Mario J. Valdes, a University of Toronto professor who served as president of the Modern Language Association in 1992, will give a talk here on the subject on Thursday, November 20.
Admission is free and open to the public.
Valdes is Northern Telecom Professor of Ibero-American Studies and professor of comparative literature and Spanish at the University of Toronto. His talk, The Concept of Culture in Research and Teaching in the Humanities , will question the use of historical periods or eras to organize the analysis of cultural achievements. Drawing on examples from Latin America, Valdes will propose an alternative model emphasizing social context and the history of cultural institutions. He'll explain our cultural past in terms of the historical significance of the works and movements that play an important role in society. The Dr. Matthew E. and Ruth Harmon Fairbank Alumni Lecture Series began in 1987 to support lectures that focus on the role of humanities in undergraduate education.