Brazilian Studies (An Intro: UGS 302: #63475) Spring 2010 MWF: 2-3 pm @ GAR 3.116 Prof. Niyi Afolabi Office Hours: MW 1-2 pm (and /or by appointment @ 232-4510) Benedict 3.110
[email protected] 1 Description* This course provides a general introduction to Brazil from the interdisciplinary perspectives of culture, history, politics, society, literature, and religion. Using a major anthology and three other texts, we will explore the origins of the largest nation in Latin America, its journey from a Portuguese colony to a fascinating transformation into a modern ―racially democratic‖ state that continues to highlight the complexities of this country forged by multivalent races: the Amerindian, the Portuguese, the African and the immigrant (European, Japanese, and Jewish), as well as the social inequalities that make racial categorizations and groups such as Afro-Brazilians, women, environmentalists, Jewish Brazilians, Japanese Brazilians, and workers, to contest exclusion and negotiate equality towards a shifting but yet ―elusive‖ integration, participation, and empowerment. In view of the particular focus on this course on writing style, emphasis will be placed on response papers, their revisions, and the overall goal of writing well primarily for academic purposes through the example of a final research paper developed throughout the semester. *This syllabus is subject to minor alterations in the course of the semester. WRITING FLAG COMPONENT: IMPORTANT NOTE FROM THE COLLEGE OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES “This course carries the Writing Flag. Writing Flag courses are designed to give students experience with writing in an academic discipline. In this class, you can expect to write regularly during the semester, complete substantial writing projects, and receive feedback from your instructor to help you improve your writing.