Tango: Gender, Nation, & Identity

When tango was born in Buenos Aires by the end of the 19th century, the arrival of millions of immigrants was transforming a society that was undergoing a dramatic process of modernization. Deeply linked with Argentina´s 20th century history and politics, tango became a powerful cultural artifact that embodies many of the key debates about sexuality, gender, class, national identity, and the complex relationship between popular culture and society. Through the study of tango music, lyrics, plays, films, and other cultural productions, this course aims at a critical analysis of theoretical issues such as national identity, gender, and the consumption of culture in a global era.