LAS - Latin American Studies

Latin American Studies: LAS

Lower-Division Courses

LAS X01. Key Ideas and Issues in Latin America.

Broad introductory course to acquaint students with the main areas of interest in Latin American studies.

LAS X10. General Topics in Latin American Studies.

Topics that serve as an introduction to Latin America within the framework of different disciplines.

LAS X10.1. Latin American Civilization: The Colonial Experience.

A broad survey of the political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of the Latin American past, stressing both that area's achievements and its enduring problems.

LAS X10.2. Latin American Civilization: The National Experience.

A broad survey of the political, social, and cultural aspects of the Latin American past.

LAS X10.5. Film and History in Latin America: Colonial Period.

Introduction to selected subjects in Latin American history and culture through film, readings, documentaries, class discussion, and lectures.

LAS X10.6. Film and History in Latin America: Modern Period.

Introduction to selected subjects in Latin American history and culture through film, readings, documentaries, class discussion, and lectures.

LAS X10.7. Liberation in the African Diaspora.

Examination of liberation and freedom struggles in the African diaspora, focusing on common intellectual, political, and social currents among the diaspora's various groups. Course focuses on three major themes: abolitionism, Pan-Africanism and national liberation, and hip hop. Particular emphasis will be on the ideas associated with these movements, and the major organizations and intellectual currents in all three.

LAS X10C. Afro-Brazilian Diaspora.

LAS X10D. Early Mesoamerican Religions.

Introduction to the study of indigenous religions in Mesoamerica, a geographic and cultural area spanning north-central Mexico through western Honduras, from approximately 250 BC - AD 1700. Examine the role of religion and ritual in daily life, as well as the lines of evidence available today for understanding them.

LAS X10I. Latinx Digital Worlds.

Explore how Latinx communities (traditionally figured as on the wrong side of the "digital divide") have embraced, mobilized, and sometimes usurped emerging digital tools and spaces to forge community and create new forms of culture, memory, and activism.

LAS X10R. Latin America and the United States.

An exploration of the different social, economic, political, and cultural structures and concerns that came to both divide and unite the western hemisphere (North, Central, and South America, as well as the Caribbean) following independence from Europe.

LAS X15. Introductory Topics in Latin American Social Sciences.

LAS X15.1. Anthropology of Latin America.

Provides a framework for understanding contemporary concerns in Latin America.

LAS X15.2. Introduction to Mesoamerican Archaeology.

Introduction to ancient Mesoamerica from the time of emerging social inequality in the formative period until the Spanish conquest of Mexico-Tenochtitlan in the sixteenth century.

LAS X15.3. Introduction to Jewish Latin America.

Historical and cultural analysis of how Jews constructed lives and communities in predominantly Hispanic, Catholic countries of Latin America.

LAS X16C. Latinx Material Culture.

Discuss utilizing material culture as a method of analysis to highlight histories of oppression, struggles towards liberation, and the politics of everyday Latinx life in the U.S..

LAS X16L. Introduction to Religions of Latin America.

Examine a survey of religious practice across Latin America and the Caribbean.

LAS X19. Geography of Latin America.

Adaptations to population growth and spatial integration in cultural landscapes of great natural and ethnic diversity; problems of frontiers and cities.

LAS X19S. Topics in Latin American Studies.

This course is used to record credit the student earns while enrolled at another institution in a program administered by the University's Study Abroad Office. Credit is recorded as assigned by the study abroad adviser in Latin American studies. University credit is awarded for work in an exchange program; it may be counted as coursework taken in residence. Transfer credit is awarded for work in an affiliated studies program.

LAS X29S. Topics in Latin American Studies.

LAS X82. Conference Course in Latin American Studies.

Individual study to be arranged with a faculty member.

Upper-Division Courses

LAS X19S. Topics in Latin American Studies.

LAS X22. Topics in Latin American Studies.

Topics vary each semester to allow curriculum flexibility for faculty members and visiting scholars.

LAS X22.10. Minorities and the Media.

Issues concerning minority or nondominant groups within the United States. Survey of minority communication problems: alienation, fragmentation, media and Internet access; criticism and feedback for minority groups based on racial/ethnic background, age, sex, disability, social or economic class, and sexual orientation.

LAS X22.11. Narrative Journalism.

LAS X22.13. Latin American Theatre and Drama.

LAS X22.15. Indigenous Languages of the Americas.

Examines various aspects of languages in the Americas, including their linguistic structures, the cultural domains in which they exist, and their histories of language contact and change.

LAS X22.19. Afro-Caribbean Diasporas.

Analysis of the socio-cultural contexts of the African diaspora in the Americas, with a specific focus on the African diaspora in the islands of the Caribbean. Designed to analyze the cultural, social, and philosophical contributions of these diasporic populations and the ways they build social and cultural agency in their specific national or diasporic contexts.

LAS X22.20. Journalism and Press Freedom in Latin America.

Focus on journalism in Latin America with an emphasis on the struggle for democracy and press freedom in the region through country-by-country survey of historical, political, economic, cultural, ethnic and geographical aspects. Examination of the evolution of professional journalism in Latin America, including topics such as the legal framework for freedom of expression, ethical principles, concentration of media ownership and the emergence of digital media. Knowledge of Spanish language is recommended, but it is not a requirement.

LAS X22D. Religions of the Caribbean.

Examine the histories and politics of religious practices in the Greater Caribbean, encompassing the islands and Central American coasts as well as the continental diasporas, from Vodou and Rastafari to popular Hinduism.

LAS X22E. Latino Migrations and Asylum.

LAS X22F. Latino Migration and Human Trafficking.

Critically examine the complexity and intersectionality of Latino migration and human trafficking from global, regional, and local perspectives.

LAS X22G. Black Freedom Movement.

LAS X22L. Empires: Aztec and Spanish.

Examine the daily life of people in the Mexica (commonly known as Aztec) empire after the Spanish conquest.

LAS X22M. Colonial Encounters in Mesoamerica.

Study European-indigenous encounters in Mesoamerica, a geographic and cultural area spanning north-central Mexico through western Honduras, between approximately 1450-1750. Examine strategies of contact, accommodation, and resistance that indigenous communities and European colonizers used to communicate with each other and negotiate the conduct of daily life in colonial society.

LAS X22N. African Religion in the New World.

Explore the contributions of scholars and artists who engage African diaspora religions in their work through multiple conceptual approaches.

LAS X22Q. Afro-Latinidades in the United States and Latin America.

LAS X24G. Sexuality in Global Perspective.

Explore the ways in which sexuality intersects with money, intimacy, power, and labor in the context of global economic processes.

LAS X24L. Topics in Latin American Anthropology.

Topics vary each semester to allow curriculum flexibility for faculty members and visiting scholars.

LAS X24L.10. The Civilization of the Maya.

Maya prehistory and history: the archaeological record, codices and inscriptions, and Spanish conquest writings.

LAS X24L.13. Colonial Latin American Archaeology.

Focuses on the Spanish colonies in Latin America.

LAS X24L.15. Global Indigenous Issues.

Explores contemporary issues of indigenous peoples around the world through films, literature, and social science readings and focuses on how indigenous peoples are actively working to oppose their oppression and create sustainable futures.

LAS X24L.16. Mexican Immigration Cultural History.

Examines the history of Mexican immigration to the United States, and provides an overview of migratory patterns dating back to the late prehistoric period through contemporary times.

LAS X24L.17. Black Women and the State.

Surveys black women's experiences living with and confronting state oppression around the world. Takes an historical, social, and theoretical look at the roots of this oppression and inequality, and how black women have chosen to respond to it locally and globally.

LAS X24L.18. Inca World.

Explores how Inca civilization developed, how the Incas grew from a small highland state into a mighty empire, and how a small number of Spaniards and their allies were able to bring the Inca dynasty to an end. Read accounts of the Incas written in the first years of Spanish colonial rule, and review the latest archaeological discoveries.

LAS X24L.19. Globalization in Latin America.

Critically examine the globalization phenomenon in Latin America, focusing on history and ethnography.

LAS X24L.20. Mexican American Indigenous Heritage.

The prehistory, history, and contemporary racial understanding of Mexican Americans.

LAS X24L.21. Cultures in Contact.

History of the interactions of the indigenous peoples of the Americas with Africans, Asians, and Europeans over the past five hundred years.

LAS X24L.22. Arab Latin Americas.

Examine the ways in which Arab immigrant identities have been negotiated and co-opted socially, but also institutionally, in various countries in the Western Hemisphere.

LAS X24L.23. Global Black Feminisms.

Examine Black feminist theories and practices around the world from a transnational and comparative perspective.

LAS X24L.24. Mesoamerican History and Oral Tradition.

Study Mesoamerican indigenous documents and oral traditions to reconstruct different aspects of the life and culture of the past and present populations of Mesoamerica. Apply a methodological approach to the study of indigenous primary sources from Mesoamerica, written during the Late Postclassic (c. 1200-1524 CE) and the beginning of the Colonial period, including oral tradition. Explore religion, socio-political organization, territory and territoriality, economy, gender roles, and the norms and values of everyday life.

LAS X24L.25. Maya Collapse.

Explore different aspects of Classic Maya daily life, their relationship with the environment, and the factors that influenced the transformation of the Maya civilization at the end of the Classic period.

LAS X24Q. Daily Life in Mesoamerica.

Examine the daily life of people in Mesoamerica, from the earliest inhabitants in the region to the myriad ways that Precolumbian life and archaeology affect the lives of people today.

LAS X24S. Jewish Cuba.

LAS X25. Topics in Latin American Sociology.

LAS X25.2. Social Change in Developing Nations.

Overview of changing social structure in the Third World.

LAS X25.4. Politics and Society in Latin America.

Introduction to present-day Latin American politics and society with a focus on drug-trafficking and urban destitution in Brazil; party politics, protest, and collective violence in Argentina; the current political situation in Venezuela; and migration from Central America and the Caribbean to the United States. Also includes a general overview of revolutions and revolutionary movements in Latin America, and the effects of United States intervention in the region during the twentieth century.

LAS X25.5. Consumption in Latin America.

Study of the role consumption plays in social, economic, and political relations in Latin America, as well as contesting ideas about this role.

LAS X25.6. Latinx Sociology.

Explore how institutions have shaped the gendered, racial, and class-based experiences of Latinxs from a sociological perspective, including historical patterns of Latinx migration to the United States, contestations over racial classifications, and problematic issues surrounding the term Latino. Review more recent studies that show how different institutions shape the Latinx experience and demonstrate how gendered, racial, and classed forces have shaped various Latinx communities. Examine Latinx agency and how Latinx communities have sought to reconfigure and push back on these social forces.

LAS X25E. Geographies of Latin American to United States Migration.

Examine the contemporary complex multi-scalar origins, patterns, and processes of Latin American and Caribbean migration and settlement in the United States. Through a place-specific, spatially contextualized, and historically situated approach, explore the collective and individual experiences of migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees from select nations including: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba. Analyze the multi-layered factors shaping diverse Latin American migratory patterns and processes.

LAS X25S. Statistical Analysis of Social Disparities.

Analysis of racial inequality through social statistics.

LAS X26. Topics in Latin American Music.

LAS X26.2. Music of Latin America.

Consider Latin American music within a broad cultural and historical framework. Latin American musical practices are explored illustrating the many ways that aesthetics and society are embodied in and negotiated through performance. Concepts include diaspora, colonialism, mestizaje, hybridity, migration and globalization.

LAS X26.4. Music of the Andean Countries.

Introduction to the music of Andean countries including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. Explores the role music plays in shaping historical and modern Andean societies, as well as how music comments upon national culture, society, and politics, with particular attention to the ways in which musicians and musical movements continue to influence Andean societies. Subjects include pre-Columbian and colonial music making; music representative of the tripartite indigenous, African, and Iberian heritage of Andean countries; aesthetics, identity, and musical expression; ritual, religion, and the politics of musical performance.

LAS X26C. Music of Brazil and Argentina.

An introduction to Brazilian and Argentine music from samba, capoeira, and forro to tango, cumbia villera, and chacarera; examines such music making within its various historical, social, and political contexts. Uses course readings, lectures, listening assignments, performance attendance, and movie screenings to analyze themes including nationalism and ethnicity, globalization and development, and democracy and social justice.

LAS X26D. The Music of the African Diaspora.

The musical legacy of the African slave trade in the Americas, the social contexts in which black musical forms have developed, and their varied forms. Subjects include the shifting meanings of "black music" in various contexts; the notion of hybridity; the uses of African influenced music as a political or oppositional tool; and African ethnic groups represented prominently in the New World, the traditions they brought with them, and the ways they have been adapted to new ends.

LAS X26M. Music of Mexico and the Caribbean.

Introduction to the history of Mexican and Caribbean traditional and commercial music, with some discussion of classical music as well. Attention will be given to music of indigenous, African, European, and mixed origin. Mexico and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean receive special attention. Class meetings will be divided into lecture/discussion segments, videos, listening, and performance instruction/demonstration.

LAS X27. Topics in Latin American Art History.

LAS X27.1. Chicano Art Histories and Futures.

Mexican American art since the 1960s, with an emphasis on the visual production and exhibition of identity inside and outside the Chicano civil rights movement and the politics of U.S. multiculturalism. An introduction to a broad range of art history written to date--including recent feminist and queer interventions--as a means of envisioning a supposed "post-Chicano" or "post-racial" moment.

LAS X27.10. Architecture and Sculpture in the Maya World.

Explore the ancient world of the Maya through the lens of architecture and sculpture.

LAS X27.11. Aztec Art and Civilization.

An introduction to the art, symbolism, and visual culture of the ancient Aztecs. Subjects include the representations of history and mythology in architecture, stone monuments, and pictorial manuscripts.

LAS X27.2. Modern Art of Mexico.

Mexican visual culture from the late nineteenth century through 1968. Emphasis on the emergence of modernist avant-gardes and popular entertainment, and their ambivalent relationship to state, church, and market. Also explores how self-consciously negotiating the tension between native and international influences, artists, critics, and curators contributes to notions of Lo Mexicano, or "Mexicanness.

LAS X27.3. Mesoamerican Art and Culture.

Mesoamerican art, architecture, and its archaeological context, with emphasis on the social function of art and visual culture in ancient Mesoamerica up to the time of European contact.

LAS X27.5. Maya Art and Architecture.

Introduction to the artistic traditions of the ancient Maya, tracing their development up to the time of European contact. Students will examine various important themes of Maya culture including history, ritual, and cosmology as revealed in sculpture, hieroglyphs, painting, and architectural design.

LAS X27.6. Art and Archaeology of Ancient Peru.

The growth of civilization in South America from the earliest decorated textiles, pottery, and ceremonial buildings to the imperial Inca style.

LAS X27.7. Art Cinemas of the Americas.

Examine art cinemas from the Spanish-speaking Americas from the 1950s to the present.

LAS X27.8. Apertures: Film and Photography Through Greater Mexico.

Exploration of the historical and aesthetic linkages and affinities between filmmakers and photographers working in greater Mexico, including prominent visitors and Americans of Mexican descent. Considers how Mexican culture is represented but also how borders between Mexico and the wider world--as well as among media--were blurred or brought into sharper focus by these exchanges.

LAS X27.9. Contemporary Latin American Art.

Development and sources of art in the Caribbean and Central and South America from the 1960s to the present.

LAS X28. Topics in Latin American Arts, Literature, Film, and Dance.

LAS X28.1. Samba to Hip Hop: Brazilian Popular Music.

Examines the role of popular music in relationships of power with subordination and the impact of music as a form of cultural expression.

LAS X28.10. The United States in Latin American Culture.

Explore how Latin American and Latinx writers and artists have used the United States and globalization tropes, not just to come to terms with politics, popular culture, crime, technology, gender, and race, but also to talk about themselves.

LAS X28.11. Modern Brazil.

Explore modern Brazilian urban culture and the processes and contexts that led to the modernization of Brazil.

LAS X28.12. Jews of the United States, Canada, and Latin America.

Explore the cultural history of Jews in the United States, Latin America, and Canada through a representative sample of short literary texts, film clips, and musical recordings.

LAS X28.13. Latinx Caribbeans: Culture and Diaspora in the United States.

Explore prominent Latinx poets, writers, performers, and media artists connected to several diaspora communities from the Hispano-, Franco-, and Anglophone Caribbean in the United States.

LAS X28.14. Music, Power, and Politics in Latin America.

Analyze how popular music and more sound-related media in Latin America have played central roles in the expression of global citizenship, national and transnational identities, social justice, race, gender, and sexuality.

LAS X28.15. Indigenous Relations.

Explore the multi-layered relations of Indigenous Peoples to the land in the context of late twentieth- and early-twenty-first century Latin America.

LAS X28.16. Cuba in Question.

Explore Cuba's peoples, cultures, ethnicities, and the social and historical processes that go far beyond the common media stereotypes.

LAS X28.17. Queer/Trans Performance.

Explore the ways performance serves as an alternative space of expression and worldmaking, a site of activism and resistance, and a creative outlet for queer and trans people in specific socio-cultural contexts.

LAS X28.2. Global Brazil: Immigration and Diaspora in Brazilian Culture.

Examination of twentieth-century literature, films, and other cultural artifacts that capture the multicultural reality of Brazilian society and challenge the image of Brazil as a unified, harmonious, racially-mixed nation. Subjects include contemporary textual and visual representations of the Brazilian diaspora in the United States and Europe.

LAS X28.3. Afro-Luso-Brazilian Worlds.

Examine the myths and realities in the Afro-Luso-Brazilian worlds and the connections and contrasts between them.

LAS X28.5. Mediascapes: Literature and Media in the Caribbean.

Analyzes the relationship between literature and media technologies in contemporary Caribbean cultures.

LAS X28.6. Race and Visual Culture in Latin America.

Examine race and visuality in several countries of Latin America.

LAS X28.8. Spanish Storytelling.

Explore the Spanish storytelling tradition, with a focus on famous Spanish language authors who have enjoyed a broad reception in the English-speaking world.

LAS X28.9. Spectacular Brazil.

Explore the global, historical, thematic, and performative aspects of Brazilian culture using cultural texts, film, popular music, art, and photography.

LAS X28C. Transnational Latinx Popular Culture.

LAS X29S. Topics in Latin American Studies.

LAS X30. Topics in Latin American Geography.

LAS X30.2. Landscapes of Mexico and Caribbean America.

The natural regions and cultural landscapes of Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies.

LAS X30.3. South America: Nature, Society and Sustainability.

Field study of environmental and social change in selected landscapes in South America, such as protected areas; places of food production; transportation routes; migrant landscapes; urban areas; sites of cultural and historical importance; and issues of human rights.

LAS X30.4. Mapping Latin America.

Discuss the role of maps in the creation of Latin America as a specific sort of place. As such, allows familiarity with a broad overview of Latin American history from Pre-Columbian civilizations to the modern period.

LAS X30.5. Vulnerability to Natural Hazards.

An interdisciplinary approach, set right at the nexus of both physical and human geography, to studying the types of natural disasters that occur throughout Earth with a focus on tropical areas. Explore a region's susceptibility to natural disasters by studying the physical phenomena that incite specific hazards so that their spatial distribution can be outlined. Utilize theoretical frameworks that can expose the social causes of human vulnerability, the political repercussions of disasters, and how disaster response varies from country to country depending on varying political stances and economic conditions.

LAS X30.6. Sustainable Maya Geographies - Past to Future.

Explore landscapes, conservation, and human-environment dynamics in the Maya region of Central America from more than 10,000 years ago to modern times. Compare sustainable practices from the past with those of indigenous Maya communities today to guide the future.

LAS X31. Water Resources in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Examine the variability of landscapes, climatic regions, and anthropogenic activities found throughout Latin America and the insular Caribbean to explore the complex issues related to water resource accessibility.

LAS X37L. Issues in Third World Development.

Explore important issues in the politics of developing countries.

LAS X37M. Topics in Latin American Politics.

Topics vary each semester to allow curriculum flexibility for faculty members and visiting scholars.

LAS X37M.5. Introduction to Latin American Government and Politics.

An introductory survey of Latin American political systems: governmental organization, political processes, and current problems.

LAS X37M.9. The Military in Politics.

LAS X37O. Law and Democracy in Latin America.

Explore many of the challenges to the rule of law across Latin America and how they affect the quality of democracy in the region.

LAS X37P. International Politics of Latin America.

Analyze Latin America's political and economic relations with respect to external actors.

LAS X37Q. Politics, Economy, and Society of Contemporary Brazil.

Examine major economic, political, and sociological developments in Brazil.

LAS X37R. The Politics of Development in Latin America.

Examine the struggle for development in Latin America.

LAS X37S. Latino Politics.

Explore the political experiences of the United States Latino populations.

LAS X37T. The Politics of Mexico.

Explore Mexico's political and economic development.

LAS X55. Topics in Latin American Economics.

Topics vary each semester to allow curriculum flexibility for faculty members and visiting scholars.

LAS X55.1. Development Problems and Policies in Latin America.

Analysis of the economies of Latin America. Issues may include the structure and functioning of cities, rural-urban migration, the sectoral composition of GDP and employment, and determinants of growth.

LAS X59H. Honors Seminar.

An interdisciplinary discussion and writing seminar. Lectures and supervised individual research and writing of a substantial paper on a special topic.

LAS X66. Topics in Latin American History.

Topics vary each semester to allow curriculum flexibility for faculty members and visiting scholars.

LAS X66.12. Modern Brazil.

The social, economic, political, and cultural forces that have shaped modern Brazil.

LAS X66.13. Revolution in Modern Latin America.

Comparison of the Mexican and Cuban revolutions and of their challenges to inter-American relations.

LAS X66.15. History of Modern Central America.

LAS X66.16. Culture and Identity in Colonial Mexico.

LAS X66.17. The Cuban Revolution and the United States.

The special economic and political relationship between the United States and Cuba from 1898 to 1967; and how the 1959 revolution affected the Cold War relationships between East and West, North and South.

LAS X66.18. History of the Caribbean.

Overview of Caribbean history from 1492 to the present. Topics include contact between European and native cultures, piracy, slavery, colonialism and decolonization, and revolutions.

LAS X66.19. Twentieth-Century Rural Latin America.

Examines causes of some of the unresolved conflicts affecting Latin America today, including the social-agrarian relationships linking landlords and campesinos; the role of the state and the impact of official ideologies involving indigenous people; religion and the Catholic Church; the history of rural institutions; and the success or failure of land reforms.

LAS X66.2. Colonial Latin America.

Basic survey course, designed as an introduction to Latin American history in the colonial period.

LAS X66.20. Colonial Latin America through Objects.

Examines objects, such as paintings, reliquaries, monstrances, and churches from colonial Latin America in order to understand colonial culture. Includes critical reading of original texts.

LAS X66.21. Church and State in Latin America.

History of Church-state relations and religious politics in modern Latin America, with emphasis on the nineteenth to early twentieth-century periods.

LAS X66.22. Reimagining Cuba, 1868-Present.

Explores Cuban-United States relations from the nineteenth century to the present, including issues of empire and transnationalism, and social change engagements between Cuba and the United States before and after the Cuban Revolution.

LAS X66.24. Rethinking the Conquest of Mexico.

Explores the "conquest" of Mexico and the social, cultural, political, and economic processes which were set in motion by the Spanish invasion of Mexico.

LAS X66.27. Cultural Citizenship in the United States and Latin America.

An introduction to the history of relations between the United States and Latin America. Designed to prepare each student for a potential experience in Latin America (or with Latino communities in the United States) such as study abroad, research, and/or community engagement.

LAS X66.28. Argentina: Populism and Insurrection.

An overview of principal trends and issues in Argentine history from independence to the present.

LAS X66.29. Religion, Conquest, and Conversion in Colonial Latin America.

Focuses on the histories of the Catholic Church and religious devotion in colonial Latin America between 1521 and 1821.

LAS X66.3. Modern Latin America.

Continuation of History 346K and Latin American Studies 366 (Topic 2).

LAS X66.31. Afro-Latin America.

Examines the historical experiences of people of African descent in Latin America and the Caribbean beginning in the slavery era, and focuses on the histories of Afro-Latin Americans after emancipation.

LAS X66.32. Latin America in the Nineteenth Century.

Questions the geographical category of Latin America by examining the kinds of trends and forces of the nineteenth century that contributed to its conceptual emergence and to its growing political, economic, and cultural significance on the global stage.

LAS X66.34. The Bible in the Colonial Americas.

Varied perspectives on the central role played by the Old Testament in the construction of colonial cultures in the Americas.

LAS X66.35. When Christ was King.

The history of Catholicism in twentieth-century Mexico, often seen as Latin America's most "Catholic" nation.

LAS X66.36. Urban Slavery in the Americas.

Examines urban slavery in the Americas.

LAS X66.37. Chile: From Revolution to Counterrevolution.

An examination of the key political, social, and economic events that underpin contemporary Chilean society.

LAS X66.38. Latin America in the Sixties.

Explore the impact of the Cuban revolution in Latin American politics, gender roles, and women's participation in public life during the sixties.

LAS X66.39. Life and Politics in Contemporary Mexico.

Examine an overview of life and politics in contemporary Mexico.

LAS X66.40. Politics of Food in Latin America.

Examine food production, food consumption, and socio-cultural identities in Latin America through comparative and multidisciplinary research.

LAS X66.41. Sexuality and Gender in Latin America.

Explore gender as a broad analytical tool to understand key problems concerning social organization, power relations, and inequality in contemporary Latin America.

LAS X66.43. Debt and Colonialism in the Caribbean.

Examine the role that debt has played in the formation of colonial and neocolonial practices in the Caribbean region. Take a broad approach to the concept of debt in order to explore the financial and monetary dynamics of debt, but also the political and cultural implications of debt. Focus in particular on debt as justification in the furtherance of colonialism throughout the Caribbean. Engage in a historical examination of the United States' colonial projects and military interventions in the region throughout the 20th and into the 21st centuries.

LAS X66.44. Race Against Empire: Americas.

LAS X66.45. History of Modern Mexico, 1940-present.

Introduction to the history of modern Mexico from the close of the Mexican Revolution (1940) to the present.

LAS X66.46. The Mexican Revolution, 1910-1940.

Explore the initial decade of the Mexican Revolution, the first of the twentieth-century nationalist social revolutions. Examine the historical antecedents and the political, economic, social, and intellectual elements of the upheaval.

LAS X66.47. Mexican Americans in Texas History.

Introduction to the historical experience of Mexican-American persons in Texas.

LAS X66.7. Resistance, Rebellion, and Revolution in Colonial Spanish America.

LAS X66.9. Revolution in Twentieth-Century Latin America.

An introduction to recent Latin American history, with emphasis on phenomena that explain the apparent social unrest and political instability of the region.

LAS X66C. Nationalisms in the Caribbean.

LAS X66D. Race, Rebellion and Revolution in the Caribbean.

LAS X70P. Topics in Luso-Brazilian Literature, Culture, Civilization, and Linguistics.

Taught in Portuguese.

LAS X70P.10. United States Latino Literatures and Cultures in Context.

Examines the United States Latino literary and cultural production from a multidisciplinary perspective, through literature, film, music, and performance. Analyzes the literatures and experiences of Brazilian American writers and artists in their historical and cultural specificities.

LAS X70P.11. Sociolinguistics.

Explores the interrelationship of language and society with reference to the Portuguese-speaking world. Examines how socio-economic , political, and anthropological factors like race, social class, gender, age, and identity influence linguistics forms.

LAS X70P.2. Introduction to Literatures and Cultures.

Overview of Luso-Brazilian literatures and cultures, including the arts and popular expressions from a multidisciplinary perspective. Among the regions studied are Brazil, Portugal, and related areas in Africa.

LAS X70S. Topics in Hispanic Literature, Culture, Civilization, and Linguistics.

Taught in Spanish.

LAS X70S.23. Violence in Contemporary Mexican Culture.

Studies the representation of violence in contemporary literary and cultural production in Mexico in order to understand social, political, and cultural implications of current violence there. Taught in Spanish.

LAS X70S.24. Gender Issues in Contemporary Latin American Cinema.

Studies Latin American cinema as a device of gender system formation and reinforcement, and as criticism of patriarchal hegemony; discusses questions related to sexuality depicted in Latin American films. Subjects covered include: maternity, prostitution, machismo, children's sexuality, homosexuality, heterosexuality, and gender violence in films from the 1930s to present. Conducted in Spanish.

LAS X70S.27. Introduction to Literatures and Cultures.

Overview of Iberian and/or Latin American literatures and cultures, including the arts and popular expressions, from a multidisciplinary perspective. Among the regions studied are Spain; North, Central, and South America; the Caribbean; and related areas in Africa.

LAS X70S.32. Jewish Voices from Latin America.

Overview of popular Jewish writers from Brazil and Spanish America, with special emphasis on those who portray in their work the situation of the Jewish communities of their respective cities and countries. Conducted in Spanish.

LAS X70S.35. Literature and Exile in the Spanish Caribbean.

Explore literary texts (e.g., poetry, chronicles, narratives, and short stories) that describe exile as a trope. Examine themes, such as literature, culture and colonialism, nationality and belonging (i.e., nation, transnation, and post-nation), nature, the sensorial and subjectivity, identity politics (i.e., race, gender, and sexuality), and the ethics of writing.

LAS X70S.39. Journalism and Human Rights in Latin America.

Explore the traditional definitions of Human Rights and the way those definitions have taken shape in the last two decades in Latin America.

LAS X70S.43. United States Latino Literatures and Cultures in Context.

Examines the United States Latino literary and cultural production from multidisciplinary perspectives, such as literature, film, music, and performance. Analysis of the literatures and experiences of United States Latino writers and artists in their historical and cultural specificities.

LAS X70S.45. Brevity in Spanish-Language Literature and Film.

Explore the work of Spanish and Spanish American filmmakers, prose writers, and poets who have accepted the challenge of expressing themselves in a brief span of time.

LAS X70S.46. Latin American Film and Culture.

Review Latin American cinema from the silent era to present, with an emphasis on the last forty years. Discuss the development of the film industry (particularly in Argentina and Mexico in the 1930s and 1940s), the "New Wave" of Latin American cinema in the 1960s, and contemporary trends.

LAS X70S.47. Latin American Literary and Artistic Environmental Activism.

Explore literary and artistic works that engage in questions of environmental care and justice in the context of twentieth- and twenty-first century Latin America.

LAS X70S.48. Migrations and Exiles in Latin American Literature and the Arts.

Explore how internal and international displacement and migration have been represented in Latin American arts.

LAS X70S.49. The Imagined Andes.

Examine the ways in which the cultural, social, and geographical space of the Andes has been "imagined" through literary texts, visual and audiovisual artworks by writers and artists from Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile and Peru.

LAS X78. Capstone Course in Latin American Studies.

LAS X79. Conference Course in Latin American Studies.

Supervised individual study of selected problems in Latin American studies.

LAS X79H. Honors Tutorial Course.

Individual reading of selected works for one semester, followed in the second semester by the writing of an honors thesis.

LAS X82. Conference Course in Latin American Studies.

Individual study to be arranged with a faculty member.

Graduate Courses

LAS X19S. Topics in Latin American Studies.

LAS X29S. Topics in Latin American Studies.

LAS X81. Topics in Latin American Studies.

A varied selection of topics each semester, taught by different faculty members and visiting professors.

LAS X81.1. International Migration.

LAS X81.11. Information Resources on, and Services for, Hispanic Americans.

Information needs of Hispanic Americans; roles of academic, public, and school libraries in meeting those needs.

LAS X81.12. Information Resources on Latin America.

Historical survey of sources of information on Latin America: bibliographical literature from and about Latin America during the colonial, national, and contemporary periods; various types of book and nonbook sources of information available to contemporary scholars.

LAS X81.14. Introduction to the Sociology of Latin America.

LAS X81.15. Local Economic Development.

LAS X81.16. Maya Hieroglyphic Writing.

LAS X81.19. Political Economics of International Communication.

LAS X81.20. Regional Planning in Latin America.

LAS X81.22. Documentary Tradition of Latin America.

Study of still photographic and video documentary work by Latin Americans about Latin America. Production of photographic essays on Latin American culture.

LAS X81.23. Poverty and Marginality in the Americas.

Review of the past and present ethnographic analyses of the nature and experiences of poverty and marginality in Latin America and in the United States. Examines some of the most controversial issues and debates, and explores emerging research topics north and south of the border.

LAS X81.24. Contemporary Brazilian Art.

Examine art and activism in contemporary Brazil to explore how artists are relating to, reflecting on, and resisting the democratic erosion in the country.

LAS X81.25. Brazilian Cultural Theory.

Explore some of the most influential subjects and theories that have informed contemporary scholarship on the politics of Brazilian literary and cultural production.

LAS X81.26. Cultural Tropicalities.

Examine the centrality of Brazil, and the New World in general, in the context of global controversial meanings, symbology, memory, and knowledge of the inter-tropical cultural and geographic zone.

LAS X81.6. Housing Practices and Public Policy in Latin America.

LAS X81.8. International Business Fellows Seminar.

Multidisciplinary seminar for students in area studies, business administration, law, and public policy. The faculty includes both academics and business leaders.

LAS X81F. Methods for Social Science in Latin America.

LAS X82. Conference Course in Latin American Studies.

Individual study to be arranged with a faculty member.

LAS X83. Invisible Global Market.

LAS X84. Proseminar: Current Issues in Latin America.

LAS X84L. Topics in Latin American Politics.

A varied selection of topics each semester, taught by different faculty members and visiting professors.

LAS X84L.1. Brazilian Public Policies.

LAS X84L.2. Latin American Urban Politics.

LAS X84L.3. Development Policy.

LAS X84L.4. Policy Analysis.

Study of the nature and operation of the national policymaking process.

LAS X84L.5. Politics and Society in the Third World.

LAS X84L.6. Comparative Politics: Latin America.

LAS X86. Topics in Latin American History.

A varied selection of topics each semester, to allow curriculum flexibility for faculty members and visiting scholars.

LAS X88. Topics in Latin American Geography.

LAS X88.1. Regional Geography of Latin America.

Topics include land and life in Central America; culture, environment and development in Latin America; recent trends in Latin American geography.

LAS X88.2. Indigenous Maps, Architecture, and Enculturation of Colonial Mexico.

The encounter of Spanish and indigenous cultures and ecologies; regional diversity of agricultural, urban, and economic development from 1521 to 1810; ethnic transformation and new socioeconomic configurations.

LAS X88.3. Latin American Cultures, Environment, and Development.

Exploration through Latin American examples of issues of cultural identity and territory, adaptive strategies, environmental impact, conservation, cultural survival, parks and people, and sustainable development.

LAS X88.4. Environment and Health in Latin America.

Issues related to health, health care, and development in Latin America and the Caribbean, considered with the recognition that health depends on the interactions of social, economic, and political factors as well as on health care services.

LAS X90K. Proposal Preparation.

Prepare proposal for the doctoral dissertation.

LAS X91. Topics in Latin American Anthropology.

A varied selection of topics each semester, taught by different faculty members and visiting professors.

LAS X91.5. Race and Ethnicity in American Society.

LAS X91K. Topics in Latin American Economics.

A varied selection of topics each semester, taught by different faculty members and visiting professors.

LAS X91K.1. Seminar on the Mexican Economy.

LAS X91K.2. Current Issues in Latin American Economics.

LAS X91K.3. Latin American Economic Models.

LAS X91K.4. Entrepreneurship and Development in Latin America.

LAS X92P. Topics in Luso-Brazilian Literature, Culture, Civilization, and Linguistics.

LAS X92S. Topics in Hispanic Literature, Culture, Civilization, and Linguistics.

LAS X92S.1. Writing on the Edge: Literature and Incarceration.

Explore the critical potential of literature to interrogate mass incarceration and its relationship to systemic inequalities, including access to education, as well as the limits and possibilities of prison writing as a social and restorative endeavor to reimagine society.

LAS X93L. Qualifying Examination.

Prepare for qualifying examinations.

LAS X97R. Secondary Report.

Preparation of a report to be counted toward the requirement for the master's degree under the report option.

LAS X98. Thesis.

LAS X98R. Master's Report.

Preparation of a report to fulfill the requirement for the master's degree under the report option.