(This course is cross-listed with Portuguese 3005 and Spanish 3005.)

This course explores Latin American societies, cultures, and questions of national and regional identity as expressed through literary, historical and journalistic writings on soccer, as well as through fictional and documentary films on this global sport with strong roots in Latin American popular culture. Course textbooks include a recently updated edition of a literary classic by Eduardo Galeano placing Latin American soccer in a global context, Mario Filho’s recently translated classic of soccer literature and the desegregation of the sport in Brazil, and an analysis of the national and regional cultural/social significance of soccer in Latin American societies. Other written works covered in class lectures and discussions will include poetry, short stories and crônicas (brief literary/journalistic columns) on soccer. Films covered focus on the iconic significance of regional soccer legends like Maradona and Pelé, but also include broader narratives about soccer from youth to professional levels in Latin American leagues, including: Pelé (Tryhorn & Nicholas, 2021), Soccer (Moreira & Salles, 1999), Maradona by Kusturica (Kusturica, 2008) and Democracy in Black and White (Asbeg, 2014). This course qualifies for the Global Brazil Minor.