Santa Clara University Undergraduate Bulletin

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LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES MINOR

Director: Alma M. Garcia

The interdisciplinary minor in Latin American Studies (LAS) provides students with an understanding of the culture, society and history of the nations of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking peoples in Latin America. The minor provides breadth and depth in the study of Latin America. It requires two foundational courses that offer an overall view of the major historical periods in Latin America, and offers specialized courses dealing with specific countries or themes. The minor prepares students to understand the connections between Latin America and Latin American immigrant communities in the United States and other parts of the world, and helps students gain an understanding of discipline specific or interdisciplinary research methods and the analytical tools to investigate and analyze issues in Latin America. The minor serves as a foundation for graduate studies in Latin America Studies and other disciplines including anthropology, history, political science and sociology. It provides an innovative opportunity for students seeking careers in business, government, international marketing, law and non-profit organizations.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MINOR

Students must complete the following requirements for a minor in Latin American studies: seven courses, with at least four upper-division courses from at least three departments. No more than two courses can be from the department in which a student majors. Two of the required courses are foundational courses that provide students with a comprehensive understanding of Latin America as a world region. Each of the foundation courses covers a major historical period.

Foundational Course I

Serves as an introduction to Latin American culture and civilization from the Native American experiences, through the Spanish Conquest, to the independence of Latin American nations. Note: The director may add new courses that fulfill this requirement. Students select one from the following:

ANTH 146. Perspectives on the Spanish and Native American Experience
ANTH 185. Peoples of Latin America
HIST 166. Latin America: People, Empires, and Nations
SPAN 130. Survey of Latin American Literature I

Foundational Course II

Serves as an introduction to Latin American culture and civilization by focusing on the formation in the 19th century of nation states and the forces shaping 20th and 21st century experiences.

Note: The director may add new courses that fulfill this requirement. Students select one from the following:

HIST 95. Modern Latin America
POLI 137. Politics in Latin America
SPAN 131. Survey of Latin American Literature II
SPAN 137. Contemporary Latin American Cultures and Civilizations

Language Requirement

Successful completion of Spanish 100 or 101 (none of these two courses counts toward the seven required courses for the LAS minor), or equivalent Spanish or Portuguese language proficiency demonstrated by passing an examination given by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, or successful completion of one upper-division course in Latin American literature and culture taught in Spanish.

Electives

Four electives (at least three of which must be upper division) selected from three different departments. Only two electives can be from a student’s major. In lieu of one of the electives, juniors and seniors can design an independent study with the approval of the director of Latin American studies and an affiliated faculty member. The courses that fulfill this requirement are:

ANTHROPOLOGY COURSES

ANTH 146. Perspectives on the Spanish and Native American Experience
ANTH 185. Peoples of Latin America
ANTH 186. Mesoamerican Prehistory
ANTH 189. North American Prehistory

ART HISTORY COURSES

ARTH 48. Native Arts of the Americas
ARTH 152. Pre-Columbian Art: From Olmec to Aztec

ENGLISH COURSES

ENGL 37. Native American Literature
ENGL 158. Studies in Native American Literature

HISTORY COURSES

HIST 64. Central America
HIST 95. Introduction to the History of Modern America
HIST 161. Modern Mexico
HIST 162. Argentina
HIST 163. Cuba and the Caribbean
HIST 166. Latin America: Peoples, Empires, and Nations
HIST 169. Special Topics in Latin American History
HIST 196. Seminar in Latin American History

MUSIC COURSES

MUSC 26. La Musica y Cultura Cubana

MODERN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES COURSES

SPAN 112. Mexican Culture
SPAN 113. The Revolution in Mexican Culture
SPAN 135. Colloquium: Latin American Literature and Culture
SPAN 136. Contemporary Latin American Short Story
SPAN 137. Latin American Culture and Civilization
SPAN 140. Modern Latin American Literature I
SPAN 141. Modern Latin American Literature II
SPAN 145. Mid-20th-Century Latin American Literature
SPAN 146. Contemporary Latin American Literature
SPAN 147. Cinema and the Novel in Contemporary Latin America
SPAN 148. 20th-Century Latin American Women Writers

POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSES

POLI 136. Politics in Central America and the Caribbean
POLI 136A. The Political Structures and Processes in El Salvador and Central America
POLI 137. Politics in Latin America
POLI 138. Politics in Mexico and Brazil

RELIGIOUS STUDIES COURSES

RSOC 33. Maya Spirituality
RSOC 136. Religion in Latin America
TESP 111. Latin American Liberation Theology

SOCIOLOGY COURSES

SOCI 135. Gender and Social Change in Latin America

Latinos living outside of Latin America requirement

Students are required to complete one of the following courses.

Note: This requirement can also be fulfilled with a seminar/senior thesis course or an independent study course. The director may add new courses that fulfill this requirement.

ENGL 36. Chicano Literature
ENGL 140. Studies in Chicano Literature
ETHN 20. Introduction to Chicana/Chicano Studies
ETHN 121. Chicana/Chicano Families and Gender Roles
ETHN 122. Chicana/o Communities
ETHN 125. Latinas/os in the United States
HIST 81. Chicana/os in the Southwest
SOCI 180. Immigrant Communities
SPAN 133. Mexican American Literature
TESP 60. Hispanic Popular Religion
TESP 65. U.S. Hispanic Theology
TESP 109. Hispanic Spirituality: Guadalupe
THTR 14. Chicano Theatre

Students are strongly encouraged to focus on Latin American/Latino peoples and cultures for the experiential learning requirement in the new Core.

Students are encouraged to participate in a Study Abroad Program in Latin America. Courses taken in these programs may be accepted as requirements for the minor. Students must meet with the director of the Latin American Studies Program before enrolling in Latin American Study Abroad programs.