Click here to go back to the "Home" page

This are the descriptions for Spring 1998 courses. This information is also available in the Spanish/Latin American Studies Newsletter (copies are in the rack outside of Asbury 342).

03.339/639.01 Culture Area Analysis: Latin America. This course is designed to provide students with a general introduction to certain key issues in Latin American history, society and culture. It focuses on a) the historical roots of contemporary poverty and underdevelopment, b) agrarian issues and the situation of indigenous peoples, c) urban poverty, d) international immigration, and e) social movements and military repression. (Gill, Anthropology).

29.242.01 Latin America since Independence. Ever since the early Nineteenth century, when the people of Latin America and the Caribbean overthrew European colonial rule, they have been engaged in a conflictual process of nation-building. Throughout the region local elites, women of all classes and races, the working classes, Indigenous, and people of African descent, have all articulated different visions of what an ideal nation should be. The struggle over actualizing these ideals has produced very unstable political systems as well as revolutions and repressive authoritarian regimes. They have also contributed to an extraordinary cultural richness and creativity. This course will trace the history of these conflicts, and will examine the ongoing limits to Latin American self-definition imposed by international economic dependency and foreign intervention. (Findlay, History).

33.276.01 Contemporary Latin America. Major political, social, and economic change in Latin America, its foundations, factors accelerating and impeding it, and prospects and trends. (Eldridge, SIS).

33.577.01 International Relations of Latin America I. Recent and contemporary interstate relations in Latin America and the place of Latin America in world affairs. (Persaud, SIS).

33.596.15 Political Violence in the Americas. This course looks at both the theory and practice of violence in the Americas. It begins with an examination of both state violence, and private violence including death squads and guerrillas. (Schneider, SIS).

37.210.01 3:2 Latin America: History, Art, Literature. (This is a General Education second level course in Curricular Area III, "International and Intercultural Experience"). Taught in English. This course explores the history of Latin America through the words of the writer, the brush of the painter, the pen of the cartoonist, and the lens of the photographer. It will include the Latin (Spanish/ Portuguese+Islamic), the African, and the Indigenous cultural heritages in Latin American history, and will seek to show how these strands have combined to produce a unique Latin American culture. The relationship to Anglo-America, and especially the United States, will also be explored on a cross-cultural basis. (Child, LFS).

37.356/656.01 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers. Accelerated, contrastive analysis of Spanish and Portuguese offers Spanish speakers the opportunity to "cross over" to Brazilian Portuguese in one semester. Development of oral proficiency with attention to reading for research. Study of major cultural differences between Brazil and Spanish America through selected presentation of Brazilian history, geography, politics, art, music and literature. (Oliver, LFS).

37.356/656.02 U.S.-Latin American Relations. This course is designed to assist students in acquiring conversational proficiency with international relations terminology in Spanish, and a more in-depth knowledge of the special relations between the United States and Latin America. It is conducted entirely in Spanish and organized around an analysis of selected political, diplomatic, economic, military and other forces that have shaped U.S.-Latin American relations. (Ata, LFS).

37.356/656.03 Business Spanish. This course familiarizes students with the Hispanic business world, including language, terminology and cultural practices. This course covers areas such as trade, finance, management, economics, banking, and their cross-cultural implications. Taught in Spanish, this course includes readings and discussions of commercial, economic and international issues. (Ata, LFS).

37.356/656.04 Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition. Practice of complex grammatical structures through reading and writing of compositions, articles and essays. Styles addressed include factual writing in journalistic text, practical writing in the form of a curriculum vitae, and creative writing in narration, description, persuasion and dialogue. (Downey-Vanover, LFS).

37.357.01 Introduction to Latin American Literature. A systematic survey of the historical development of Latin-American literature. Reading of selected texts in the original, and their relationship to cultural, historical, political and social developments. This course is intended as a transition course between Conversation and Composition (37.353 or 37.355) and Topics (37.356) and higher courses. (Alvarez, LFS).

37.358/658.01 (Tue, Fri) and .02 (Saturday) Introduction to Spanish Translation. An introduction to the methods, techniques, and problems involved in translating from Spanish into English. Emphasis is on the practice of translating general materials (business, medical, technical, literary, etc.). (Luna-Escudero and González de Armas, LFS).

37.359/659.01 Advanced Spanish Translation. Practice and critique of translations of a range of general, literary, business, diplomatic, social science and technical material. Primarily from Spanish to English, with some from English to Spanish. Review of translation theory, methods, techniques and problems. This course is recommended for the Certificate in Translation, and the course final exam is the Translation Competency Exam. Pre-requisite: 37.358/658 Introduction to Spanish Translation, or permission of the instructor. (González de Armas, LFS).

37.396.03 América Latina: Historia, Arte, Literatura. 1 credit. This experimental course is a one-credit Spanish supplement to General Education course 37.210, "Latin America: History, Art, Literature". The course uses Spanish versions of selections from the English texts used in 37.210 (as well as some additional readings) in weekly discussion sessions in Spanish at the third-year level. Students will make brief presentations and write short papers in Spanish. Pre-requisite: three years of college Spanish or permission of the instructor. Although not required, it is recommended that students have already taken, or be presently taking, 37.210. (Child, LFS).

37.451.01 Spanish Civilization II: Latin America. A study of the geography and the complex process of the culture and history of the Latin American countries from the origins of the indigenous civilization to the present. (Hernández, LFS).

37.491/691.01 Spanish Internship: Proyecto Amistad. An internship program offering a wide variety of experiences in the Spanish-speaking community of Washington. Placements are available in bilingual schools, legal and consumer agencies, and national and international organizations. Advanced knowledge of Spanish is not required for undergraduate students. (Partnoy, LFS).

37.554.01 Classics of Latin American Literature: Indigenism in Andean Countries. Beginning with the legal and theological controversies surrounding the Conquest, the course examines the classical works related to the Indigenous (novel, poetry and essay) within the context of postcolonial society in Andean countries. Some of the authors studies are: Las Casas, el Inca Garcilaso, Arguedas, Mato de Turner, Mora, Icaza. (Hernández, LFS).

37.559.01 Colloquium on Latin America: Testimonial Texts. Resistance to political repression in Latin America has produced a great diversity of testimonial works. The course explores how these works appeal to the sense of solidarity of their audiences. Texts include victims' accounts from Amnesty International reports, Chilean arpilleras, poetry by the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, and documentaries featuring Rigoberta Menchú. Some issues for class discussion are the position of the editors, the dichotomy of fiction/nonfiction, and the role of women in this genre. (Partnoy, LFS).

37.705.01 Seminar in Latin American Studies: Cultural Movements. Examines a series of cultural movements in Latin America as seen through their literature and art, and analyzes how they have influenced (and have been influenced by) the historical and political setting of their times. The cultural movements include: the pre-Columbian currents; Renaissance; baroque; neoclassicism; romanticism; costumbrismo; realism; naturalism; modernism; early 2Oth Century currents. Students will prepare and present research papers on topics of their choice within the overall framework of the course. The course also analyzes methods for teaching Latin American culture at various levels, to include computer-assisted instruction. (Child, LFS).

65.230.01 Conflict and Change in Latin America 3:2. (A general Education course taught in English). An introduction to Latin America through the lens of sociology. Latin American forms of economic and political organization and the societal conflicts over them. Alternative Latin American models for development and change; who has advocated each model and why. (Kusterer, Sociology).