Focus 2671 - Stranger than Paradise: Cuban Experience of the Revolution

Institution:

Washington University in St Louis

Subject:

Description:

The word "Cuba" strikes a resonant chord with many of us-a mix of curiosity, anxiety and hope-shaped by many years of controversy and stereotyping, on one hand, and myth making, on the other. Whether you want to develop an understanding of Cuban literature on and off the island, or to learn about music and dance history that led up to the Buena Visa Social Club phenomenon, this is a seminar for you. Organized chronologically and thematically as a companion course to Focus 267, "Cuban Transitions: From Colonialism to Communism," it covers a comprehensive range of topics related to contemporary Cuba. Faculty with ample firsthand knowledge of Cuba and invited speakers encourage wide-ranging discussions about the interplay of such issues as the politics of race and sexuality, repression and exile, censorship and dissent. African cultural heritage and syncretic religious practices are presented as both a source of pride for Cubans and a symbol of their unique Caribbean experience. By examining a variety of ideological perspectives in prose fiction, poetry, political speeches, artwork, musical forms, personal testimonies, and film, this seminar allows students to exchange perceptions across various disciplines, question myths and erase the distance between theory and context-based critical practice. Prerequisite: successful completion of the first-semester course, Focus 267.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wustl.edu

Phone Number:

(314) 935-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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