Spring 2022 LACS courses

The Latin American and Caribbean studies minor consists of six approved courses, one of which must be an upper-level course, independent study, internship, or thesis directed by a faculty member affiliated with the minor.

ENG 246
Black Writers
An introduction to black American writers, the course exposes students to a variety of genres, to diverse reading strategies, to the social and historical roots of African-American experience, and to the interplay between classic texts and popular media. [GM1]
Prerequisite: Any introductory English Department course (101-199) or AP credit or permission of instructor
Instructor: Gil-Sadler
T TH. 2:45-4

HIST 261
Slavery in the Americas
Brought to the Americas as part of the largest forced migration in history, the struggles of the millions of men, women, and children of African descent to live their lives and build new worlds in and against the institution of racial chattel slavery touched every corner of the Atlantic world. Students will explore the political lives of the enslaved, from the rise to the overthrow of plantation slavery, while honing their reading and writing skills. [SS, GM1, GM2, W]
Instructor: Zallen
T TH, 9:30-10:45

HIST 345
Colloquium: History of Argentina
This class explores the history of Argentina during the past two centuries. We will analyze specific topics including independence, immigration, Peronism, consumption, and political violence. In so doing, we will encounter several intriguing historical figures, including Juan and Evita Peron. In considering their stories alongside others, we will focus on the ways in which Argentines have sought to create a sense of national community deeply inflected with gender, class, race, and ethnic markers. [GM2, SS]
Instructor: Pite
F, 1-4

IA 330
Global Extraction, Resistance, and Human Rights
This course examines global extraction of non-renewable resources such as metals, rare-earth minerals, and fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. We will investigate the relationship between extraction and global economic development, but also how our dependency upon non-renewable resources undermines the environmental well-being and human rights of the communities where resources are extracted. We will also examine how social movements are organizing to transform the extractive industry and the global economy. [GM2, V]
Instructor: Fischer-Hoffman
T TH, 1:15-2:30

REL 350
Religions on the Move: Dynamic Approaches to the Religious History of the Americas
Typical narratives of religious history in the Americas start with the arrival of Christian Europeans on the eastern seaboards who then inevitably move westward across the hemisphere, converting or displacing all in their path. This seminar-style course presents alternatives to this colonial story by
examining various histories and ethnographies of religious people that move, instead, on north/south axes, from west to east, or in multi-directional ways. Emphasis is placed on transnational flows and cultural contact. [GM2, W]
Instructor: Hendrickson
T TH, 11-12:15

SPAN 304
Texts and Contexts: Latin America (pre-1900)
A survey that explores civilizations and cultures of Spanish America from the colonial period through the late 19th century as reflected in their histories, literatures, cultural production, politics, and arts. Set within that time period, the course is geographically grounded in the present-day regions of the Caribbean, Mexico, and the Southern Cone. Within these regions, the course aims to identify and study social, political, and cultural problems particular to Latin American and Hispanic cultures. Class discussions will circulate around topics like the role of the Catholic Church in Latin American colonial and contemporary history, slavery, national and transnational identities, nation-building, immigration, feminism, race, postcolonialism, and U.S.-Latin America relations. [H]
Prerequisite: SPAN 211, equivalent proficiency, or permission of the instructor
Instructor: Espinoza-Staines
M W, 11:00-12:15

SPAN 316
Visual Cultures of Latin America
This survey course offers a broad view into the visual cultures of Latin America, dealing with issues of creation of images, story-telling, consumption, and dissemination of visual productions. Materials can include codex, painting, photography, prints, and cinema. Latin American visual production will
be studied vis-à-vis politics, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationalism, and indigenous peoples. Time period and region will vary upon the instructor.
Prerequisite: SPAN 211 or SPAN 215
Instructor: Gutierrez-Coto
Section 1: T TH, 1:15-2:30
Section 2: T TH, 2:45-4

SPAN 345
Indigenous Philosophies and Cultural Productions
An interdisciplinary approach to the long-lasting resistance of indigenous peoples through the Americas. The course will study indigenous productions regarding subjects such as religion, gender, class, economy, and environmental sustainability during Colonial and/or Republican periods on literature, visual arts, cinema, and political theory. A special focus will be placed on the emergence of decolonial and anti-capitalist struggles led by indigenous intellectuals and theoreticians in our contemporary world.
Prerequisite: SPAN 211 or 215 and at least two courses from Foundations in Hispanophone Studies (SPAN 300-339)
Instructor: Rodriguez-Ulloa
T TH , 11-12:15