This course focuses on Contemporary Cuban nation-building from its transition as a Spanish colony into the hands of the United States to the “Revolutionary” Nation it is today (1898-2017). At the forefront of discussions of nation-building was the forging of identities that challenged western capitalist readings of Cuba. Along the way, political discourse was so centered on class that it denied conversation on race in spite of its enormous Afro-Cuban population and historical legacies of slavery. Simultaneously, the Cuban state created a dialogue of identity that underscored healthy bodies & minds, and thus Contemporary Cuban bodies & identities have centered public health, education, and Cuban culture. Through a series of carefully selected course readings, we will address the following questions: How did nationalist politics and policies affect the large Afro-Cuban population as well as the formation of a national Cuban identity and “Cubanness”? How has the emphasis on public health & education affected Cuban bodies and perceptions of Cuba around the world? How has education & culture reinforced or challenged contemporary notions of Cubanidad? How has the Cuban Diaspora in the United States (exiles, refugees, and migrants) affected Cuban society? How unique is the case of Cuba in the Caribbean?
This course supports the Africana Studies Minor, the Latin American & Caribbean Studies Minor, the Public Health Program, and the Departments of History and Sociology & Anthropology. It also supports for the Humanities, Social Sciences, Integrative Learning, and Human Diversity and Global Engagement.
