BRAZILIAN CULTURAL STUDIES
Mon/Thurs 2:30pm, SC 206
Prof. Lorenz



Office Hours:
Dickson 359
Office Hours: Mon 11:30-12:30, 5:15-6:15pm, and by appt.
Phone: x7318
E-mail: lorenzj@montclair.edu


Description of Course

Since the days of Carmen Miranda (the lady in the tutti-frutti hat), Brazil has tantalized the imagination of Americans. The rhythms of samba, the five-day festivals of carnaval, the bossa nova, and the gorgeous play of Brazilian soccer all have tremendous international appeal. The image of Brazil seems to swing between two extremes: a sensual paradise and an enduring portrait of poverty and crime. We will consider the politics of pleasure. This study explores how samba, carnaval, and vadear ("hanging out") really matter. These cultural practices are ways in which "Brazil" itself is invented. We will think about the functions of these traditions and the complicated ways in which they have been represented within and beyond Brazil. We will think about the face of Carmen Miranda and the image of Chiquita Banana. We will think about the invention of the cannibal ­ and how the cannibal was stolen back by the Third World as a kind of aesthetic. We will think about the urban street as a dynamic location ­ where carnival parades pass, street children sleep, and capoeira players sweat. We will consider the street as a site because we will explore the ways in which people move.

Required Texts

THE BRAZIL READER, eds. Levine and Crocitti
Articles on E-Reserve (library.montclair.edu)

Grades

There will be 5 short papers throughout the semester, each one worth 1/5 of your grade.

Coming to Class

Your participation is vital to the success of classroom discussion! Please come to class prepared to talk about the readings.


4 unexcused absences are grounds for a grade reduction. 6 will result in failure.
Arriving consistently late to class will also lower your grade.
(An excused absence requires a note from a doctor or some other kind of documentation showing me that you could not come to class for reasons of an emergency nature.)

Integrity of Work

Any paper that has been plagiarized will result in failure for the semester. Any work you turn in must be your own. An idea that is your own arises from your own original intellectual work. When you borrow ideas or words, you must give that person credit - or do not use that information. You may receive help from other students, from the Writing Center, or from myself, but the writing must be your own writing, and your insights must spring from your own inquiries, your own questions, your own patient study of the texts.

Papers

Your papers should be typed and carefully proofread. Do not turn in a paper full of spelling errors and grammatical mistakes. Use a spellcheck; ask for help with your grammar; visit the Writing Center.

I encourage you to visit me during office hours. A one-on-one conversation can be very helpful to your work and to your success in the class!


This is just to say...

I am your teacher, I am the one who will evaluate your work. But please keep this in mind: I AM HERE TO HELP YOU. Please talk to me when you have questions or concerns, if you need help, or if you simply want to chat about our readings!