Courses

The Internet is analogous in important ways to the Caribbean itself as dynamic and fluid cultural space: it is generated from disparate places and by disparate peoples; it challenges fundamentally the geographical and physical barriers that disrupt or disallow connection; and it places others in relentless relation. This class will both introduce students to the digital humanities and to the French-speaking Caribbean as a generative geo-cultural space for exploring the potential of the Internet to confront and disrupt many of the structures of dominance that have traditionally silenced marginalized voices. It will provide an introduction to several of the formats and tools that have facilitated such engagements, along with immediate critical reflection and discussion about their value to the academy. Since information technology has become one of the key ways in which the peoples of the French-speaking Caribbean and its diasporas both communicate with one another and gain access to global conversations, alongside this exploration of digital tools, in general, this class will consider how the Internet enables people in marginalized spaces to engage with crucial social problems and to express their intellectual and political perspectives.