HS 321 - Contemporary Argentine History: Politics and Culture in the Construction of a National Identity

This course will provide an advanced introduction to the political, social, and cultural history of contemporary Argentina. The general questions that will organize our analysis include: Why did Argentina have such a traumatic transition from Spanish colony to independent nation (1810-1880)? What are the characteristics of Argentina’s particular ethnic and demographic make-up? Why did Peronismo have such an impact in Argentina’s modern history? Why did Argentina have more military coups than any other Latin American country in the twentieth century?

Topics covered in this course will include the emergence of literature at the time of nation-state building in the 19th century, the impact of immigration and the rise of nationalism at the beginning of the 20th century, the changing relationship between literature and the Peronist movement, the impact of the Latin American “literary boom” in Argentina, and the influence of political radicalization and violence on literature in the second half of the 20th century. Throughout the course, we will pay particular attention to the cultural evolution of Argentina’s national identity by exploring the interplay between literature, art, and politics in modern Argentina.