BENNINGTON, VT – Bennington College’s Isabelle Kaplan Center for Languages & Cultures, a program designed such that language instruction is inseparable from learning about a country and its culture, hosts a spring lecture series, Perspectives on Democracy. These events, which are free and open to the public, will be held at 7:00 pm in Barn 124 on the College’s campus. The dates are as follows:

Tuesday, March 7, 2006

Jonathan Pitcher, faculty member, Spanish

THE SEMIOTICS OF DEMOCRACY:

PURITANISM AND ALGEBRA IN THE ABBÉ de CONDILLAC

The evening will offer a glimpse at the Abbé’s system of linguistic reduction, its impact on French politics, and its lingering effects on the contemporary United States.

Thursday, March 16, 2006
Ikuko Yoshida, faculty member, Japanese

MODERN DEMOCRACY IN JAPAN

Is there a universal understanding of democracy? What does it mean to the Japanese people? Was democracy truly established after World War II, as was claimed by the United States? This lecture will provide an historical overview of democracy in Japan, and discuss issues that the nation is facing now.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Shunzhu Wang, faculty member, Chinese

DEMOCRACY & LITERARY MOVEMENTS IN MODERN CHINA

China’s struggle for democracy has been marked by various revolutions and reforms. Literature plays an important role in this struggle, helping shape these revolutions and reforms and, at the same time, being shaped by them. This presentation will examine various literary movements, situating them in their political and historical contexts, in an effort to understand Modern China’s search for democracy.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Sonia Pérez, faculty member, Spanish

THE SPANISH TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY

The death of General Francisco Franco in 1975 put an end to almost four decades of dictatorship in Spain. From 1975 to 1982, Spain underwent what has been considered the Spanish Transition to Democracy. This presentation will offer a discussion of the roles of nationalism and terrorism as they relate to this transition, focusing on the particular case of the Basque Country.