CTSJ 260 Culture, Resistance, and the Politics of Human Rights

This class examines the politics of human rights and histories of state­-sponsored violence in contemporary Latin America. By focusing on the Americas as a specific geopolitical site for our discussions, we will gain a better understanding of the main cultural, political, and philosophical debates over universal human rights. The class will also examine how culture and art can serve as a form of resistance to legacies of oppression and violence in the Americas. We will refer to critical human rights and feminist theory in order to assist our understandings of the experiences of those affected by Latin American state violence and the formation of Latinx diasporic communities in the United States. Students taking this course will gain an understanding of the histories of the region, the relationship between universal human rights, nationalism, political violence, and contemporary gender issues. The class will also refer to the limits and possibilities of human rights in the pursuit of attaining justice for state­-sponsored crimes.