A Telenovela Course? At UGA?

A class all about telenovelas? At UGA?!
When I entered the University of Georgia as a freshman, I was unsure of my major. I actually changed at least three times: biochemical and molecular biology, computer science to public relations. However, one area of study remained constant and that is a minor in Spanish. I had no familiarity with learning additional languages until my freshman year of high school when I took Spanish with Profesora Reyes. I loved it and knew it was a subject I wanted to know more about. The summer before entering UGA, I spent hours searching through the course list to find any and every class that sounded interesting. That is when I first heard of Telenovelas and Society. How could an entire class be dedicated to telenovelas? How do I sign up? 
Unfortunately, I was not quite ready for the course yet, and the subsequent years it was not offered. But, that all changed my senior year. I was finally able to take the class! On the first day, I was unsure of what to expect. Would we just be watching and analyzing telenovelas? Are these really just soap operas? So many thoughts ran through my head. However, now at the end of the semester, this course was more than what I expected. In this course, I have learned not only the history and background of telenovelas, but their influential nature. Telenovelas have the power to guide the social and political climate as well as determine what is deemed beautiful or acceptable in society. We even learned how it is often that there are more televisions than refrigerators in some households and countries. For example, the notions of gender continuously show the "good" woman or protagonist as a sweet, kind-natured woman typically seeking love to validate her as a woman. This woman also usually has a very cookie-cutter beauty that satisfies all audiences. On the other hand, gay men inserted as characters are usually given the same flamboyant, feminine personalities. The characters of telenovelas often then create parallels in real life or what may be expected in society showing the influential nature of telenovelas. 
Additionally, the regulatory and governmental aspects regarding telenovelas were both topics that interested me most in the class.  This semester, I also learned heavily about laws of the United States, specifically regarding the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This allowed me to compare U.S. regulatory laws with those in Latin American country. Hugo Chavez and the deterioration of telenovelas and their networks made me grateful to have a government that allows citizens to have a balance of what can and cannot be produced on our television screens. The political commentary  produced in the telenovelas also allow audiences from across the world to truly understand the perspectives of those living in that country and how it is dealt with. For instance, in my telenovela, Celia, I was able to fully grasp and continue to dive into a historical analysis of the impacts of both the Batista regimen and the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro. 
Overall, the class exposed me to how telenovelas are engrained as a part of life to many Latin Americans. The telenovela increases social interactions and provides connectivity amongst people as they discuss characters, storylines and watch shows together in the household. Many of my previous Spanish courses taught me grammar, the historical aspect of culture and vocabulary. However, if it were not for the Telenovelas and Society course, I would not better understand the reality of the  lifestyles, upbringings and experiences of many Latin Americans today as well as the production process of the telenovela.
Thank you, Dr. A, for providing me with knowledge and for bringing the influence and impacts of telenovelas to UGA.