Module overview
The module aims to develop your critical awareness of Latin American music and dance cultures of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and the ways that scholars have approached them. Rather than a survey of Latin American music, the course will be thematically focussed on issues which may include indigeneity; social inequalities and marginality; gender and sexuality; migration; ‘race’ and racism; nation-building and cosmopolitanism; politics, dictatorship and social movements; exoticism, folklore and transnationalism; scenes and countercultures; religion; violence. Although the focus will be on Latin American and Latinx popular musics, students may opt to explore Latin American art musics and/or other cultural practices in assessments. Genres and music cultures that may be explored include bolero, bossa nova, corrido, cumbia, danzón, mambo, Nueva canción, punk, rap, reggaeton, rock and roll, salsa, samba, son cubano and tango. The module will be based on the study of books and articles, and close listening and viewing of audio-visual materials.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- transfer methodologies from the social sciences and humanities more broadly to the study of music
- transfer ideas about musical practice from one genre to another through the lens of issues pertaining to Latin American music cultures
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- gather information independently from a cross-section of disciplinary resources
- assemble case studies under a thematic umbrella and apply a unified theoretical approach
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- relevant theoretical approaches to the study of Latin American music cultures
- aesthetic, social and ethical questions associated with Latin American music and musicians
- a range of Latin American music genres within distinct social contexts
Syllabus
A series of topics will be presented over the semester with each topic examining music and dance forms within distinct Latin American/Latinx social contexts. Examples of issues that may be explored include: indigeneity; social inequalities and marginality; gender and sexuality; migration; ‘race’ and racism; nation-building and cosmopolitanism; politics, dictatorship and social movements; exoticism, folklore and transnationalism; scenes and countercultures; religion; violence. Although the focus will be on Latin American and Latinx popular musics, students may opt to explore Latin American art musics and/or other cultural practices in assessments. Genres and music cultures that may be explored include bolero, bossa nova, corrido, cumbia, danzón, mambo, Nueva canción, punk, rap, reggaeton, rock and roll, salsa, samba, son cubano and tango.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include;
- Lectures
- Discussion
- Sharing of ideas and materials via Blackboard and other electronic resources
Learning activities include:
- A wide range of reading (certain books and articles will be required reading) and listening/viewing of selected audio and video recordings
- Individual research
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Lecture | 24 |
Independent Study | 126 |
Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
León, Javier F, and Helena Simonett, eds. (2016). A Latin American Music Reader: Views from the South. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
Vargas, Deborah R. (2012). Dissonant Divas in Chicana Music: The Limits of La Onda. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Mendívil, Julio, and Christian Spencer Espinosa, eds. (2015). Made in Latin America: Studies in Popular Music. New York: Routledge.
Assessment
Assessment strategy
Differentiation between Level 5 and Level 6 work:
The assessment of skills will be the same as for Level 5 students. For Level 6 students taking this unit, expectations will be higher than those for Level 5 students, and the assessment criteria will be accordingly stricter. In particular:
- Topics chosen should allow a greater degree of focus and detail, whether of analysis, examination of and commentary on facts, critical insight, independent argument, or other factors.
- Conversely, assignments should demonstrate a broader knowledge and understanding of context, a more confident use of analytical and critical tools, and a more mature handling of argument, etc.
- Optimal standards of presentation are required, in terms of spelling, punctuation, and grammar; sophistication of vocabulary; provision of footnotes; inclusion of full bibliographic and related details; physical appearance of work, etc.
Summative
Summative assessment description
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Essay | 60% |
Essay | 40% |
Referral
Referral assessment description
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Essay | 100% |
Repeat
Repeat assessment description
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Essay | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External