Introduction to Latin American Studies

Catalog description

This course provides a basic historical, cultural, and socio-political introduction to the study of Latin America, including the Latinx influence on US culture and society. The class seeks to find cultural and historic continuity within this vastly diverse region relative to a complex history of exchange and interchange with the US and Europe. Students discuss the influence of foreign perceptions on our understanding of Latin America and Latinx America and survey how Latin American and Latinx artists, writers and intellectuals represent their nations and cultures to themselves and to the world. The class equips students for more advanced coursework on the region in a wide array of disciplines at Tulane. Focusing on the development of cultural understanding and intercultural communication and creating the foundations for area expertise, the class provides critical skills for numerous professions an increasingly globalized society and economy including business, social policy, public health, law and advocacy, among others.