The Seminar
The course takes a fresh look at the birth of Brazilian modernism and its roots in two of Brazil’s oldest and most important cities, São Salvador da Bahia and Rio de Janeiro. With their diverse population and complex social problems, these cities have played a crucial role as testing grounds where notions of self-identity are constantly being forged, contested, and reinvented as they confront the persistent traces of the slavery-based society of the past. The seminar will focus on the emergence of a culture of modernity and its attempt to negotiate a path between regionalism and nationalism and between the lure of European avant-gardes and fear of new forms of cultural colonization.
The first three weeks will take place at the Universidade Federal da Bahia. The course will include morning language instruction (four hours per week), lectures, and conferences. The afternoons will be spent viewing selected culturally relevant films, performing community service, and travelling to sites of interest throughout the city of São Salvador da Bahia that complement the course material. São Salvador da Bahia, the capital of the state of Bahia and center of sugar cultivation from the 16th to the 18th centuries, contains a number of historic sites from this era. Bahia is one of the most important states in terms of Brazilian history and culture and is located at the junction of the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of All Saints.
The last three weeks of the program will take place at the Pontificia Universidade Catόlica do Rio de Janeiro and will follow the same course structure as in São Salvador da Bahia. Rio de Janeiro is famous for its carnival celebrations, its natural settings, samba and other music, and of course its beaches. Additionally, Rio is home of the Christ the Redeemer statue of Jesus, a famous local landmark and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Internships following the seminar are also available. For more information click on the link to go to the Office of International Programs' Intern Abroad Web page.
The course fulfills the Social Analysis (SA) general requirement. Click here to view the syllabus.