Latin American Studies
The Latin American Studies Program provides a framework for studying the diverse societies of Latin America. With its cultural mosaic shaped by the meeting of Native American, European, African, and Asian peoples, and its profound geographic, social, and economic variations, Latin America presents rich opportunities for interdisciplinary and cross-cultural study. By drawing upon the perspectives and methodologies of several disciplines, students are challenged to pursue a deeper understanding of the cultures, institutions, and experiences of Latin Americans. The program provides a forum for examining the intersection of issues of politics, economic development, ethnicity, gender, religion, and cultural expression.
Students interested in exploring Latin American Studies as a possible major are strongly encouraged to enroll in at least one of several gateway courses early in their career at Carleton. Those designated courses are: History 170 Modern Latin America, 1810-present, Political Science 221 Latin American Politics, Sociology/Anthropology 250 Ethnography of Latin America, and Spanish 242 Introduction to Latin American Literature.
Requirements for the Latin American Studies Major
Students complete a minimum of sixty-six credits in approved courses for the major. Majors must also demonstrate competence in Spanish by completing Spanish 205 or equivalent.
Required Courses: (The following core courses are required of all majors):
- HIST 170 Modern Latin America, 1810-present
- LTAM 300 Issues in Latin American Studies
- LTAM 400 Integrative Exercise
In addition, majors are required to complete:
- Two 300-level Latin America-focused courses offered in the Spanish department
- One 300-level history, or sociology/anthropology, or political science course focused on Latin America
- 30 additional credits of electives from the list below. The 300-level courses in the Spanish department that are required are always taught in the language.
Students are strongly encouraged to complete the non-Spanish 300-level course prior to writing their integrative exercise, and to select a 300-level course in a discipline appropriate to the focus of their anticipated comps topic. Students who complete this requirement with a 300-level history course must take at least one approved sociology and anthropology or political science course as an elective.
Up to 27 credits from work in approved off-campus programs may be counted as electives for the major. Credits in natural science courses taken in Latin America may be applied toward the electives requirement if the director approves. Up to twelve elective credits may be comparative or Latino in focus (Economics 240, 241, Music 141, Religion 227, Sociology/Anthropology 203, 233, 259, 302). No more than four courses (twenty-four credits) in any one discipline may apply to the major.
Latin American Studies Minor
The Latin American Studies Minor provides students with a framework for developing a deeper understanding of Latin American history, society, and culture from an interdisciplinary perspective, and is intended to complement a disciplinary major. Minors pursue a program of study combining language training with courses in history, sociology and anthropology, literature and film in the Spanish department, political science, as well as other disciplines, culminating in a capstone experience, the Latin American Forum.
Students interested in exploring Latin American Studies as a possible minor are strongly encouraged to enroll in at least one of several gateway courses early in their career at Carleton. Those designated courses are: History 170 Modern Latin America, 1810-present, Political Science 221 Latin American Politics, Sociology/Anthropology 250 Ethnography of Latin America, and Spanish 242 Introduction to Latin American Literature.
Requirements for the Latin American Studies Minor
- HIST 170 Modern Latin America, 1810-present
- LTAM 300 Issues in Latin American Studies
- LTAM 398 Latin American Forum
- One additional survey course, selected from:
- Students who minor must also complete Spanish 204 or equivalent
- 30 credits in electives
Electives may be chosen from the following list, with at least 12 credits drawn from the first list and twelve from the second. No more than three courses from the student's major may apply to the minor, and no more than three in the same discipline. Up to twelve elective credits may be comparative or Latino in focus (Economics 240, 241, Music 141, Religion 227, Sociology/Anthropology 203, 233, 259, 302). Up to 18 credits from approved off-campus programs may be counted as electives. Credits in natural science courses taken in Latin America may be applied toward the electives requirement if the director approves. In most cases they will count under the Group II list.
Elective Courses:
Group I:
- ARTH 251 Maya Art and Architecture
- CAMS 295 Cinema in Chile and Argentina: Representing and Reimagining Identity (not offered in 2017-18)
- CAMS 295F Cinema in Chile and Argentina-FLAC (not offered in 2017-18)
- CAMS 296 Cinema and Cultural Change in Chile and Argentina (not offered in 2017-18)
- LTAM 100 The Politics of Memory in Latin American Literature
- LTAM 110 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers
- LTAM 382 Conflictive Development: Peru 1980 to Present (not offered in 2017-18)
- SPAN 220 Magical Realism in Latin American Narrative
- SPAN 222 Two Voices: Gabriel García Márquez and Laura Restrepo (not offered in 2017-18)
- SPAN 224 Latin American Authors Write the U.S.
- SPAN 242 Introduction to Latin American Literature
- SPAN 262 Myth and History in Central American Literature
- SPAN 265 The Old and the New in Contemporary Peru (not offered in 2017-18)
- SPAN 321 Murder as a Fine Art: The Detective Novel in Latin America
- SPAN 330 The Invention of the Modern Novel: Cervantes' Don Quijote
- SPAN 342 Latin American Theater: Nation, Power, Gender
- SPAN 344 Women Writers in Latin America: Body and Text (not offered in 2017-18)
- SPAN 356 The Political and Cultural History of the Cuban Revolution (not offered in 2017-18)
- SPAN 371 Yours Truly: The Body of the Letter (not offered in 2017-18)
- SPAN 377 History and Subjectivity in Latin American Poetry
Group II:
- ECON 240 Microeconomics of Development
- ECON 241 Growth and Development
- HIST 170 Modern Latin America 1810-Present
- HIST 171 Latin America and the U.S.
- HIST 172 Latin America’s Global Migrations
- HIST 272 The Mexican Revolution: History, Myth and Art (not offered in 2017-18)
- HIST 277 Revolution, Rebellion, and Protest in Modern Mexico
- HIST 279 Latin America and the Global Cold War
- POSC 221 Latin American Politics (not offered in 2017-18)
- POSC 322 Neoliberalism and the New Left in Latin America* (not offered in 2017-18)
- POSC 325 Corruption, Clientelism, and Political Machines*
- SOAN 203 Anthropology of Good Intentions
- SOAN 233 Anthropology of Food
- SOAN 241 Guatemala Program: Mesoamerican Cultures (not offered in 2017-18)
- SOAN 250 Ethnography of Latin America
- SOAN 251 Guatemala Prog: Resource Management and Sustainable Development in the Maya World (not offered in 2017-18)
- SOAN 295 Guatemala Program: Field Methods and Individual Research Project (not offered in 2017-18)
- SOAN 333 Environmental Anthropology
Latin American Studies Courses
Other Courses Pertinent to Latin American Studies
- ARTH 142 Art of the Ancient Americas (not offered in 2017-18)
- CAMS 295 Cinema in Chile and Argentina: Representing and Reimagining Identity (not offered in 2017-18)
- CAMS 296 Cinema and Cultural Change in Chile and Argentina (not offered in 2017-18)
- ECON 240 Microeconomics of Development
- ECON 241 Growth and Development
- HIST 170 Modern Latin America 1810-Present
- HIST 171 Latin America and the U.S.
- HIST 272 The Mexican Revolution: History, Myth and Art (not offered in 2017-18)
- HIST 277 Revolution, Rebellion, and Protest in Modern Mexico
- HIST 279 Latin America and the Global Cold War
- LTAM 100 The Politics of Memory in Latin American Literature
- POSC 221 Latin American Politics (not offered in 2017-18)
- POSC 322 Neoliberalism and the New Left in Latin America* (not offered in 2017-18)
- POSC 325 Corruption, Clientelism, and Political Machines*
- SOAN 203 Anthropology of Good Intentions
- SOAN 233 Anthropology of Food
- SOAN 241 Guatemala Program: Mesoamerican Cultures (not offered in 2017-18)
- SOAN 250 Ethnography of Latin America
- SOAN 251 Guatemala Prog: Resource Management and Sustainable Development in the Maya World (not offered in 2017-18)
- SOAN 295 Guatemala Program: Field Methods and Individual Research Project (not offered in 2017-18)
- SOAN 333 Environmental Anthropology
- SPAN 220 Magical Realism in Latin American Narrative
- SPAN 222 Two Voices: Gabriel García Márquez and Laura Restrepo (not offered in 2017-18)
- SPAN 224 Latin American Authors Write the U.S.
- SPAN 242 Introduction to Latin American Literature
- SPAN 262 Myth and History in Central American Literature
- SPAN 265 The Old and the New in Contemporary Peru (not offered in 2017-18)
- SPAN 321 Murder as a Fine Art: The Detective Novel in Latin America
- SPAN 330 The Invention of the Modern Novel: Cervantes' Don Quijote
- SPAN 342 Latin American Theater: Nation, Power, Gender
- SPAN 344 Women Writers in Latin America: Body and Text (not offered in 2017-18)
- SPAN 356 The Political and Cultural History of the Cuban Revolution (not offered in 2017-18)
- SPAN 371 Yours Truly: The Body of the Letter (not offered in 2017-18)