America Latin Society and Culture, Information Sheet, Page1
General Education Segment III Cluster
Latin America Society and Culture
General Education, Segment III Rules:
To receive Segment III credit for a course approved for Segment III, a student must complete the cluster as described in the Class Schedule and Bulletin, including the requirement that they must have earned 60 units by the end of the semester in which they take the course. Students must complete all four GE Segment I requirements (i.e. written communication, oral communication, critical thinking, and quantitative reasoning) before beginning Segment III. Segment III courses are required to include a minimum of 10 pages of writing corrected by the instructor. Students must complete at least one course in the Segment III cluster that fulfills the Cultural, Ethnic, or Social Diversity (CESD) Requirement. At least one course in the Segment III cluster must be both outside the major department and outside the major program submitted on the Application for Graduation.
Cluster Theme:
This cluster provides students with an intellectual framework to investigate the phenomena of nation building in Latin America and the historical forces which militate against it. Students will learn about the theoretical debates grounded in history, cultural studies, and philosophy which shed light on the process of forming modern nation-states, and will explore the difficulties, rooted in Latin Americas colonial past, to attain this objective.
Learning Outcomes for the Cluster:
1. Students will identify the historical antecedents of nation building in Latin
America.
2. Students will acquire familiarity with conditions in selected countries, and explain
events and protagonists in the light of their origins and the changes they have undergone during their existence.
3. Students will be able to interrogate this process of forging a nation from the
perspective of various academic disciplines, for example the historical
Latin America Society and Culture, Information Sheet, Page2 background to colonialism in the region. The historical and ideological foundations of indigenous cultures as a basis for this process of nation building, as well as the consequences of these efforts in terms of their relations with the U.S. and with other countries. 4. Students will be able to demonstrate their ability to integrate the historical, economic, and cultural factors which influence nation building, by writing a minimum of ten pages, employing critical thinking skills introduced in each course. 5. Students will be able to describe the importance of the legacy of colonialism, and the cultural influences that have shaped nation building in Latin America.
Cluster Courses and Requirements:
Specific Requirements: Select one course from each category. Category A: The Historical Perspective HIST 501 HIST 520 HIST 500 Category B: Modern Latin America IR/PLSI 322 RAZA 460 HIST 524 HIST 528 HIST/SS 550 GEO 572 Category C: Philosophy, Culture, and Art SPAN 405 RAZA 450 Contexts History of Latin America: The National Period History of Central America and the Caribbean Colonial Latin America CESD CESD CESD CESD Prerequisite ENG 214 ENG 214 ENG 214 Typical Offering
Latin American Policy Analysis (4 Units) Central Americans of the U.S.: History and Heritage History of Mexico History of Brazil Social Change in Modern Latin America Geography Latin of America
ENG 214 CESD CESD CESD CESD ENG 214 ENG 214 ENG 214
Culture and Civilization of Spanish America Indigenismo: Indigenous Culture and Personality
CESD CESD
SPAN 305, 306
Latin America Society and Culture, Information Sheet, Page3 ANTH 471 RAZA 475 The Ancient Maya Aztec Philosophy CESD CESD
Course Descriptions:
Course: HIST 500: Colonial Latin America Descriptions Hispanic America from pre-conquest times to independence. Indian, African, and Hispanic elements in the colonization process; the new colonial culture; political, economic, religious, racial, and sexual domination; and the legacy of colonialism. Latin America since independence (c. 1825). Histories of Latin American peoples: culture, race relations, women, political oppression and resistance, the economy, and development. Political, economic, and social development from the colonial era to the present. Contemporary Central America and the Caribbean, especially postrevolutionary Cuba. Examination of the international relations and foreign policy-making systems of Latin American nations and an analysis of selected foreign policy problems facing Latin American decision-makers with oral and written reports. Developmental relationship between U.S. communities of Central American origin and historical, socio-economic, and cultural factors of contemporary Central America; nationalistic movements, migrations to U.S., economic dependence, social change, art, and society. Mexico from colonial times to the present. Development of major economic, social, and political institutions. Brazil from colonial times to the present. Role of Brazil in Latin American history, shifting patterns of economic activity, evolution of political institutions, development of cultural patterns. Processes of modernization operative in various Latin American societies. 20th century developments which typify the region as a whole. Physical and human geography of Latin America, including hazards, demographic and ethnic patterns, current geographical issues and histori...