Latin American Studies Program — Cross-Listed Courses
Courses preceded by an “L” are cross-listed with another department or program, as indicated by the parentheses in the course title: for example, “LATAM L375 (PORT L375),” which is cross-listed with the Department of Hispanic Studies.
Courses
LATAM G210
Food, Culture, and Society in Latin America
For a complete description of this course, see the “First-year and Intermediate Seminars” section of this publication.
LATAM 100
Native Peoples of South America
An introductory survey of the native cultures of South America. Emphasis is placed on a comparison of selected cultures through the analysis of native history, levels of social and political integration, contact with European cultures, and contemporary status.
Distribution I Area: Historical and Cultural Studies.
Diversity Area: International.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 101
Latin America>: Contemporary Society and Culture
This course introduces the people, events, and trends shaping Latin American societies and cultures today. Readings provide a historical overview and examine regional similarities and local differences, including: social institutions such as family; politics and political cultures; religious institutions and practices; and ways that race, ethnicity, and gender shape national cultures and subcultures.
Distribution I Area: Historical and Cultural Studies.
Distribution II Area: Humanities.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 103
Foundations of Latin American Studies
An introduction to basic concepts and literature in Latin American Studies, emphasizing development of the student’s capacities in critical thinking and analysis, and in writing. Topics include the process of socio-historical development and the impact of modernization on Latin America. It also focuses on the development and the dynamics of Hispanic communities in the United States.
Distribution I Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Diversity Area: International.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 105
Pre-Conquest States in the New World
A comparative study of Aztec, Inca and
Mayan States Type emphasizing their origins and development.
Distribution I Area: Historical and Cultural Studies.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
HIST L155 (LATAM L155)
Latin America> before 1800
The imposition of Spanish and Portuguese institutions on the pre-Columbian civilizations in the new world, and the economic, social religious, political, and cultural institutions that developed in Latin America. Emphasis on the differences and similarities between colonial Latin America and other contemporary and later empires.
Distribution I Area: Historical and Cultural Studies.
Diversity Area: International.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
HIST L156 (LATAM L156)
Latin America since 1800
The histories of Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Cuba since 1800. Emphasis on British and American economic expansion into these countries during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and the resulting political and social consequences.
Distribution I Area: Historical and Cultural Studies.
Diversity Area: International.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 205
Latin American Film
This course examines Latin American feature and documentary film to analyze social, cultural and political themes and issues. Topics include: the development of national cinemas and their genres; film as art and industry; film and political engagement; representations of women and gender; and selected social and cultural subjects.
Distribution II Area: The Arts.
Diversity Area: International.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 250
The United States and Intervention in Central America
The course deals historically with the development of United States policy toward Central America and focuses on the causes—political, economic, strategic, and others— of the numerous military interventions in the region. The paradigm for study is the case of Nicaragua, yet significant attention is paid to El Salvador and Guatemala.
Distribution I Area: Historical and Cultural Studies.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 290
Central America: Society and Culture
This course examines contemporary societies and cultures of selected Central American countries. Readings provide a historical overview. Topics include: land and labor; religion; insurgency, revolution and their legacies; contemporary constructions of race and ethnicity; indigenous social movements; women and gender; urban migrations and cultures.
Distribution I Area: Historical and Cultural Studies.
Diversity Area: International.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 300
Spanish Conquest in North and >South America: 1492-1600
Starting with Columbus, the Spanish left an extensive literature of eyewitness accounts of exploration and conquest in North and South America. By examining these accounts in detail, students get a better grasp of the nature of indigenous cultures at contact and a more complete understanding of how the conquest and destruction of native peoples came about.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 301
Hispanics in Urban America
Latin American and Caribbean labor migrants, exiles, and refugees have been changing the social, cultural, and political landscapes of U.S.cities for over a century. This course examines migrants’ motives for uprooting from their homelands and transplanting to U.S.urban centers, the reconstitution of communities and identities, and social, cultural, and political dimensions of interaction with the host country.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 302
Puerto Rico: Modernity, Cultural Identity and Politics
This course investigates the problematic development of Puerto Rican identity in view of the rise of modernity in Latin America and the imposition of U.S. political hegemony in the Caribbean. Through an analysis of various cultural artifacts, the course will elucidate the main components of Puerto Rican cultural discourse, among them the dilemma of political definition, the rise of cultural nationalism, and the challenges of modernity.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 303
Reform and Revolution in Latin America
This course examines case studies of 20th century political movements in Latin America that have attempted to restructure social and economic systems and establish new political orders. Readings provide historical background. Topics include: guerrilla insurgency; revolutionary agendas and reforms; revolutionary cultures and identities; and new social movements, including women’s movements.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 306
The Caribbean: Culture and Society
This course examines the cultural and social development of the peoples of the Caribbean. A point of departure is the impact of Western colonization of the region and the ways in which the “narrative” of said colonization expresses the cultural dilemma and social implications of this process. Topics: the Haitian revolution, the Spanish American War, the Cuban Revolution, and others.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM L336 (ANTH L336)
Ancient Mesoamerica
This course uses archaeological and ethnohistorical data to chart the prehistoric transformation of Mesoamerica into the setting for several of the ancient world’s most intriguing urban civilizations, including those of the Maya and the Aztecs. Emphasis is given to the common social patterns and ideological premises underlying the region’s long-term cultural and political diversity.
Prerequisite: ANTH 102 or 107 or permission of instructor.
Distribution II Area: World Cultures.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Ms Zeitlin
LATAM L338 (ANTH L338)
Ancient Peru: The Incas and Their Ancestors
This course uses ethnohistorical and archaeological data to examine the foundations of complex society in Andean South America; and stresses, as an underlying theme, human adaptation to the constraints and possibilities of the diverse Andean environments. Special emphasis is given to the accomplishments, both real and idealized, of the last of Peru’s prehistorical civilizations, the Inca Empire.
Prerequisite: ANTH 102 or 107 or permission of instructor.
Distribution II Area: World Cultures.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Ms Zeitlin
LATAM 350
Latin American Popular Cultures
This course examines popular culture in Latin America. Topics include religious rituals and symbols; secular festivals; dance; food; and sport. Introductory historical and theoretical frameworks provide analytical tools for examining tensions between elite and popular cultures; popular cultures as oppositional and national identities; production and consumption of popular cultures; and the meanings that cultural symbols acquire in Diaspora.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 360
Language and Power in Latin America
This course examines how elements of Spanish, indigenous languages, and English interact with the power exercised by governments, the media, business, educators and others in Latin America.. The course features case studies, highlighting key components that relate to the dynamics of power and language in various contexts. No knowledge of Spanish required.
Diversity Area: International.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM L375 (PORT L375)
Brazilian Civilization
A general survey of Brazil, tracing the evolution of cultural, economic, political, and social structures from colonial times to the present. The course discusses the distinctions and similarities in the development of Portuguese America and Spanish America. Readings include historical source material, novels, and modern studies on Brazil. Conducted in English. Fulfills a requirement for Latin American Studies Program.
Distribution II Area: World Cultures.
Diversity Area: International.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 400
Mini-Courses
Short courses in Latin American Studies on specialized problems of historical and contemporary interest.
Hrs by arrangement, 1-2 Credits
LATAM L454 (SPAN L454)
Argentina
This course is a cultural interpretation of Argentinabased primarily on historical, cultural, and literary works. The aim is to explore the process of nation-building in the Latin American context. Topics include: the role of the intellectual in political culture; gender and nation; literature and nationalism; media and politics; and globalization.
Prerequisite: Knowledge of Spanish.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 478, 479
Independent Study
Hrs by arrangement, 3 Credits
LATAM 480
Seminar in Latin American Studies
Required course for all students in the program. This course will examine a selected topic in depth. Students will write a research paper.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 481
Capstone Seminar
Required capstone seminar for Latin American Studies concentrators builds on themes and methods developed in the program’s introductory and intermediate courses. The seminar addresses varying topics in history, civilization, cultures, and societies applicable to all Latin America>, using interdisciplinary frameworks to examine regional and national differences. Students participate in the seminar, conduct research, and write a research paper.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
LATAM 485
Special Topics
Selected topics in Latin American Studies, taught by staff or visiting lecturers.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits