Cultures of Latin America

Catalog description

What is Latin America? What is Latin American culture? The course explores these questions by examining representative Spanish-language materials created in the region from the pre-Columbian period to the present. These materials will include literary texts, art, films, and elements of popular culture. We will consider important moments and movements that have shaped the course of the region's history and politics, such as conquest and colonization, wars of independence and constitution of nation-states, Mexican and Cuban Revolutions, and the rise of Latin American youth countercultures, as well as current events and challenges. This course is part of the post-intermediate, 300-level program that forms the introduction to the major or minor in Spanish. In addition to enriching cultural proficiency by improving an understanding of Latin America, its people and its cultures, and developing critical skills in a progression from comprehension to analysis and interpretation, the course advances grammatical accuracy and verbal communication in the Spanish language. The in-class setting will be student-centered, and thus highly interactive. Assignments will include reflective essays, individualized research, and the generation, expression, analysis, and re-writing of ideas. Reading and writing skills will be complemented by continued oral practice in the form of small and large group discussions and class presentations. The class is conducted entirely in Spanish. Prerequisites: 82-242 or 82-244