Latin American and Latino Studies Minor - Undergraduate - 2009 University Catalog
You are viewing the 2009 University Catalog. Please see the newest version of the University Catalog for the most current version of this program's requirements.
Many students in the program are heritage speakers of either Spanish or Portuguese. However, anyone able to demonstrate proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese is eligible to become an LALS student. Students may pass a language proficiency test or complete the language requirement in one of the above languages. Language study is not counted toward credits for the minor.
Latin American and Latino Studies students greatly benefit from study abroad opportunities, although study abroad is not a requirement. Students interested in taking advantage of this option must make arrangements through MSU's Global Education Center. Students must work with an LALS advisor to select courses and determine methods of evaluation. As many as four courses from the study abroad experience may be used to complete the LALS minor (again, with the exception of language courses). If the student decides to study abroad, the capstone course for the minor, LALS 401, must be taken after the study abroad experience.
LATIN AMERICAN AND LATINO STUDIES MINOR
Complete 18 semester hours, from the following:
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Complete the following 2 courses:
LALS 201 Perspectives on Latin America 3 LALS 401 Capstone Course in Latin American and Latino Studies 3 -
Complete 12 semester hours from the following from at least 2 departments:
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Complete $H to 12 semester hours from the following: . ECON 250 may be taken if topic is appropriate.
ANTH 150 Cultures of Latin America 3 EUGS 208 Land and Life in Latin America 3 EUGS 444 Village to Metropolis: Urbanization in Latin America 3 INBS 352 Economic Relations in Latin America 3 LALS 205 Image and Identity: Representation of Latin American Women in Film and Fiction 3 LALS 290 Selected Topics in Latin American and Latino Studies 3 PALG 316 Skills for Bilingual Legal Personnel 3 POLS 341 Government and Politics of Latin America 3 PSYC 245 Hispanic/Latino Psychology 3 RELG 256 Religion in Latin America 3 -
Complete $H to 9 semester hours from the following: .
HIST 114 Early Latin America 3 HIST 115 History of Puerto Rico 3 HIST 116 Modern Latin America 3 HIST 333 History of Brazil 3 HIST 339 Seminar in Latin American History 3 HIST 416 Church and State in Latin America 3 HIST 430 Revolutions in Latin American History 3 -
Complete $H to 9 semester hours from the following: .
SPAN 363 Voices of the Past and Present: Latin America 3 SPAN 376 Cultural Studies: Latin America and the Caribbean 3 SPAN 447 Contemporary Spanish-American Short Story 3 SPAN 448 Contemporary Spanish-American Poetry 3 SPAN 449 The Spanish-American Novel 3 SPAN 466 Contemporary Spanish-American Theater 3 SPAN 471 Contemporary Trends in the Spanish-American Novel 3 SPAN 472 Puerto Rican Literature and Thought 3 SPAN 475 Seminar on Hispanic Culture in the United States 3
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Course Descriptions:
ANTH150: Cultures of Latin America
Study of indigenous peoples of Latin America. Surveys earliest evidence of human occupation of Middle and South America and the Caribbean; diverse origins of food production; intellectual achievements; political organization; material contributions to world culture; and aspects of early European contact and conquest. Meets Gen Ed 2002 - Social Science, Non-Western Cultural Perspectives. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Social Science, Non-Western Cultural Perspectives. Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.
EUGS208: Land and Life in Latin America
"Land and Life in Latin America" is a regional survey course that explores and explains the physical-human interface and the constantly changing environmental societal needs. The course focuses on the functional processes that mold contemporary states and regional realignments. Emphasis is upon environmental conservation, demographic transitions, the role of culture and politics to foster a viable ecumene. Meets Gen Ed 2002 - Social Science, Social Science. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Social Science, Topic Course. Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.
EUGS444: Village to Metropolis: Urbanization in Latin America
Examines urbanization in Latin America from Columbian times to the present. Portugese and Spanish town planning practices and their evolution into modern times, including their impacts upon evolving urban morphology and subsequent metropolitanization. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: Junior or senior status or permission of the instructor.
HIST114: Early Latin America
This course will provide a background in the main issues, themes and events in the history of colonial Latin America, including an introduction to the pre-contact (pre-1492) histories of Spain, Portugal and the Americas. Meets Gen Ed 2002 - Social Science, Non-Western Cultural Perspectives. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Social Science, Non-Western Cultural Perspectives. Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.
HIST115: History of Puerto Rico
The history and culture of Puerto Rico and interaction with Spain, Latin America and the United States. Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.
HIST116: Modern Latin America
This course offers an introduction to the history of Latin America, with an emphasis on the period since the 1810s. Students unfamiliar with the region should emerge from the course with a firm grounding in the major themes of modern Latin American history. Meets Gen Ed 2002 - Non-Western Cultural Perspectives. 3 sh.
HIST333: History of Brazil
Traces the historical development from the pre-historical Indian cultures to the 1970s; covers the social, cultural, political, economic and religious aspects of the largest Latin-American nation. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: HIST 100; AND HIST 117 OR HIST 118.
HIST339: Seminar in Latin American History
Intensive study of specific periods and/or problems in latin American history. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: HIST 100; AND HIST 117 OR HIST 118.
HIST416: Church and State in Latin America
The Roman Catholic church as the major spiritual institution as well as a cultural, moral, political and economic force in Latin America. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: HIST 100; AND HIST 117 OR HIST 118.
HIST430: Revolutions in Latin American History
Examines and compares the causes, course and consequences of three major social revolutions in Latin America: Mexico (1910), Bolivia (1952), Cuba (1959). 3 sh.
Prerequisites: HIST 100; AND HIST 117 OR HIST 118.
INBS352: Economic Relations in Latin America
In the context of global trade and investment initiatives, the course focuses on the motivation and gains from the operating regional trade agreements in the Western Hemisphere. Critical analysis of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Central American Common Market (CACM), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Andean Community (AC), and the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR) receive special attention in this course. New initiatives in bilateral and multilateral trade agreements and their significance for global integration of Latin America are also highlighted in this course. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: INBS 346 or LALS 201.
LALS201: Perspectives on Latin America
A multidisciplinary course: emphasis on anthropological, political, economic, cultural, and historical issues. Assume that the "Americas" are a geographic and cultural unit whose apparent diversity represents various indigenous peoples with an overlay of European patterns of colonialism, including slavery. Meets Gen Ed 2002 - Non-Western Cultural Perspectives. Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.
LALS205: Image and Identity: Representation of Latin American Women in Film and Fiction
An analysis of representations of women in film and fiction with a special focus on the process of identity construction. Representations of women from pre-Columbian times to the present will be studied in relation to their use in the perpetuation of ideologies. Intended as an overview of the social history of women in Latin America. Meets Gen Ed 2002 - Social Science, Non-Western Cultural Perspectives. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Social Science, Non-Western Cultural Perspectives. Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.
LALS290: Selected Topics in Latin American and Latino Studies
Study of selected topics and problems in Latin American and Latino Studies. Topics announced each semester. May be repeated twice for a maximum of 9.0 credits. 3 sh.
LALS401: Capstone Course in Latin American and Latino Studies
Involves intensive reading, field work and research that focuses on a specific area of Latin American and Latino Studies. Topic must be selected by the instructor; may be a more advanced and centered treatment of a lower level course. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: LALS 201.
PALG316: Skills for Bilingual Legal Personnel
Translating, interpreting and cultural fluency as applied to the legal field and in particular to the role of bilingual paralegals. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: Fluency in Spanish required.
POLS341: Government and Politics of Latin America
Governmental and political development, organization and practices in the states of Central America and South America. Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: POLS 201 or departmental approval.
PSYC245: Hispanic/Latino Psychology
Focuses on the personal, social, institutional and cultural forces that affect the psychology of Hispanic/Latino Americans. The course will cover issues such as the measurement of psychological functions, bilingualism, personal values and belief systems, the dynamics of the family and acculturation. A midterm and a final exam as well as a research paper will be required from students. Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: PSYC 101.
RELG256: Religion in Latin America
A survey of the variety of ways religion, both indigenous and Western, has interacted with culture and society in Latin America. Particular emphasis is given to the pluralism of religious expressions, including popular religion, syncretic religions such as Voodoo and Santeria, different forms of Protestantism, and liberation theology. 3 sh.
SPAN363: Voices of the Past and Present: Latin America
This course analyzes themes, topics and problems that are recurrent, but also in the process of change, in significant works of Latin American literature throughout the centuries. Readings will include canonical authors as well as lesser known writers. The focus of this course, as well as the readings, varies according to the instructor. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Foreign Langauge. Taught in Spanish. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: SPAN 241.
SPAN376: Cultural Studies: Latin America and the Caribbean
This course analyzes selected literary texts, films, and music from Latin America and the Caribbean that grapple such events and issues as the icons of culture; culture as commodity; culture as a site of resistance; and everyday cultural practices. Discussion will focus on theories about the nation, the role of national icons in the formation of cultural identity, cultural practices such as football, the bolero and Latin American telenovelas or soap operas, and the role of television and film. Students will be exposed to the cultural complexities of Latin America and the Caribbean and the relationship between "high" and "low" culture; oral culture and written culture; rural culture and urban culture; and the problems facing Latin America and the Caribbean today. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Foreign Langauge. Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: SPAN 241 or SPAN 242.
SPAN447: Contemporary Spanish-American Short Story
Trends in the contemporary short story; the short story as an important genre in Spanish-American letters. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: SPAN 363.
SPAN448: Contemporary Spanish-American Poetry
This course examines contemporary Latin American poetry and changing poetic movements from the Avant-garde through to the Neo-romantic and Neo-baroque. It explores the role of philosophy, religion, and myth in the elaboration of a poetic language. Students will investigate and approach the intricacies of diverse Latin American poetic strategies in the context of different critical practices. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: SPAN 363.
SPAN449: The Spanish-American Novel
Development of the Spanish-American novel up to 1945. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: SPAN 363.
SPAN466: Contemporary Spanish-American Theater
Through critical reading of a corpus of works in contemporary Latin American theater, students will examine recurring themes of absolute power versus the quest for social justice, the colonial legacy and the forging of national identity, the power of language and the role of art in theater's trajectory over the course of the twentieth century. Major playwrights such as Rodolfo Usigli, Griselda Gambaro and Luis Rafael Sanchez are studied within the framework of contemporary theories of performance and reception in Latin America. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: SPAN 363.
SPAN471: Contemporary Trends in the Spanish-American Novel
The contemporary novel in Spanish America, with emphasis on the "Nueva Novela". 3 sh.
Prerequisites: SPAN 363.
SPAN472: Puerto Rican Literature and Thought
Insight into the literature and philosophy of the Caribbean Hispanic world; contemporary Puerto Rican writers and the emergent Puerto Rican influence in the United States metropolitan areas. Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: SPAN 363.
SPAN475: Seminar on Hispanic Culture in the United States
A study of the Hispanic cultures and their adaptation culturally and linguistically to the U.S., considering especially Puerto Ricans, Chicanos and other minority groups. Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: SPAN 241.
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