For an introduction to the study of culture and the analysis of cultural objects that is effectively a late sophomore level course I was going to do something much more amazing, but I have in fact ordered El espejo enterrado (in Spanish, of course).
Now, because of its perspective, I am thinking of adding to this Rowe and Schelling, Memory and Modernity in Latin America. It is a 1991 book, which is one bad thing about it (“old”), and it is in English, which could be good or bad, and it is “hard.”
I wonder. What do you do? (I may have to decide during Christmas.)
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
Perhaps this is something I should use in the fall, in my senior-graduate level culture course, I am not sure.
What a wonderful chance to introduce lower division students to some important knowledge. I’d go for it. Nothing to lose and much to gain.
Maybe although there are other choices. Check this critique, by a Cambridge student, of the Rowe/Schelling book which is 20 years old: http://www.mml.cam.ac.uk/spanish/sp13/popculture/theoretical.html
Yeah. They would need A LOT of background. I guess it’s upper division or maybe even graduate level.