Carvinal Time in New Orleans

Catalog description

There is perhaps no better lens through which to introduce the unique traditions and culture of New Orleans than Mardi Gras. This course examines Mardi Gras as an instructive throughline for understanding the city’s history, social structure, politics, and cultural life. Tracing Carnival’s roots from colonial and Catholic traditions to its transformation into a modern civic spectacle, this course will examine how different communities—elite krewes, Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs, Black Masking Indians, and walking krewes—use Carnival to claim space and negotiate political and social inclusion in the city.