Diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of contemporary social concerns and have even become a government and corporate mandate. However, movements like Black Lives Matter, the Refugee and immigrant crisis in Europe, the Me Too and LGTBQ movements, and the indigenous protests in Latin America prove how our global world is far from achieving the desired social inclusion. In this course, we will explore the persistence of race, gender, and class inequalities and how these issues define our global culture today. Through the analysis of creations by artists like Basquiat, Mendieta, Banksy, and Ai Weiwei, the reflections of writers like Chimamanda Adichie and Junot Díaz, the lyrics and impact of Hip Hop and other forms of Pop music, and the global success of films like Parasite or Roma, we will gain a new appreciation of these cultural artifacts and how they reflect the challenges facing diversity and inclusion today.
Lourdes Fernández Bencosme
Lourdes Fernández Bencosme holds a Ph.D. Romance Languages and Literatures (University of Chicago) M.A. Hispanic Studies with Honors (the University of Illinois at Chicago) B. A. History Summa Cum Laude (Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo). She has been the recipient of many scholarships and grants to conduct research at institutions in the USA, Mexico, Cuba, and Spain. Prof. Fernández Bencosme has taught a variety of Hispanic literature and culture courses at several universities including The University of Chicago, Colgate University, Syracuse University, and Suffolk University. At IE University she has taught Spanish language, Writing, and Humanities courses since 2017. Dr. Fernández Bencosme’s research and publications focus on the audiovisual and literary expressions of Latin American and Spanish culture. She is deeply interested in issues related to race, gender, immigration, youth culture, and popular music.
