugee Hotel. (A play). Vancouver, BC: Talon Books.
Cassandra, Rachel & Lauren Gucik. 2015. Women Street Artists of Latin America/Grafiteras Y Muralistas En América Latina. San Francisco: Manic D Press.
Partnoy, Alicia. 1998. The Little School: Tales of Disappearance and Survival. SF, Calif.: Midnight Editions.
Shayne, Julie, ed. 2015. Taking Risks: Feminist Activism and Research in the Americas. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
Course readings available on Canvas.
Assessment and Grading:
Active contribution: 5%
Section write-ups: 45%
Research paper: 40% total
Early thoughts & annotated biblio [10%]
Final paper [30%]
Reflective essay: 10%
Total: 100%
For more info about Julie Shayne: http://www.uwb.edu/ias/faculty-and-staff/julie-shayne