LAS X30 LAS 330 Topics in Latin American Geography 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Latin American Studies 322 and 330 may not both be counted unless the topics vary. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Varies with the topic.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Upper Division
Topic 1: The Spanish Background of Hispanic America. Prehistoric and Roman origins of Mediterranean land use and settlement; late medieval economy and institutions; conquest and the transformation of Spanish culture in the New World, with emphasis on colonial Mexico. Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 2: Landscapes of Mexico and Caribbean America. The natural regions and cultural landscapes of Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies. Same as: GRG 341K Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 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. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Same as: GRG 323K Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 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. Only one of the following may be counted: Geography 343E, 356T (Topic: Mapping Latin America), 356T (Topic 12), History 363E, 363K (Topic: Mapping Latin America), 363K (Topic 4), Latin American Studies 330 (Topic: Mapping Latin America), 330 (Topic 4). Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Same as: GRG 343E, HIS 363E Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 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. Only one of the following may be counted: Geography 334C, 334L, Latin American Studies 330 (Topic: Environment Hazards Latin America/Caribbean), 330 (Topic 5). Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Same as: GRG 334L Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 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. Only one of the following may be counted: Anthropology 326M, Geography 324M, 356T (Topic: Sust Maya Geog: Past to Future), Latin American Studies 330 (Topic 6). Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Same as: ANT 326M, GRG 324M Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.