RLSP 344
Contemporary Latin American Queer Aesthetics
Spring 2025
Division I
D Difference, Power, and Equity
Class Details
Conducted in Spanish, this advanced seminar examines a panoramic corpus of contemporary cinema, literature, and music in Latin America to trace possible shared political and cultural characteristics of a queer aesthetic. We will explore the works of renowned figures such as Reinaldo Arenas, Chavela Vargas, Pedro Lemebel, and Mariana Rondón, among others, to delve into the intricate layers of queer expression within the region. Is it possible to discern a common transnational queer identity among Latin American countries? What would it look like, sound like? Would it have a shared political mission? What would be its symbols? Primarily focusing on Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Chile, and Argentina, we will analyze a wide range of cultural artifacts–including the work of writers, filmmakers, and musicians–to discuss contemporary debates on identity and representation surrounding sexuality, but also in its intersection with race, gender, and social class. Through an interdisciplinary and intersectional lens, this course will offer a feminist analysis of Latin American counterculture, interrogating the process whereby queer aesthetics enter and sabotage the mainstream. By the end of the seminar, students will have a strong knowledge of contemporary queer artistic practices in Latin America and will be able to identify the most prominent theoretical contributions on sexual and gender dissidence from the region.
The Class:
Format: seminar
Limit: 20
Expected: 15
Class#: 3936
Grading: no pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Limit: 20
Expected: 15
Class#: 3936
Grading: no pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation:
Evaluation is based on active participation, class presentations, a weekly forum debate, and either a final paper or project.
Prerequisites:
Any 200-level course in Spanish taken at Williams or permission of the instructor.
Enrollment Preferences:
Spanish majors, Spanish certificate candidates.
Distributions:
Divison I
Difference, Power, and Equity
DPE Notes:
The course explores the politics and aesthetics of Latin American cultural material from the framework of resistance and queer activism, giving students the opportunity to understand the construction of alternative Latin American identities that go against the mainstream.
Class Grid
Updated 9:33 pm
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RLSP 344 - 01 (S) SEM Queer Latin Am Aesthetics
RLSP 344 - 01 (S) SEM Queer Latin Am AestheticsDivision I D Difference, Power, and EquityTF 2:35 pm - 3:50 pm
3936OpenNone