Global Arc

Through the analysis of literary texts, films, and music, the course will consider cultural responses to the construction of a Brazilian national identity. Possible topics include the Brazilian modernist tradition; contemporary culture and media; the city and literature; poetry and song. Prerequisites: POR 208 or instructor's permission. Two 90-minute classes.

An introduction to major poetic works of the Portuguese canon from the medieval period to the present day. We will analyze the poetic form itself, trace its evolution in Portugal, including the shift from epic to "anti-epic" writing and the relationship of poetry and music in the Portuguese tradition. The treatment of a number of recurring preoccupations will be explored, most notably those of personal and national identity, decadence, exile and escapism.

An overview of the cultures and histories of major cities in the Portuguese-speaking world, including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Lisbon and Luanda. This course will explore some of the tensions between modernization projects and cultural production during the late 19th and 20th centuries, examining representations of the city in literature (poetry and prose), maps, film, painting, photography, and music.

This on-site course offers an overview of Brazilian culture and society through the study of Rio de Janeiro and its history of urban development, social mobility, and lettered (as well as non-lettered) production, from colonial times to the present. Special attention will be paid to issues such as Afro-Brazilian culture, the interpretation of the country in a historical perspective, new trends in urban development, historical sites, slavery and post-slavery society, favelas and police, music and market. Local excursions will provide a first-hand view of themes worked on in the classroom. Course will be taught in Portuguese.

This course will explore the supposedly "untranslatable" concept of saudade from a number of angles. We will examine the political, economic, cultural and aesthetic manifestations of saudade and its myriad social implications through analysis of literary and sociology texts, music, cinema, and more from across the lusophone world. Particular attention will be paid to the prevalence of saudosismo in pop culture where classical texts and forms often make surprising appearances.

This course will introduce students to the history of slavery and race relations in modern Brazil and will explore how it resonates in present-day debates about citizenship. Students will read classical and recent historical works as well as primary sources in order to gain a critical and comparative understanding of slavery as an institution in the Americas, and its adaptability to local realities. Students will be introduced to methods of historical research, with a particular focus on digital history. Students will write papers tackling how the history of slavery has distinctively shaped ideas of democracy, human rights and social justice.

This course explores the supposedly "untranslatable" concept of saudade. We will consider its political, economic, cultural and aesthetic manifestations and social implications through analysis of literary and sociological texts, music, cinema, and more from across the Lusophone world. Topics will include im/migration and the transnational experience, music and performativity, the role of nostalgia in politics and the colonial experience, national mythmaking and depictions of utopia. Particular attention will be paid to the prevalence of saudosismo in popular culture, where classical texts and forms often make surprising appearances.

This interdisciplinary course focuses on the city of São Paulo, with its vibrant cultural life, its complex social interactions, and its deep urban history. Through the analysis of literature, film, music, theatre, visual arts, and architecture, students will gain an immersive understanding of Brazil's most populous and diverse city. Topics include: The 1922 Week of Modern Art; cultural anthropology; the creation of the University of São Paulo; social movements; center and periphery.

An introduction to the richness of Brazilian film, this course explores major cinematic movements: from the Cinema Novo, to critically acclaimed documentaries and more recent commercial successes like City of God. Recurrent and emerging trends will be discussed (e.g., the destruction of the Amazon, urban violence, literary adaptation, musical expressions). Prerequisite: POR 208 or instructor's permission. One three-hour class.

Through literature, film, music, and archive, we will explore how race, as a form of human hierarchization, shaped and connected the history, cultures, and social realities of Brazil, Portuguese-Speaking Africa (Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, among others), and Portugal. We will examine how racial discourses changed throughout time and operate today in those spaces through key historical moments and topics such as slavery, colonization, race-mixing, fascism, military dictatorship, decolonization, migration, contemporary urban life, Indigenous thought, and Afro-futurism. Readings and discussions will be entirely in English.