| Unit name | Latin American Digital and Visual Cultures: Identity and Resistance |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HISP30092 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Randall |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
In response to the frequent conception of the internet as an Anglophone arena, this unit will address various contemporary digital and visual texts produced by Latin American or Latino/a artists. These are united by their explorations of the experiences of migrants, paid domestic and cleaning workers, and other individuals who live and work in precarious circumstances. Consequently, many of the texts and films studied allow us to examine notions of ‘immaterial’ or ‘invisible’ labour as a result of their use of internet-based practice and digital tropes. These tropes include the depiction of cyborgs and the digital divide, which raise questions about the ‘utopian’ potential of ‘cyberspace’.
The unit includes a focus on digital texts produced in collaboration with (or inspired by) domestic workers in Latin America. It reflects on the extent to which online documentaries, films and social media platforms provide the opportunity to voice the concerns of those who have historically been marginalised. Students will analyse the use of different types of media (intermediality) in digital culture, as well as the opportunities that the internet provides for the circulation of Latin American cultural productions that may not be otherwise accessible
By the end of this unit students will be able to:
1 x 2 hour seminar per week, including plenary presentation, class discussions and small group work.
1 x Group presentation (15-20 minutes depending on numbers in the group) and individual 2,000-word write up (30%: 15% group mark for presentation, 15% for individual write-up) testing ILOs 1-6;
1 x 4,000-word essay (70%) testing ILOs 1-5.
Digital Texts
Alex Rivera’s Cybracero Systems website (and his related film Sleep Dealer, Mexico 2008)
Critical Reading
