The Noughties in the Hispanic and Lusophone World

Book excerpt: While the fin de siècle has received considerable attention as a critical concept, the first decade of a new century has been less well studied. The chapters in this volume consider the distinctive cultural significance of the ‘noughties’ in the Hispanic and Lusophone world, looking at the specific cultural, political and economic circumstances of the decade, and in some cases proposing notions of an identifiable ‘noughties sensibility’ or ‘noughties generation’ which may flow out of, or stand in reaction against, the malaise of the fin de siècle. Drawing on specialist, area-specific knowledge, the authors consider the significance of the noughties across different eras. The contributions include chapters on how Brazil is negotiating the complicated terrain of digital literacy; the painful re-examination of the civil war that is taking place in Spain; and the negative effects of the economy on women’s lives in Argentina. The chapters examine film, digital media, theatre, fiction, the economy and history, all taking the noughties as a focal point. The multiple perspectives will reveal the commonalities of experiences that a particular period brings about as well as showing up the distinctive local differences.