Introduction to Global Portuguese: Cultural Perspectives

Portuguese is the sixth most-spoken language in the world (roughly 250 million speakers now, with expected growth to 400 million by 2050) and the most-spoken language south of the Equator. It is the official language of nation-states on four continents, making it truly global in scope. Beyond Brazil, there are tens of millions of Portuguese speakers in Africa and Europe as well as smaller communities in Asia and North America. In this course, students will learn about the cultures and communities that make up the Portuguese-speaking world, even as they learn to critique the idea of linking these communities by means of a language that became global (like Spanish and English) through violent colonial expansion. Topics include art and music, film, poetry, short story, post-colonialism, indigeneity, crioulismo, empire, diaspora, semi-peripherality, modernism. Course taught in English with optional Portuguese section.