First-Year Writing Seminar (101-8-20)
Topic
Latinx Futurism
Instructors
Santiago Molina
Santiago J. Molina (he/they) grew up moving between the United States and central Mexico. He received his PhD in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley and his BA from the University of Chicago. Their work sits at the intersections of science and technology studies, political sociology, sociology of racial and ethnic relations, and bioethics. On a theoretical level, Santiago’s work concerns the deeply entangled relationship between the production of knowledge and the production of social order.
Meeting Info
University Hall 118: Tues, Thurs 3:30PM - 4:50PM
Overview of class
"Latinx Futurism"
What is Latinx futurism? Most of the imagined futures we are exposed to in the United States have been crafted by white authors. From Isaac Asimov's science fiction novels about robots to high-production value blockbusters. An alternative cannon, Afrofuturism, has begun to blaze a path for understanding why the political, racial, and cultural position of those doing the imagining matters. In do so, Afrofuturism aims to inspire us to think carefully about how we deal with the pressing social issues of our time and have offered a new lens for thinking about the future. This discussion-based seminar takes this as a departure point and works towards including Latinx futurism in this frame. This seminar is an introduction to a way of thinking sociologically about technology, science, and society from the perspective of Latinx and Latin American communities. In their reading and writing assignments students will explore a broad array of topics, from the origins of postcolonial states, Zapotec science, and borderlands epistemology.
Learning Objectives
Students will contribute to the articulation of Latinx futurism by synthesizing across the topics covered in the class. At the end of this class, students will be able to analyze the underlying implications of the positionality of claims-makers (authors, scientists, and journalists) and interrogate the assumptions of speculative views of the future. As a writing-intensive seminar, this course covers the fundamentals of reading complex texts critically and efficiently and builds students writing abilities through iterative writing assignments.
Teaching Method
Discussion
Evaluation Method
Attendance, memos, participation, and writing assignments.
Class Materials (Required)
All materials for this course will be made available on Canvas - no purchase necessary.
Class Attributes
WCAS Writing Seminar