Reggaetón: Language, Gender, & Identity

In this seminar we will examine the origins, development, and dissemination of the popular music genre and cultural phenomenon of reggaetón. In conjunction with scholarly articles on the sociohistorical aspects of reggaetón, we will examine various artists’ lyrics, videos, performances, and interviews, spanning from the 1980s up to the present. Students will acquire the theoretical and technical skills to analyze speech, discourse, and performance across different media in order to explore how (trans)national, ethno-racial, and gender identities are constructed and used to perpetuate, stereotype, and sometimes to contest, ideas of marginal/mainstream masculinities and femininities. (Two Spanish courses numbered 0350 or above, or by waiver.) 3 hrs. sem. (National/Transnational Feminisms)/