Latin American Studies is an interdisciplinary program designed
to encourage the examination of Latin America and the Caribbean:
their people, cultures, society, languages, literature, traditions,
history, economy, and relations with other areas. The major
uses the perspectives provided by several disciplines to examine
the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central and South America, as well
as the areas of Spanish colonization in North America, and
the peoples of Latin American ancestry currently resident in
the United States. Latin American Studies offers courses in
history, folklore and culture, literature, economics, politics,
sociology, and anthropology. The major can provide students
with some of the background necessary for careers in teaching,
bilingual education, social work, government or international
organizations, business, journalism, and specialized non-profit
organizations, as well as for further graduate work in Latin
American Studies or its related disciplines.
Major.
1. Two years of college-level Spanish or the equivalent.
2. A minimum of 30 hours of course work, of which 15 must
be from the core courses (listed below). The remainder may
be taken from a list of related courses or courses taken at
other institutions.
3. At least 15 hours of major credit must be earned at Oberlin.
4. No more than 20 hours from any one department can be counted
toward the major.
5. Two advisors are required, each from a different discipline.
Minor. There is no minor offered in Latin American Studies.
Honors. Those interested in completing honors in Latin American
Studies should consult with the Chair of the program at the
beginning of the second semester of their junior year.
Related Programs. The Latin American Studies Committee strongly
advises majors to take advantage of the opportunities which
exist for studying in Latin America. Rewarding programs of
study are currently offered through the Associated Colleges
of the Midwest in Costa Rica; various CIEE programs in Argentina,
Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic; Oberlin's
PRESHCO program in Spain; the GLCA Borders Program in El Paso/Ciudad
Juarez, and through a variety of other programs. These programs,
usually taken during the junior year, can provide students
with the opportunity to perfect communication skills and further
their knowledge of contemporary life and culture in Latin America.
Transfer of Credit. Up to 15 hours of transfer credit toward
the major can be accepted.
The Latin American Studies Committee. This committee approves
and supervises the major. Members of the Latin American Studies
Committee for the 2003-2004 academic year are:
Ms. Cara, Hispanic Studies
Mr. Faber, Hispanic Studies
Mr. Millette, African American Studies
Mr. Norris, Sociology
Mr. O'Connor, Hispanic Studies
Mr. Pingree, Cinema Studies
Mr. Scholz, Hispanic Studies
Mr. Volk, History
Entry-Level Course Sequence Suggestions. It is recommended
that students interested in the Latin American Studies major
begin course work by satisfying the language requirement and
taking the various introductory survey courses in the field:
Economics (210); History (109, 110; 270); Latin American Literature
(317, 318); and Sociology (217). Please note that the literature,
sociology and economics courses have prerequisites.
Core
Courses
Please consult individual departmental listings
for full course descriptions and availability in a given semester
and year. Not all of these courses are offered every year. As
new courses enter the curriculum, some which do not appear in
the following list could be credited as "core" courses.
Please consult the Chair of the committee for any questions in
this regard. In general, "core" courses are those
whose primary subject matter concerns Latin America and/or the
Caribbean as well as Latino/a studies.
African American Studies (AAST)
120 The Caribbean and the Wider World
208 Slavery and Freedom in the Western Hemisphere
209 Society and Politics in the Modern Caribbean, 1838-1970
347 Going Away Coming Home: Caribbean Literature
Anthropology (ANTH)
216 Latin(o) American Communities in the United States
253 Folklore and Culture of Latin America (identical to Hispanic Studies 312)
262 Ancient Civilizations of the New World
Economics (ECON)
210 Economic Development in Latin America
410 Seminar: Economic Development in Latin America
English (ENGL)
386 -Narrating the Nation: Historical and Literary Approaches to Nationalism
in Latin
America, the Caribbean, and South Asia (identical to History 367; partial credit)
Hispanic Studies (HISP)
306 Colloquium: Literary Commentary of Hispanic Texts (partial credit)
312 Folklore and Culture of Latin America
313 The Emergence of the Anti-Slavery Novel in Cuba
317 Survey of Latin American Literature I
318 Survey of Latin American Literature II
319 Constructions of the True Self in 20th Century Latin American Nouvelle
320 Reading Borges
322 Visions of Mexican Women
327 Latin American Literature
330 Liminal Spaces: Latin American Short Story
331 Transatlantic Literature (partial credit)
405 Modern Poetry in Latin America
429 The Dream of History: Latin American Modernismo
430 The New Narrative in Latin America
431 Ideological Trends: The Essay in Latin America
435 Islands of History: Twentieth Century Cuban and Puerto Rican Literature
436 Caribbean Cultures and Literature
447 Transatlantic Literature (partial credit)
448 Latin American Literature
456 Julio Cortázar
457 Caribbean Cultures and Literatures
465 Viva la Raza: Constructions of Hispanic Identity
History (HIST)
109 Latin American History: Conquest and Colonization
110 Latin American History: State and Nation Since Independence
114 Colonial Encounters: The Spanish Invention of the New World
270 Latina/Latino Survey
293 Dirty Wars and Democracy
294 The United States and Latin America
327 Borderlands
365 Peasant Movements in Latin American History
366 Gender Issues in Latin American History
367 -Narrating the Nation: Historical and Literary Approaches to Nationalism
in Latin America, the Caribbean, and South Asia (identical to English 386; partial
credit)
Sociology (SOCI)
217 Social Development in Brazil and Mexico
PRESHCO courses which examine Latin America will also be considered as part of
the core courses. Please consult Hispanic Studies for the appropriate listings.
Related
Courses
These courses (and others) could add full or
partial credit to a Latin American Studies major depending on
the precise focus of the course in any particular year. Please
consult the Chair of the Latin American Studies Committee prior
to enrolling to determine whether the course will count towards
the Latin American Studies major and, if so, the precise number
of credits which will apply to the major.
Art (ARTS)
266 Art in the World: Contemporary Art in Africa, Asia, and Latin America
Economics (ECON)
209 Economic Development
227 International Trade and Finance
326 International Trade
427 Seminar in International Economics
Ethnomusicology (ETHN)
200 Music of the Americas
Politics (POLT)
221 Third World Political Economies
228 U.S. Foreign Policy Making
321 National and International Developments in the Third World
323 Democratization in the Twenty-First Century
Religion (RELG)
228 Contemporary Theologies of the Political
401. Honors Project
3-4 hours
3-4EX
First Semester. Students interested in pursuing Honors in this interdisciplinary
major should consult the Chair of the Latin American Studies Committee in their
sixth semester. Honors work normally consists of the preparation of a thesis
under faculty supervision. Consent of instructor required.
Staff