Pop Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean
by Elizabeth Gackstetter Nichols and Timothy R. Robbins
July 2015, 402pp, 7x10
1 volume, ABC-CLIO

Hardcover: 978-1-61069-753-8
$113, £87, 99€, A155
eBook Available: 978-1-61069-754-5
Please contact your preferred eBook vendor for pricing.

Latino-Caribo films often reveal cultural attitudes about race and class.

This insightful book introduces the most important trends, people, events, and products of popular culture in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In recent times, Latin American influences have permeated American culture through music, movies, television, and literature. This sweeping volume serves as a ready-reference guide to pop culture in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, focusing on Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Costa Rica, among other areas. The work encourages hands-on engagement with the popular culture in these places, making such suggestions as Brazilian films to rent or where to find Venezuelan music on the Internet.

To start, the book covers various perspectives and issues of these regions, including the influence of the United States, how the idea of machismo reflects on the portrayal of women in these societies, and the representation of Latino-Caribo cultures in film and other mediums. Entries cover key trends, people, events, and products from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. Each section gives detailed information and profound insights into some of the more academic—and often controversial—debates on the subject, while the inclusion of the Internet, social media, and video games make the book timely and relevant.

Features

  • Explores controversial issues like censorship, gender, cultural imperialism, and globalization
  • Allows for cross-cultural comparisons between Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States
  • Enables quick access to areas of interest through well-organized entries and helpful topic introductions
  • Features a discussion on the influence of modern technologies—the Internet, social media, and video games—in Latin American cultures
  • Provides substantial citations and references on each element of popular culture
Elizabeth Gackstetter Nichols, PhD, is chair of the Department of Languages and professor of Spanish at Drury University. Her current research investigates the construction of social norms of physical beauty in Venezuela and Latin America. Awarded a Fulbright Grant to conduct research in Argentina in 2012, Nichols is the coauthor of ABC-CLIO's Venezuela and has published numerous book chapters and articles, including "Decent Girls with Good Hair: Beauty, Morality and Race in Venezuela" in Feminist Theory; "Taking Possession of Public Discourse: Women and the Practice of Political Poetry in Venezuela" in Bottom Up or Top Down? Participation and Clientelism in Venezuela's Bolivarian Democracy; and "Ultra-Feminine Women of Power: Beauty and the State in Argentina" in Women, Politics and Media in Emerging Democracies. She received her doctorate in Hispanic literature and culture from the University of Kansas.

Timothy R. Robbins, PhD, is assistant professor of Spanish at Drury University. His published work includes New Trends in Contemporary Latin American Narrative: Post-National Literatures and the Canon. He received his doctorate from the University of Nebraska.

Reviews

"[T]he work fulfills its purpose as a suitable introduction for beginning students interested in exploring Latin America through pop culture. Summing Up: Recommended. High school and community college students; lower-level undergraduates; general readers."—Choice, June 1, 2016
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