Latin American and Caribbean Studies (Concentration)
Program Guidelines & Mission
The concentration in Latin American and Caribbean Studies is designed to promote a multidisciplinary approach to social, historical, political and linguistic issues in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is founded on the basic pillars of a Liberal Arts education such as understanding the person as a whole, promoting critical thinking and expanding cultural horizons. Its mission is to provide students a strong historical, social and cultural foundation for the understanding of specific components of differing Latin American and Caribbean cultures. Through this approach, we strive to foster critical awareness of the heterogeneity that characterizes the region as well as a critical understanding of the complexities of its relationship with the United States. The curriculum of the Latin American and Caribbean studies concentration expresses our commitment to developing the person as a whole by allowing students to explore, analyze, discuss, read and write about a variety of themes directly related to Latin America, from different theoretical frameworks. This in turn encourages students to reflect upon their own cultural background.
Faculty
Director: Shiri Noy (Anthropology/Sociology)
Mónica Ayala-Martínez (Spanish and Portuguese), Isis Campos (Women’s and Gender Studies), Melissa Huerta (Spanish), Francisco López-Martín (Spanish), Shiri Noy (Anthropology/Sociology), Frank Proctor (History), Marion Ramírez (Dance), Charles St-Georges (Spanish), Luis Villanueva (Economics), Micaela Vivero (Visual Arts)
Academic Program Coordinator
Liz Barringer-Smith
LACS Concentration
Core Requirements
Students in the concentration are required to take (or demonstrate that they have taken the equivalent of) the following courses:
Modern Language
Two modern language courses (or the equivalent), beyond the general education requirements in a language spoken in the Latin American and Caribbean area (Portuguese, Dutch, French, Spanish, or an indigenous language). The two courses may be the two first semesters in one of these languages, if the student has already fulfilled the GE requirement in a language that is not spoken in the area.
Core Courses
| Code | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| LACS 101 | Introduction to Latin American Caribbean Studies | |
| One semester of Senior Research | ||
| LACS 451 | Senior Research | |
| or LACS 452 | Senior Research | |
Senior Research guidelines can be accessed here.
Electives
Latin American and Caribbean Studies students will also take three elective courses from different departments. These courses are cross-listed by different programs. Examples of courses offered in the past:
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| History | |
| HIST 140 | Studies in Latin American History |
| HIST 141 | Colonial Latin America |
| HIST 142 | Modern Latin America |
| HIST 196 | Chicana/o History: The Mexican American Experience in the U.S. |
| HIST 230 | Advanced Studies in African History |
| HIST 240 | Advanced Studies in Latin American History |
| HIST 244 | Race and Ethnicity in Latin America |
| HIST 365 | Comparative Slavery in the Americas |
| SPAN 325 | Survey of Latin American Literature |
| SPAN 335 | Cultures of Latin America |
| Fine Arts/Language and Culture | |
| ARTS 141 | Introduction to Sculpture |
| ARTS 243 | Mixed Media Sculpture |
| DANC 274 | Cultural Studies |
| Society and Culture | |
| SPAN 330 | Cultures of Spain |
| SPAN 338 | All the World is a Stage: Theater and Social Change in the Americas |
| SPAN 435 | Seminar in Latin American Culture |
Additional Points of Interest
The same course cannot be used to fulfill more than one of the above requirements. Students are encouraged to consult with the Director of Latin American and Caribbean Studies in making their choices. Students are also encouraged to pursue study abroad programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Courses
LACS 101 - Introduction to Latin American Caribbean Studies (4 Credit Hours)
A comprehensive introduction to the nature of the problem of the Latin American society. A general study of the geography, the historical background, the social, economic, and political contemporary developments as well as the influence of religion and ideology on the Latin American and Caribbean countries.
LACS 124 - Racial Politics in Latin America (4 Credit Hours)
This course will examine the role of race and politics in Latin America by examining concepts such as mesticagem or racial mixture and how that shapes relationships of power and development in these societies. We will also examine the role of whiteness and blackness and how such concepts are used to ensure hierarchies of privilege and disadvantage. What role does a racialized hierarchy play throughout Latin America when considering who are the haves and have nots and which roles are racialized groups such as indigenous and Afro-descendants in Latin America allowed to play in national development? We will first learn about theories of race, politics, and history in select countries. Second, we will apply the theories we have learned to focus on Latin American countries such as Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, and Argentina.
LACS 196 - Chicana/o History: The Mexican American Experience in the U.S. (4 Credit Hours)
This course explores the history of Chicanas/os, people of Mexican descent in the United States, from the Spanish colonization of North America to the present. It is organized chronologically, proceeding through the geopolitical and social processes that created and shaped the Mexican American community. Themes will include, but are not limited to, the creation and shifting of borders and borderlands, the development of Chicana/o identity, race and mestizaje, gender dynamics, labor and power, migration and citizenship, activism, politics, and religion and culture. We will pay special attention to the processes by which Mexican Americans demonstrated agency and resistance in the face of racial and ethnic discrimination and erasure.
Crosslisting: HIST 196.
LACS 199 - Introductory Topics in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (1-4 Credit Hours)
A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.
LACS 211 - Colonial Latin America (4 Credit Hours)
A survey course on Latin America from Conquest through Independence. Topics include exploration of: 1) how Spain and Portugal conquered and colonized the Americas, 2) how they managed to maintain control over those colonies, 3) how the colonized (Indians, Africans, and mixed races) responded to the imposition of colonial rule, 4) the role of women and gender in colonial settings, and 5) the implications of colonialism for the study of modern Latin America.
Crosslisting: HIST 141.
LACS 212 - The Atlantic World (4 Credit Hours)
Drawing together the histories of Europe, Africa, and the Americas, this course explores the origins, development, and meanings of the new Atlantic World created after 1492. Topics may include imperial expansion and colonization, European-Amerindian relations, European-African relations, slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the growth of mercantile capitalism and the establishment of an Atlantic economy, the maturation of Euro-American colonial societies and their struggles for national independence, and the abolition of slavery.
Crosslisting: HIST 161.
LACS 299 - Intermediate Topics in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. (1-4 Credit Hours)
A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.
LACS 313 - Spanish in the United States (4 Credit Hours)
Have you ever heard a Spanish speaker in the United States say escuela alta, rufo, llamar para atrás o queik? Or have you heard someone switch from English to Spanish in the same sentence? What is Spanglish? Do you have a friend who doesn't know Spanish even though his parents speak it? Is Spanish a foreign language in the US? Have you ever heard someone say that we shouldn't speak Spanish here? The United States has a Hispanic population that is larger than most Latin American countries. But, unlike other Spanish-speaking countries, Spanish is a minority language in the US. In this class, we study various social and linguistic phenomena that arise from this situation. Among other topics, we analyze the history of Spanish in the US, the racialization of Spanish, language policy, Spanish in education, Spanglish, and Latinx identity.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 215 or permission of the instructor.
LACS 325 - Survey of Latin American Literature (4 Credit Hours)
Students will analyze texts from Pre-Columbian times to the present within their historical, sociocultural and artistic contexts. This course offers an overview of main literary periods, authors and genres. Students will examine a variety of texts and the outstanding characteristics of their authors. Students will engage in critical analysis of texts through research essays, creative projects and oral presentations, at the ACTFL intermediate-high level. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 215 or consent of instructor or department chair; no course prerequisites if taught in English; when taught in English, no first-year students.
Crosslisting: SPAN 325.
LACS 338 - All the World is a Stage: Theater and Social Change in the Americas (4 Credit Hours)
Discover the vibrant performance practices across the Americas! This course explores how theater and performance in Latin America and Latinx/a/o communities have shaped social and political realities from the colonial era to today. Through readings, videos, and critical analysis, we examine avant-garde theater, community activism, street performance, and more, tackling key themes like colonialism, revolution, gender, borders, and cultural identity. You might even get to visit a regional theater festival!
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 215 or consent of instructor.
Crosslisting: SPAN 338.
LACS 414 - International Labor Migration in a Globalized Economy (4 Credit Hours)
This course revolves around two questions; How can we explain the main international migration flows in the past 50 years? And what are the political, economic and socio-cultural consequences of the recent international migrations on receiving and sending countries? To provide well informed answers to these questions, this course is divided in three parts. The first part provides the basic concepts and theories to study international labor migration issues. The second part takes a historical and international approach and studies some major international labor migration flows since the late 19th century. The third part discusses the political, economic and socio-cultural consequences of the recent international migrations on receiving and sending countries. This study will also include examination of some of the related public policy issues and controversies. The course incorporates institutional and historical contexts, socio-political dimensions and power relations in examinations of complexities of international labor migration. During the course students will work in teams and use various data sources to study some recent migration issues and provide well-informed answers to research questions assigned to each team. The results of this team work will be shared with the class in a presentation at the end of the semester.
Prerequisite(s): ECON 301.
LACS 451 - Senior Research (4 Credit Hours)
Students may enroll in Senior Research in their final year at Denison. Normally, Senior Research requires a major thesis, report, or project in the student's field of concentration and carries eight semester-hours of credit for the year. Typically, a final grade for a year-long Senior Research will not be assigned until the completion of the year-long Senior Research at the end of the second semester. Each semester of Senior Research is limited to a maximum of 4 credit hours. Note: Senior Research may not be used to fulfill General Education requirements.
LACS 452 - Senior Research (4 Credit Hours)
Students may enroll in Senior Research in their final year at Denison. Normally, Senior Research requires a major thesis, report, or project in the student's field of concentration and carries eight semester-hours of credit for the year. Typically, a final grade for a year-long Senior Research will not be assigned until the completion of the year-long Senior Research at the end of the second semester. Each semester of Senior Research is limited to a maximum of 4 credit hours. Note: Senior Research may not be used to fulfill General Education requirements.