Exploring Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Sexuality in Four Spanish Plays explores society's influence on identity in Spanish theatrical works and discusses parallels to these works in contemporary popular culture. The Spanish plays El retablo de las maravillas (The Marvelous Puppet Show) by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1615); Virtudes vencen senales (Virtues Overcome Signs) by Velez de Guevara (1620); El publico (The Audience) by Federico Garcia Lorca (1929); and La llamada de Lauren (Lauren's Call) by Paloma Pedrero (1985) all deal with characters in the midst of a crisis of identity. Using an eclectic approach, supported by contemporary theories of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, Beth Bernstein analyzes the four plays in terms of identity and shows how society imposes the construction of identity. As the characters reach to define themselves, internal and external pressures guide them in interpreting acceptable behavior. This book offers a close reading of the psychological struggle of the characters, driven by society to cover their differences with a symbolic mask which, if donned, will eventually devour their true identity.

Exploring Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Sexuality in Four Spanish Plays explores society's influence on identity in Spanish theatrical works and discusses parallels to these works in contemporary popular culture. The Spanish plays El retablo de las maravillas (The Marvelous Puppet Show) by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1615), Virtudes vencen senales (Virtues overcome Signs) by Velez de Guevara (1620), El publico (The Audience) by Federico Garcia Lorca (1929), and La llamada de Lauren (Lauren's Call) by Paloma Pedrero (1985) all deal with characters in the midst of a crisis of identity. Using an eclectic approach supported by contemporary theories of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, the author analyzes the four plays in terms of identity and shows how society imposes the construction of identity. As the characters reach to define themselves, internal and external pressures guide them in interpreting acceptable behavior. This book offers a close reading of the psychological struggle of each character driven by society to cover their differences with a symbolic mask which, if donned, will eventually devour their true identity.

Migration and refugee movements are becoming increasingly prominent features of the millennial world. Persistent disparities in wealth and job opportunities and continued political conflict and repression impel growing numbers of people to seek work and safely outside their own countries. However, many governments and their citizens remain reluctant to open their borders to foreigners. For this reason, in one country after another, migration and refugee questions have become politically controversial, creating the need for a sound understanding of policy options and their implications.This book brings together five international scholars who survey key aspects of the international experience of migration and refugee policies. In Part II, drawing on the lessons presented by international experience, a team of South African experts address the thorny migration and refugee issues confronting that country's new democratic government.