"The Afro-Luso-Brazilian Triangle: Portugal, Portuguese Speaking Africa and Brazil: Old Problems, New Challenges"
How, and to what extent, did theories and practices of Portuguese colonialism in both Africa and Brazil impact on the realities of race relations within the triangle? Whatever happened to the Portuguese empire? Have you ever read a Mozambican novel or seen an Angolan film?
Readings from multidisciplinary sources and films emphasize questions/issues regarding the Portugal-Africa-Brazil triangle. Course traces the history and geography of Lusophone cultures from the inception of the Portuguese state to the present and promotes a critical vision of the Portuguese speaking nations' relationships as a common language group with other non-Portuguese speaking nations more closely connected to the individual nations of the Lusophone world. Designed to complement offerings on Brazil as well as bring a transoceanic component to Lusophone "triangular studies," investigations on the connections between Portugal, Africa and Brazil.
The course begins with a discussion of the Portuguese empire, as Vasco de Gama rounds the Horn of Africa up the East Coast of the continent. However, the central focus of the course will be on the history, heritage and culture of Portuguese expansion into the African continent as this history has been brought back to Portugal and over to Brazil. Focusing on the post World War 11 period, this segment of the semester examines the last stages of Portuguese colonialism in Africa, the African Liberation movements and the efforts to forge new transnational relations among Portugal, Lusophone Africa and Brazil.
Readings and films for the course have been chosen from historical, political and literary sources, to provide students with multiple perspectives on the Afro-Luso-Brazilian triangle. Seminar discussion will center on syllabus, but group work is encouraged.
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