Latin American Studies Course Descriptions

An introduction to the critical analysis of texts that represent various periods, genres and authors in Latin American and Spanish literature. Readings of texts and theory, class discussions and composition tasks prepare students for other advanced courses in the Spanish program. PREREQUISITES: SPAN 202, its equivalent, or consent of instructor.

"Explores the coming together of distinct Native, African, and European ethnicities in Latin America, and the resulting creation of new ethnicities. We examine how race has been understood in Latin American history and how attitudes toward race have fundamentally shaped the history of the region. (Latin America) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing; HIST 278 or HIST 279 recommended

A study of the Aztec, Inca, and Maya civilizations, focusing on cultural and technological development. Additional focus is on pre-columbian cultural succession, imperial expansion of the Aztec and Incan empires, and native participation in the conquest. (G&C) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing

The creation of Colonial Latin America meant the political, cultural and spiritual reconfiguration of society on both sides of the Atlantic. In this course, we will elucidate the process of conquest through the study of historical accounts, cultural artifacts of the colonizers and colonized alike, and relevant theoretical texts. This course is held concurrently with SPAN 470. Lectures, discussion, and reading and writing assignments are in English. Students interested in work in the Spanish language who have met the prerequisites should register for SPAN 470.(G&C) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing

"Explores the coming together of distinct Native, African, and European ethnicities in Latin America, and the resulting creation of new ethnicities. We examine how race has been understood in Latin American history and how attitudes toward race have fundamentally shaped the history of the region. (Latin America) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing; HIST 278 or HIST 279 recommended

The course introduces the cultures of Latin America through a survey of its major movements and artists from the early 19th century to the present. Image-based lectures will be accompanied by discussion of visual and thematically related texts (i.e., biographies, letters, scholarly articles) and carefully selected fragments of videos.Taught in Spanish. PREREQUISITES: One 300-level course in Spanish or consent of instructor

This course covers the main cultural issues in Latin@ communities. It concentrates on the Latin@s of the United States, the definitions of these communities, and their cultural expressions. Through theoretical materials as well as literature, film, historical documents, testimony, etc., this course addresses a variety of subjects related to Latin@ culture. Taught in English. PREREQUISITES: One 300-level Spanish course, its equivalent, or consent of instructor

A geocritical analysis of the role of space and borders in contemporary literature. We will examine the critical theory on the topic and apply those insights to texts mainly from or about Latin American and the Atlantic regions. We will include spatial representations from the visual arts and films. Seminar with exams, presentations, and papers. In Spanish. PREREQUISITES: One 400-level course in Spanish or consent of instructor

A thematic analysis of film and fiction produced in the late and post-dictatorial context of Spain and several Latin American countries. The course studies the cultural processes of historical memory, collective trauma, oblivion, and questioning of national narratives in selected works from the past four decades. Readings include Manuel Puig's Kiss of the Spider Woman, Ariel Dorfman's Death and the Maiden, and Carmen Martin Gaite's The Back Room, as well as films by Lucrecia Martel, Victor Erice, Pablo Larrain, and Guillermo del Toro, among others.