Chile: Literature

Eligibility

The curriculum is designed for students who are highly motivated, both academically and personally, and who are seeking to actively engage in the challenges of a new learning environment. Applicants should have at least a 3.0 (B) academic average and the approval of an academic advisor. We are looking for energetic students from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Course Expectations 

Students will attend formal lectures and literary workshops with UMD instructors as well as guest speakers. We will spend one week in Santiago with formal classes from 9:30 am. to 1:30 pm. and one week of Service Learning in Valparaiso.  A variety of excursions and field trips are included, including visits to all three of Pablo Neruda’s homes, sites of repression during the Pinochet regime, and major governmental and cultural institutions (La Moneda, Plaza des Armas, the Allende Museum, etc). An optional hike in the Andes will be offered.  Some time will be left to allow students to explore the different cities on their own. Students will also have the option to incorporate independent one- or two-day excursions into their experience. 

The course will consist of the following components:

1. An in-depth look at some selected works by Neruda, which will be a springboard for studying the text produced during and after the military regime.

2. An in-depth study of some selected Chilean literary texts and their sociopolitical impact in the reconstruction of Chilean democracy.

3. An introduction to the Spanish language (conversational Spanish to encourage student interaction with locals)

4. Visits to all three of Neruda’s houses, currently museums (Isla Negra, La Chascona and La Sebastiana).

5. Visits to some of the most representative sites of repression during the military regime i.e. La Moneda (the Palace of Government, partially destroyed during the coup d’etat in 1973), the National Stadium (initially used as a concentration camp and later scenario of massive concerts and events concerning the defense of human rights worldwide).

6. Visits to the main museums (i.e. National Museum of Fine Arts) and a variety of influential galleries and cultural centers that resulted from the efforts of underground artists during the dictatorship.

7. Attend seminars created specially for this course by renowned Chilean writers Pía Barros, Pedro Lemebel, Diamela Eltit and/or Andrea Maturana.

8. A Service-Learning opportunity.

Grading

Students will complete readings before departure for Santiago. Reading test will account for 15% of final grade. Students will be evaluated primarily in terms of their participation and the reflective writing that they will produce in response to the various literary workshops.  Participation, which includes the service site, class discussion, participation during field trips, in writing workshops and with lecturers, will count for 40%, journal and reflection writing will count for 30%. A research essay on key concepts will count for 15% and is due on January 2, upon boarding the plane for Chile.

 

Credits

 

Enrolled students will receive 3 Maryland resident credits for ARHU 319C/HIST329N/GVPT309F/CMLT498/HONR349C: Chilean Literature, Democracy and Social Change. The ARHU 319C fulfills the CORE human cultural diversity requirement