As Latina/o Studies and Media Studies scholars have long noted, the media
plays a key role in the construction of (trans)national identities. As such, this interdisciplinary course will focus on the areas of advertising, print media, radio,
television, and audience studies in an attempt to answer the following: How do
Latinos construct identity (and have their identities constructed for them)
through the media? How are Latina/o community practices shaped by the media, and vice versa? What research methodologies best capture the complex
relationship between consumer, producer, and media text? How are Latina/o
stereotypes constructed and circulated in mass media? Where do issues of consumer agency come into play? How might media provide a means for affecting
social change at both the local and global levels? In what ways do popular media
impact our understanding of race, gender, sexuality, class and nation? Readings
include literary and theoretical works by contemporary writers and scholars
such as Arlene Dávila, Alberto Fuguet, Vicki Mayer, Yeidy Rivero, América
Rodríguez, and Angharad Valdivia.
Format: discussion. Evaluation to be based on student participation, 1 student-
led discussion period, several short papers throughout the semester (3-5 pages
each), final exam.
Prerequisites: Latina/o Studies 105 or permission of instructor. Enrollment limit:
20 (expected: 10-15). Preference given to juniors, seniors, Latina/o Studies concentrators and Comparative Literature majors.