SPAN 216 - Living on the Edge: Identities in Motion in Argentina and Uruguay

Tango
4 credits
Four weeks in Argentina and Uruguay
Professor Seth Michelson

Conducted in Spanish in Argentina and Uruguay, this course comprises a study of Argentine cultures, languages, and identities. Students will live in Buenos Aires with Spanish-speaking families while pursuing coursework on identity in local, national, and international contexts. More specifically, the coursework hinges on lively in-class discussions of assigned readings in the literatures, politics, economics, and historiographies of the region, and that coursework is continuously enriched by pertinent site visits to street fairs, museums, a tango show, Chinatown, a soccer game, the national bank, the executive mansion of the President, and more. The group will also travel to Uruguay to examine how transnational spaces influences the creation and transformation of identities, with our site visits including time at a 19th-century market serving Uruguayan delicacies, a famous beach, and a former political prison turned upscale mall. To reflect on the readings, excursions, and cultural events, students will maintain a daily journal in Spanish.

Prerequisite: SPAN 162 or 164 or equivalent.

Program Fee (paid to W&L):  $2,708 This includes accommodation (homestays in Buenos Aires), breakfast and dinner with host families (except Saturday dinners), site visits and cultural events (including transportation), Uruguay trip.

Estimated Other Expenses: Airfare (estimated $1200); intermittent subway and bus fares; trip to Ezeiza Airport for return flight to the U.S.; daily lunches and Saturday dinners (estimated $600); course packet and dictionary ($270). 

For further details, please contact Professor Michelson at michelsons@wlu.edu.