Comparative literature in Latin America: a cross-cultural discipline

Abstract

Comparative Literature has traditionally been studied in Latin America either according to the French model of sources and influences or to the North American formalist approach, and in both cases it could be seen as a discourse of dependence. However, with the changes it has undergone from the 1970s to the present, the discipline comes every time more to approach local production from its own perspective and seeks to establish a dialogue on equal footing on the international level. Besides, as a result of the questioning that has taken place about concepts such as "nation", "identity" and "literariness", Comparative Literature is granted space to circulate through other areas of knowledge. This paper consists of a discussion about some of the most significant aspects of this new type of comparativism in the Latin American continent.