Topics in Latin American, Latina and Latino, and/or Iberian Cultures (395-0-1)
Topic
Haunted Infrastructures of Modern Mexico
Instructors
Alfonso Fierro Obregon
Meeting Info
Locy Hall 314: Mon, Wed, Fri 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Overview of class
Haunted Infrastructures of Modern Mexico
Since the end of the 19th century, large-scale infrastructure projects such as trains, dams, and roads have transformed the landscapes, ecologies, and cultures of Mexico. Usually, these projects have been officially cast as material symbols of Mexico's modernization and development, works that promise a "better" future. Meanwhile, through the use of forms such as the realist novel, the travel journal, the avant-garde manifesto, the experimental film, or the futurist poem, literature and art have examined how these projects bring with them profound and haunting social transformations. They have thus approached infrastructures with fascination, but also with caution, disappointment, or fear. In this class, we will explore experimental forms of literature, art, and film that address infrastructural development in modern Mexico from different angles and in changing political circumstances. We will also discuss contemporary social struggles, conflicts, and movements related to large-scale infrastructure projects in Mexico today.
Prerequisite: Spanish 250, 251, 260, or 261.
Registration Requirements
Prerequisite: Spanish 250, 251, 260, or 261.
Class Materials (Required)
TBD.
Class Attributes
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: 1 course from SPANISH 250-0, SPANISH 251-0, SPANISH 260-0, or SPANISH 261-0