Course Description
Specific aspects of cinema, music, culture, and literature of the Portuguese-speaking world. Topics to be selected according to the needs and interests of the students. Taught in seminar fashion with extensive outside readings of primary and secondary sources. Given in English.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will write three extra short papers and a research paper, in addition to doing an oral presentation and supplementary readings.
Athena Title
Topics in Portuguese
Non-Traditional Format
Course will be offered approximately every two years.
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will recognize and draw comparison within different cultural productions such as music, cinema, and literature from the Portuguese-speaking World.
- Students will critique cultural materials on a theoretical and artistic level both orally and in writing, while engaging with key movements in music, cinema, and literature studies.
- Students will develop well-reasoned arguments about the aesthetic and narrative choices made by filmmakers, writers, and musicians supported by evidence from the primary source.
- Students will create original analyses that demonstrate thoughtful engagement with cultural elements and storytelling structures.
- Students will evaluate Portuguese-speaking film in cultural and sociohistorical context by connecting factors such as production, censorship, and critical and audience reception.
- Students will analyze the representation of diverse cultures, identities, and social groups in film, music, and literature and assess their impact on societal perceptions.
- Students will examine the ethical implications of storytelling choices in music, literature, and film, including depictions of violence, stereotypes, and marginalized communities.
Topical Outline
- Students will be introduced to the cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world through the study and analysis of different phases of Brazilian cinema, music, and literature from early 20th century through new trends in the beginning of the 21st. Overarching pertinent topics include sociopolitical, racial, and genre perspectives.
