Taught by Alexis Hernando ([email protected]) 

Bloomberg 168, Thursdays 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

AS.360.111 (05)

Course Description: 

The aim of the following class is to introduce undergraduate students to the Andes region as a geographical but also ethnical space that historically has been the object of vast symbolic and material representations and uses, including but not limited to exoticization, exploitation, decolonizing resistance, and empowerment. During the sessions, we will use literary, filmic, and artistic production about the region since the 20^th century with a focus on Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.

This class does not require students to have a previous background in the region and is not restricted to any specific discipline. The goal is to awaken the interest in the Andes as a space that could be studied from myriad perspectives. There are two key questions students are expected to approach: What are the power structures that have been present in the Andes through the last decades? What are the material consequences of those structures in nature and how do they affect the cultural products of the region? 

In line with ecocritical and memory studies, discussions will explore the imaginaries built upon the Andes, its nature, and its population in not indigenous voices; the continuities and transformation of colonizing structures in economics and politics; the rise of indigenous voices and affections in concern with social justice, migration, and depopulation of local communities; etc.