Latin American Studies Courses

In addition to the following courses, many special courses on Latin America are taught each year by the Edward Larocque Tinker Visiting Professors of Latin American Studies. Check the Time Schedules for current offerings.

Anthropology

Anthro 213. Modern Readings in Anthropology: Shamanism. The venerable topic of shamanism is explored in its original Siberian manifestation, North American variations, and extensions into Central and South America. R. Fogelson, W. Hanks. Spring.

Anthro 220/335. The Anthropology of Development. This course applies anthropological understanding to development programs in "underdeveloped" societies through case studies of food production, nutrition, and health care practices. Special attention is paid to the role and impact of indigenous and anthropological concepts in the design and implementation of development projects. Topics include development within the world system; the role of national and international development agencies, both public and private (nongovernmental); the cultural construction of well-being and deprivation; the impact of world market mechanisms and consumerism on underdevelopment; local resistance and engagement in development; the politics of underdevelopment; and future scenarios of development. J. Fernandez, R. Fernandez, A. Kolata. Spring.

Anthro 313-3. Rethinking the African Diaspora. The course focuses on the "African" experience in the New World, particularly Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, Trinidad, and North America. A. Apter. Spring.

Latin American Studies

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LatAm 299. Preparation of the B.A. Essay. PQ: Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Normally taken for a letter grade. Staff. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.

LatAm 301-302-303. Intensive Aymara (=Anthro 277-1,-2,-3; LngLin 301-302-303). Beginners' intensive course in Aymara, stressing speaking, grammatical, and cultural structures. Intensively taught to reach beyond intermediate speaking skills. Instruction by a native speaker who provides instructional materials. M. Huanca. Summer.

LatAm 345-346-347. Introduction to Latin American Civilization I, II, III (=Anthro 307-1,-2,-3; Hist 335-336-337; SocSci 261-262-263). This sequence fulfills the Common Core requirement in civilizational studies. May be taken in sequence or individually. This three-quarter course sequence introduces students to the history and cultures of Latin America, including Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands. The autumn quarter examines the origins of civilizations in Latin America with a focus on the political, social, and cultural features of the major pre-Columbian civilizations of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec. The quarter concludes with consideration of the Spanish and Portuguese conquest and the construction of colonial societies in Latin America. The winter quarter addresses the evolution of colonial societies, the wars of independence, and the emergence of Latin American nation-states in the changing international context of the nineteenth century. The spring quarter focuses on the twentieth century, with a special emphasis on the challenges of economic, political, and social development in the region. F. Katz. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Political Science

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PolSci 250. Comparative Politics of Latin America. This course introduces the student to theories of sociopolitical development and change in Latin America and to the political systems of three Latin American countries (to be announced). Through theoretical and substantive readings on the region, we explore concepts such as modernization, dependency, authoritarianism, and democracy. S. Stokes. Winter.

Romance Languages and Literatures

Portuguese

Portu 101-102-103. Elementary Portuguese I, II, III. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Portu 111-112-113. Intensive Elementary Portuguese I, II, III. A.-M. Lima, A. McLean, Staff. Summer.

Portu 204/304. Intermediate Portuguese. A.-M. Lima. Autumn.

Portu 205/305. Advanced Portuguese. A.-M. Lima. Winter.

Portu 206/306. Estilística da língua portuguesa. A.-M. Lima. Spring.

Spanish

Span 101-102-103. Beginning Elementary Spanish I, II, III. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Span 121-122. Continuing Spanish I, II. Staff. Autumn, Winter.

Span 201. Intermediate Spanish I. PQ: Span 103, 122, or placement. This course fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. Staff. Autumn, Spring.

Span 202. Intermediate Spanish II. PQ: Span 201. Staff. Winter.