SPAN 388: Introduction to Latina/o Studies

SPAN 388-001: Introduction to Latinx/a/o Studies
(Fall 2019)

03:00 PM to 04:15 PM TR

Aquia Building 346

Section Information for Fall 2019

This course offers a representative overview of Latinx history, literatures, and cultures in the United States by engaging students in discussions of literary works and cultural practices in connection with interdisciplinary analyses. The course gives an introduction to the field of Latinx/a/o Studies, presenting main questions raised in this emerging field (What does the term “Latinx/a/o” define? What is the difference between Latinx Studies and Latin American Studies?...), and providing useful sources for further inquiry.

SPAN 388 aims to expose the connections and fruitful exchanges between Latinxs of different backgrounds in the U.S. A main goal is to encourage students to find new ways to understand the complexity and richness included in the term “Latinidades” and its multiple implications. We will focus on how to study identity and intersectionality with a transdisciplinary way of thinking. Beyond strict generic categorizations, literary analyses include novels, short stories, drama, and poetry; and they will be supplemented by close studies of movies, documentaries and other artistic representations. Although the materials will reflect bilingualism as one of the main identity markers of Latinas/os/xs, special attention will be given to a tradition of texts and cultural practices in the Spanish language.

The class is structured in units according to recent debates and issues in U.S. Latinx Studies. Topics and works are meant to serve as points of entry into the analysis of more general issues about Latino identity and its representations, historical roots, immigration, and the formation of Latino communities across the U.S. Overall, the objective is to provide students with a solid introduction to the history of Latinas/os/xs in the U.S. in connection with Latin American history, and a basic foundation in the analysis of U.S. Latinx literatures and cultures not only for academic purposes but also for possible implementations in their everyday lives.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Interdisciplinary approach to the study of U.S. Latina/o cultural production, designed to promote critical thinking in understanding Latina/o histories, literatures, and cultures. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Synthesis
Recommended Prerequisite: SPAN 335 or 336, or SPAN 370, or permission of instructor.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
Additional Course Details: Taught in Spanish

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