The Intercultural Stage: Migration and the Performing Arts in the Hispanic World
SPAN 258
Spring 2021
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
THEA 238, LAST 259 |
Hybridity, heterogeneity, transnationalism, and interculturalism are just a few of the terms that have proliferated within the marketplace of ideas over the past several years as reflections, from within the field of critical theory, of one of the contemporary world's dominant social realities: the massive displacement of peoples across borders and the creation of constricted multicultural zones of interaction and conflict within the confines of single nations. The Spanish-speaking world has been affected by this phenomenon in particular ways, in both Spain and North America. In this course, we will study how Spanish, Mexican, and Chicano playwrights and stage artists working in various genres have responded to this reality, how and why they have chosen to craft the collective experience of the border as performance, and how they have addressed the cultural and political tensions that are associated with this experience. The framework for our study will be comparative in both content and format. We will focus on two borders--the Strait of Gibraltar and the Río Grande (Río Bravo)--and on the two corresponding migratory experiences: from North and sub-Saharan Africa into Spain, and from Latin America into the U.S. This course will be taught simultaneously at Wesleyan and at the Universidad Carlos III in Madrid, Spain. When possible, classes will be linked through videoconferencing. Wesleyan students will collaborate with their counterparts in Spain on various projects and presentations. In general, this course is designed to help students develop skills of critical analysis while increasing their Spanish language proficiency and intercultural awareness. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RLAN |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (HISP)(LAST)(RMST)(THEA) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 50% - 74% |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
A collection of plays and performances by Spanish, Mexican, and Chicano playwrights and performance artists; Audiovisual recordings of some performances; Essays and articles on the topic of interculturalism and immigration by theoreticians active in the fields of theater criticism, anthropology, social history and philosophy. For more information, visit the course web site at: http://span258.site.wesleyan.edu/
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Examinations and Assignments:
Assessment will be based on attendance and participation; regular posts to the online discussion forum; weekly posts to the WordPress blog; Oral presentations; three 3-4 page analyses; a final 4-5 page personal reflection. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
All class discussions and written work and most readings in Spanish; SPAN 258 is intended for students who have completed Spanish 221 with a grade of B- or better; In order to succeed in SPAN 258 students must have the linguistic ability and intercultural sensitivity that will enable them to interact effectively with their counterparts in Spain via videoconferencing. Anyone uncertain should consult with the professor prior to enrolling.
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CONDITIONS FOR CR/U STUDENT OPTION: The Department of Romance Languages & Literatures normally does not recognize CR/U except for COL students. The reason is that learning effectively in another language calls for regular completion of multiple activities over the course of the term, including faithful attendance and informed participation. In our experience students have counted on grades to determine where to focus their efforts. Because of the pandemic we have made the CR/U option available, but it should be chosen only as a measure of last resort. Since a full university credit is involved no matter what the grading option, bear in mind that CR/U assumes students will complete all graded activities including attendance and participation satisfactorily. Remember, too, that the Hispanic Literatures & Cultures major and study abroad continue to require that courses be completed with a minimum grade. If you take your course CR/U, your professor will record the letter grade and the Spanish section will decide accordingly whether the grade is sufficient for you to continue to the next level, to study abroad, to meet the requirement for acceptance into the major, or for the course to count for the major. If you are having difficulties of any kind, we urge you to contact your professor immediately to see what can be done to address them. |
| Instructor(s): Gonzalez,Bernardo Antonio Times: ..T.R.. 08:50AM-10:10AM; Location: ONLINE; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 16 | | SR major: 9 | JR major: 2 | | |
| Seats Available: 2 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 1 | JR non-major: 1 | SO: 2 | FR: 1 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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