Latin American Studies 600

This course provides a historical, conceptual, and theoretical survey of Latin American Studies. By the end of the semester, it is expected that students will have a good understanding of:\ud ??? Sources for scholarly and research information about Latin America\ud ??? The historical development of Latin America\ud ??? Evolution of academic and other substantive writing about Latin America\ud ??? The different methodologies and disciplines of Latin American Studies\ud ??? The emergence of Latin American Studies as an organized academic disciplineThis course is a seminar introducing graduate students to Latin American Studies. It provides a theoretical, historical, and conceptual survey of Latin American Studies from the first European conquests in the Western Hemisphere to the beginning of the Twenty-first century.\ud \ud The seminar considers: (1) definitions of "Latin America;" (2) the historical development of writing and research on Latin America; and (3) disciplinary approaches to the study of Latin America. Students will survey a variety of definitions of Latin America and diverse approaches to the subject as well as the academic organization of Latin American Studies.\ud \ud Two principal objectives are to provide students with an understanding of the diversity of intellectual and disciplinary approaches to the study of Latin America and to develop an understanding of the academic organization of Latin American Studies programs. To achieve these objectives, the course offers students an opportunity to sample literary, artistic, historical, social science, popular, environmental, and other writing and research on Latin America from the fifteenth century to the present. \ud \ud The course is organized as a seminar. Each week students will read assigned material from the ???required text??? list. Students are expected to come to class each week with all assigned readings and additional tasks completed and thoroughly prepared for presentations and discussion. Short weekly analysis papers on the assigned readings will be required for most of the weekly meetings. Students will be expected to give organized oral presentations related to their weekly assignments as well. The schedule of the seminar follows