Jesse Barker

Jesse Barker is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, affiliated with the School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture and the Department of Hispanic Studies. He earned an MA from Tulane University and a doctoral degree from the University of British Columbia.

• Education: MA in Hispanic Studies, Tulane University
• Education: PhD, University of British Columbia

His research focuses on 20th-21st century Spanish literature, film, and culture, with emphasis on environmental humanities, ecomedia, affect theory, and spirituality. His current project, Frames of Nature: Ecology and Politics in Spanish Visual Media (1928–2024), examines ecological themes in Spanish media as reflections of political and cultural conflicts. His earlier work explored individualism and intersubjectivity, culminating in the 2017 monograph Crossroads Visions.

His publications span Spanish cinema analysis (e.g., La isla mínima, Boogie Noches), Buddhist themes in film (e.g., Spike Jonze’s Her), and affective engagement in literature and film. He contributes to journals like the Journal of Global Buddhism and Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, as well as public engagement through The Conversation.

Barker teaches Spanish language courses and topics including Spain: Texts and Contexts, youth in dictatorship-era fiction, urban culture, playful fictions (Cervantes, Borges, Cortázar), and contemporary Spanish film. He has served as Undergraduate Programme Coordinator for Spanish and Latin American Studies since 2013.