Latin American Studies

Hayley Froysland, Ph.D. | Coordinator

(574) 520-4266 | internationalprog.iusb.edu

Faculty

Coordinator | Froysland
Faculty Advisors | Barrau, L. Chen, Fong-Morgan, Sernau, VanderVeen

About Latin American Studies

The Latin American/Latino Studies Program focuses on the culture, society, and history of South America, Central America and Mexico, and the Caribbean, as well as the experiences in the United States of people and their descendents from these regions. The approach is holistic and interdisciplinary, combining language proficiency and cultural appreciation with analysis of social institutions and the processes of social, political, economic, and cultural change.

For more information about the Latin American/Latino Studies Program, contact the program coordinator.

Minor Offered

Minor in Latin American/Latino Studies

Course Descriptions

Anthropology ANTH  |  History HIST  |  Political Science POLS  |  Psychology PSY  |  Sociology SOC  |  Spanish SPAN  |  Speech SPCH  |  Women's and Gender Studies WGS

Minor in Latin American/Latino Studies

Minor Requirements (15 cr. minimum)

All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise designated.

Core Courses (6 cr.)

Select two courses in Latin American history, politics, society, or culture:

• ANTH-E 300 Culture Areas and Ethnic Groups
  VT: Peoples and Cultures of Latin America
• ANTH-E 335 Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica
• HIST-A 352 History of Latinos in the United States
• HIST-H 211 Latin American Culture and Civilization 1
• HIST-H 212 Latin American Culture and Civilization 2
• POLS-Y 330 Central American Politics
• POLS-Y 337 Latin American Politics
• SOC-S 362 World Societies and Cultures (Mexico or Costa Rica)
• SPAN-S 275 Hispanic Culture and Conversation
• SPAN-S 302 The Hispanic World 2
• SPAN-S 363 Introducción a la Cultura Hispánica
• SPAN-S 412  Spanish America: The Cultural Context

Electives (6 cr.)

The 6 credit hours of electives may be drawn from the following courses or an approved substitute. Students seeking to apply a course with a comprehensive international theme to the minor should be able to show that a major portion of their work, such as a term paper or similar assignment, dealt directly with a Latin American/Latino topic. To preserve the minor’s interdisciplinary focus, courses must be drawn from at least two departments.

Anthropology

• ANTH-A 385 Topics in Anthropology (where topics have a Latin American/Latino focus)
• ANTH-E 300 Culture Areas and Ethnic Groups
  VT: Peoples and Cultures of Latin America

History

• HIST-A 352 History of Latinos in the United States*
• HIST-F 300 Issues in Latin American History
• HIST-J 495 Proseminar for History Majors (where topics have a Latin American/Latino focus)
• HIST-H 211 Latin American Culture and Civilizations 1
• HIST-H 212 Latin American Culture and Civilizations 2
• HIST-T 190 Literary and Intellectual Traditions (where topics have a Latin American/Latino focus)

Political Science

• POLS-Y 330 Central American Politics*
• POLS-Y 337 Latin American Politics*
• POLS-Y 343 The Politics of International Development

Select one of the following:

• POLS-Y 324 Women and Politics (where topics have a Latin American/Latino focus)

Psychology

• PSY-P 391 Psychology of Gender and Ethnicity (where topics have a Latin American/Latino focus)

Sociology

• SOC-S 335 Race and Ethnic Relations (where topics have a Latin American/Latino focus)
• SOC-S 362 World Societies and Cultures (Mexico/Costa Rica)
• SOC-S 410 Advanced Topics in Social Organization
  VT: International Inequalities and Global Issues (where topics have a Latin American/Latino focus)

Spanish

• SPAN-S 204 Second-Year Spanish 2 (for non-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences students)
• SPAN-S 275 Hispanic Culture and Conversation
• SPAN-S 303 The Hispanic World
• SPAN-S 317 Spanish Conversation and Diction
• SPAN-S 363 Introducción a la Cultura Hispánica
• SPAN-S 412 Spanish America: The Cultural Context
• SPAN-S 416 Modern Hispanic Poetry
• SPAN-S 496 Foreign Study in Spanish (in Latin America)

Speech Communication

• SPCH-S 427 Cross Cultural Communication

Women’s Studies

• WGS-W 400 Topics in Women’s Studies
  VT: Gender, Sexuality, and Race in Contemporary United States Immigration

• One 400 level course with Latin American or Latino Studies focus (3 cr.)

Language Requirement

Language facility is an important part of regional and cross-cultural understanding. All students seeking this minor must complete second-year Spanish or its equivalent. Students registered in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences complete the language requirement by taking Spanish to fulfill the language requirements for the Bachelor of Arts. Students in other divisions take SPAN-S 204 Second-Year Spanish 2 as an elective for the minor as well as meeting the language requirement. Students enrolled or contemplating this minor are encouraged to complete their language courses as early as possible in their program.

Both the Spanish and sociology component of the IU South Bend Mexico and Costa Rica programs, SOC-S 362 World Societies and Cultures, can be applied to the minor and students are encouraged to consider this program or other international experience. All coursework for the minor should be planned with an advisor from the Latin American/Latino Studies Committee. This helps achieve a program of complementary coursework tailored to a student’s specific needs and interests.