ABSTRACT
While many in academia around the U.S. may anchor themselves in cynical opposition to the proliferation of neoliberal discourse and the policies that accompany, this article asserts that language departments are in a uniquely privileged position within the humanities to assert the value of their programs within the neoliberal paradigm. Specifically, the current field of Iberian Studies (and Luso-Hispanic Cultural Studies more broadly) offers a model for departments in the humanities to transition away from traditional curriculum, develop multidisciplinary connections and rethink their mission within the political, economic, cultural and academic landscape of the university. If we understand the broader field of cultural studies as a space of convergence of various theoretical and methodological approaches including mobility studies, sustainability studies, gender studies, tourism studies and much more, then scholars in Iberian Studies are (or should be) uniquely able tell the “story” of the humanities and re-assert its value (perceived and real) to upper administration, colleagues, students and the community. The purpose of this paper is to offer the multidisciplinary approaches that characterize our field as potential strategies of resistance in and of themselves that defend the broader discipline of the humanities. I assert that the “story” of Iberian Studies underscores the humanities as a space of convergence that is able to “go beyond” research for research's sake to empower students, impact the public good and even convince higher education leadership of the discipline's value.
