The Mexican-US Borders: History, Culture, Identity

Module code: SP2022

This module examines the society and cultural identity of the Mexican-U.S. Border region. It will begin with an exploration of the historical formation of the border and will go on to consider social and cultural issues through film, narrative fiction, and an extended essay on identity. You will gain an understanding of the key historical, social and cultural aspects of the border and be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of the issues surrounding Mexican-U.S. border identity as represented in the written and visual texts studied. You will be able to demonstrate this knowledge in oral and written form.

Topics covered

• History of the border formation
• Socio-economic dimensions of border 'traffic', including migration
• The treatment of the question of migration and the border in cinema
• The contemporary and late twentieth century relationship between Mexico and the United States in literary fiction
• Hybrid identities and mixing of the North and Latin American culture and language (with a focus on a classic text of ethnicity and gender studies