Contemporary Youth Cultures in Latin America

Music bazaars, DJs, and rave parties, barras de fútbol (soccer fan clubs), and loitering are some of the manifestations associated with young people in Latin American literature, film, music, and journalism. How do these literary, artistic, and media representations of youth enter into dialogue with recent events in which young people have been at the center of efforts to bring about political changes in Latin America? How do those representations compare with the ones produced by young people in political movements such as revolución de los pingüinos in Chile and Yo Soy 132 in Mexico? Examining short fiction, film and documentaries, rock and reggaeton songs, blogs, and other cultural materials (YouTube clips, images, graffiti), we will identify and compare different contemporary youth cultures in Latin America in relation to their productions, representations, and actions in the public sphere. (At least two Spanish courses numbered 0300 or above, or by waiver).