Course Descriptions

Latin American Studies

LAST 121: Introduction to Latin American History (1)
An introduction to Latin American history, from 1492 to the present. Topics include nationalism and revolution, political and economic conditions, racial and cultural diversity, and Latin America's relation to Europe and the United States. HSSCDenial

LAST 221: Native Arts of the Americas: Their History and Cultural Legacy (1)
Surveys the art of the native peoples of the Americas with a focus on the ancient art of Mesoamerica and the Andes, as well as cultural artifacts of native American Indian peoples. Considers methodological and cultural issues of studying non-Western artistic traditions in conjunction with a critical examination of the cultural legacy of native arts to more recent artistic developments. HUMGGilbert

LAST 222: Introduction to Latin American Politics (1)
An overview of the dilemmas of democratization and development. These issues are considered from a variety of perspectives (including those of indigenous people, women, peasants, religious groups and political parties), and in a number of countries. HSSKKampwirth

LAST 227: Women and Latin American Politics (1)
The varied roles that women play in politics--from international politics to personal politics--are considered. The focus is on the different ways in which women define their interests and act upon them, but gender in a broader sense (including men's roles) is analyzed. This course will analyze these issues in the context of a number of Latin American countries.HSSKKampwirth

LAST 230: B-E Culture of the Spanish-Speaking World (1)
This series of courses introduces the student to both high and popular culture of the Spanish-speaking world as well as critical concepts in understanding social structures and historical events that have shaped the region. A wide array of course materials will be used (literary, non-fiction, film, newspapers, etc.). Students may repeat different sections for credit. B) Mexico and Central America; C) The Caribbean; D) Southern Cone (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay); E) Andean region (Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador).Staff

LAST 234: Culture and Identity in the Caribbean (1)
This course offers a study of the diversity and distinctiveness of cultural practices and social contexts of the Pan-Caribbean, understood broadly. We examine the rhythms of everyday life of Caribbean people and how these articulate with historic and contemporary experiences of migration - both forced and free - of remembrances and forgetting, of social organization and political economy, and of the affective power of cultural expressions and identities. We foreground these vantage points through a series of stories, essays, films, music, and selected ethnographic case studies. WHope

LAST 235: Introduction to Spanish Literature (1)
This course is designed to introduce students to the diverse literature from the Spanish-speaking world as well as to the different ways scholars approach it. Through close readings of literature, including short story, drama, film novellas, poetry and essays, students acquire analytical and interpretive skills as they study how and why a work is constructed and what its social and cultural implications are. Students explore themes unique to Hispanic literature as well as what connects it to world literature. Taught in Spanish.Staff

LAST 238: Latin American Women Writers (1)
The past two decades have seen the rise of an unprecedented number of Latin American women writers who have made important aesthetic contributions to the literary traditions of their countries. This course examines some of their works paying special attention to the gendered politics and poetics of the text. Among some of the works included are: Nellie Campobello's novels of the Mexican Revolution, the testimonial narrative of Elena Poniatowska, the magical realist works of Isabel Allende. All works are read in English translations. HUMMRoy-Fequiere

LAST 240: Caribbean Literature and Culture (1)
The course surveys literary, historical and political works that have shaped ideas on race and culture in the Caribbean context. Special attention is given to critical readings of such texts as Columbus' letters to the Spanish crown; the 19th century Cuban anti-slavery narrative, and to the highly original literature of the Negritude movement. In addition we reflect on the significance of popular culture as a creative response to racial and social oppression. MRoy-Fequiere

LAST 248: Teaching Assistant (1/2 or 1)
Staff

LAST 260: African Dimensions of the Latin American Experience (1)
A survey of the African relationships with the Latin American peoples in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Beginning with the Pre-Columbian contacts, we focus on Mexico, Brazil, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, with some attention given to Guatemala, Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. FHord

LAST 263: Slavery in the Americas (1)
This course surveys the experiences of Africans enslaved in the Caribbean, Latin America, and the United States. It is designed to introduce students to the complex history and issues of slavery, and to help them understand the origins, nature and impact of this institution. Slavery is examined both as an international system with global impact, and as a comparison of the smaller local systems of individual slave societies. Some of the subjects addressed include: European economic motivation and gain; capture and enslavement in Africa; differences between slave systems in the Americas; comparisons of slave revolts and abolition movements; African cultural retention in different slave populations; comparison of racist ideology and race relations in different slave societies. This course serves as the first half of the African-American history series, and as a required course for the major in Black Studies. HSSKHamilton

LAST 295: Special Topics (1/2 or 1)
Courses offered occasionally to students in special areas of Latin American Studies not covered in the usual curriculum. Staff

LAST 305: Spanish American Literature Through Modernismo (1)
The development of Spanish-American literature from pre-Columbian times to the twentieth century; Popol Vuh, Columbus, Cortes, Las Casas, Inca Garcilaso, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Bolivar, Sarmiento, Isaacs, Hernandez, Marti, Dario. Alternate years. TFoster

LAST 306: Twentieth Century Spanish-American Literature (1)
The development of the contemporary Spanish-American narrative: Gallegos, Asturias, Carpentier, Rulfo, Garcia Marquez, Vargas Llosa, Borges, Cortazar. Representative works in poetry: Vallejo, Mistral, Neruda. Alternate years. JDixon

LAST 309: Contemporary Latin American Cinema (1)
A survey of contemporary cinema of Spanish speaking countries of Latin America. We follow a trend starting with the avant-garde cinema of the political revolutionary turbulence of the 1960's, the "New Latin American Cinema", which continues today with a series of films that originated as a reaction to the neo-liberal and globalized capitalism of the 1990's. The films are treated as visual texts, studying the film as a genre with particular stylistic forms and techniques to represent social reality ideologically and in the context of social and cinematic history.APrado del Santo

LAST 314: U.S.-Latin American Relations (1)
This course considers a number of issues including: political, economic and cultural explanations of the shifting patterns of U.S. policy toward Latin America; the source and impact of recent changes in the international political economy; and the role of grassroots factors in shaping U.S. foreign policy. HSSKKampwirth

LAST 326: Comparative Revolution (1)
Why do people revolt? When do they succeed? What happens after the overthrow of the old regime? This course addresses these and other questions related to class, culture, gender, and religion by considering revolutionary movements in a number of countries with a focus on Latin American, Asian, and Middle Eastern cases.HSSKKampwirth

LAST 335: "Afridentity" and "Hispanity" in Caribbean Literature from the 19th Century to the Present (1)
This course examines the representation of race, class, and color in the literatures of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic from the 19th century to the present. The course emphasizes the relationship between literary texts and the socio-historical context with special attention given to political ideologies in these post-colonial societies. The images of blacks and mulattoes and also the conceptualization of identity in these countries are explored. JDixon

LAST 348: Teaching Assistant (1/2 or 1)
Staff

LAST 395: Special Topics (1/2 or 1)
Courses offered occasionally to students in special areas of Latin American Studies not covered in the usual curriculum. Staff

LAST 400: Advanced Studies (1/2 or 1)
See College Honors Program. Staff