Latin American Identities and Nationalisms
Dr. Medina
Term Papers
Sample Topics:
Please, consult Dr. Medina for more suggestions of topics and primary works.
La mujer en la sociedad azteca, según el Popol Vuh
El otro en el díario de Colón
Iglesia y estado en la película La última cena
El arte maya como simbolo de lo sagrado
El feminismo en la poesía de Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
La identidad nacional en la novela María de Jorge Isaacs
La construcción del 'otro' americano en La Araucana
Los viajeros en el arte del siglo 19 en América Latina
Revisando el concepto de la colonia en la película La otra conquista
La mujer como inspiración revolucionaria en Clemencia de Altamirano
La ideología del documental Americas sobre la conquista y la colonia
La poesía gauchesca y la identidad nacional argentina
Colón como personaje en las novelas de .....
Mito y emancipación en El reino de este mundo de Alejo Carpentier
Paper Themes:
Any Latin America or US Latino humanities text (art, literature, film, documentaries, children's literature, comics, and so forth) that deals with topics related to PreColumbian civilizations, the arrival of the Spanish and the period until the 19th Century. It can also explore contemporary views of those periods.
It must address a selection of the following questions:
1 Why did the author write the text (i.e., novel, short story, film, documentary, comic, tv series, artwork, music, and so forth)?
2 What is the social-cultural-political or historical context of the text?
3 How are sexual/gender roles assigned?
4 How does the text deal with issues of nationalism and identity?
5 How does the text deal with issues of cultural adaptation or assimilation?
5 Does the novel or short story subvert, revise questions or validate the official historical versions?
6 What is the ideology of the text you read?
7 What did you learn about Latin American society by reading this text?
8 Compare or contrast the people and world portrayed in the reading with life in your own society
9 Who is the "Other"?
Dr. Medina must approve your topic. Please get his approval before you start working on the paper.
Paper format: Papers must conform to the following criteria:
Length: 1500 - 2000 words, approximately 6 - 8 pages, if using a Times Roman 12 cpi type font.
Typed, double spaced
Use correct and proper rules of grammar and style
Follow the current MLA style. Please consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers for information on cover pages, page numbering, documenting your sources, designing a list of work cited, etc. The Ekstrom Library Reference Center has a copy available for students perusal.
The list of work cited and the paper itself must show that you researched the topic.
1. Tuesday, September 17: Select a topic and notify Dr. Medina, via e-mail, of your selection.
2. Tuesday, October 15: Turn in your thesis statement, tentative title and bibliography
3. Tuesday, November 7: First draft due
4. Thursday, November 26: Final revised version due.