Latin American and Latino Studies

2011-12 General Catalog

32 Merrill College
(831) 459-4284
http://lals.ucsc.edu

Program Description

The Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) Department prepares students for bilingual and multicultural participation in a rapidly changing and globalized world. LALS integrates the study of Chicano/a and Latino/a communities in the U.S. with analysis of the histories, politics, cultures, and societies of Latin America and the Caribbean. The field is inherently interdisciplinary, drawing on sociology, history, anthropology, political science, media studies, communications, cultural studies, economics, environmental studies, and literature.

LALS courses deal with changing political, social, economic, and cultural realities among Latin American and U.S. Latino and Latina communities in ways that recognize cross-cultural and transnational processes. Key concepts and processes studied include: immigration and transnational migration; gender, racial, sexual, and ethnic identities; social movements; diverse forms of cultural expression and cultural politics; ongoing political and economic restructuring in Latin America; and the challenges of political and economic empowerment for Latino/a communities in the U.S. Students learn to formulate thoughtful, critical and clear arguments on controversial topics and communicate effectively, including beyond the English language.

In addition to academic knowledge, LALS also provides opportunities for students to acquire practical, real-world skills. Through program-related internship and field-study experiences, students can acquire useful, pre-professional skills in any of the following key areas: community development/advocacy, public policy, education, journalism, media, performance, and research/writing, among others.

Latin American and Latino studies courses span a number of disciplines and are augmented by courses taught by participating faculty in various departments. A sample list appears at the end of the course descriptions. The Latin American and Latino Studies Department compiles a quarterly list of these courses offered by other departments that are pre-approved and count toward the major; this list appears on the department’s web site under “courses” and is frequently updated.

Graduates of the LALS major have made careers in a wide variety of fields, including teaching, community organizing, community and government service, journalism and the media, environmental science, global economics, health care, legal services, library science, music, publishing, and research. Many have gone on to pursue advanced degrees in the U.S. or abroad in fields such as anthropology, bilingual education, communications, cultural studies, ecology, economics, geography, history, law, literature, media, public health, and sociology.

Major Requirements

Two lower-division courses are required for the major (see the list below). LALS 1, Introduction to Latin American and Latino Studies, and one Latin American and Latino Studies 80 course chosen from the list below. Ideally students (frosh and transfer) should take LALS 1, and two courses from the LALS 80s series, prior to taking LALS 100 Concepts and Theories in Latin American and Latina/o Studies, a required course to declare the major.

See the LALS lower-division course list below:

Latin American and Latino Studies

1 Introduction to Latin American and Latino Studies

80B Social Movements in Latin America

80D Political Change in Mexico

80E Latin American Philosophy

80F Latinos in the U.S.A .: Comparative Perspectives

80G Race, Class, and Gender

80H Comparative Latina/o Histories

80I Gender and Global Cinema

80J Race, Nation, and War

80K Latinos and Organized Labor in the U.S.

80P Energy, Society and Environment in Latin America

80Q Música Latina

80R Organizing Across the Americas

80S Sexualities and Genders in Latin American and Latina/o Studies

80T Topics in Latin American and Latina/o Studies Cinema

80W Transnational Feminist Organizing in the Americas

80X Central American Peoples and Cultures

Anthropology

80G Barrio Popular Culture

80I Culture and Power in Latin America

Environmental Studies

80A The Future of Rain Forest

History

11A Latin America: Colonial Period

11B Latin America: National Period

80N Women at Work

History of Art and Visual Culture

60 Indigenous American Visual Culture

Spanish /Latin American/Latino Literature

60 Introduction to Literary Genres

80N Latino Expressions in the U.S.

Music

4A and 4B Latin American Ensembles (three quarters fulfill one lower-division elective)

11D Introduction to World Music

80F Music in Latin American Culture: Regional Traditions

Philosophy

80E Latin American Philosophy

Sociology

15 World Society

Theater

80M Chicano Teatro

Other courses numbered 1–80 on Latin American and/or Latino/a subjects may be substituted with approval in advance from the Latin American and Latino Studies Department.

Courses with similar content taken at other institutions may be substituted with approval from the Latin American and Latino Studies Department.

In addition, all majors must complete 10 upper-division courses, including three required core courses, (no substitutions):

Latin American and Latino Studies

100 Concepts and Theories in Latin American and Latina/o Studies

100A Politics and Society: Concepts and Methods

100B Culture and Society: Culture in a Global Context

The remaining seven electives must meet the following criteria:

A cluster of three LALS-related courses must be taken in a variety of areas of concentration.
These may be LALS courses or courses from affiliated/participating departments.
At least one course must concentrate on pre-WWII topics
At least one course must center on Chicano/a-Latino/a issues
At least two LALS upper-division courses must be taken in Spanish or Portuguese***

***Upper-division courses in Portuguese are currently not taught at UCSC and must be taken elsewhere.

Additional Upper-Division Courses of Interest

American Studies

157 Sexual Identities and Communities: Tracing Latina/o Theory

Anthropology

130B Brazil

130F African Diasporas in the Americas

130L Ethnographies of Latin America

130M Inside Mexico

130U Central America

145X Special Topics in Socio-Cultural Anthropology

176B Meso-American Archeology

Economics

148 Latin American Economies

Education

128 Immigrants and Education

141 Bilingualism and Schooling

181 Race, Class, and Culture in Education

Environmental Studies

122 Tropical Ecology and Conservation

143 Sustainable Development: Economy, Policy, and the Environment

Feminist Studies

115 Gender, Sexuality, and Transnational Migration Across the Americas

120 Transnational Feminisms

124 Technology, Science, and Race Across the Americas

194F Chicana/Latina Cultural Production

History

125 California History

126 From Indigenous Colonial Borderlands to the U.S.-Mexico Border

128 Chicano/a History

130 History of Modern Cuba

131 Women in Colonial Latin American

132 History of the Caribbean: Colonial Period

134B History of Mexico, 1850 to Present

190A Slavery and Race in Latin America

190B Race and the Nation in Latin America

190E Topics in Chicana/o History

190T Latin America in the Cold War

History of Art and Visual Culture

143C Latin American Modern Architecture

140D Chicano/Chicana Art: 1970-Present

160A Topics in Pre-Hispanic Visual Culture: Mexico

160B Topics in Pre-Hispanic Visual Culture: The Andes

162A Advanced Studies in Pre-Hispanic Visual Culture: The Maya

163 The Native in Colonial Spanish America

191B The Virgin of Guadalupe: Images and Symbolism in Spain, Mexico, and the U.S.

Spanish/Latin American/Latino Literature

102A From the Conquest to Sor Juana

102B Introduction to Hispanic American Lit: Romanticism

130E Latin American Poetry Poetry

131D Chile

131H National Literatures of Latin America: Cuba

134G Popular Culture in Latin American Narrative

134M Literatura y Modernidad: El Boom de La Novela Latinoamericana Latinoamericana

135 The Picaresque Novel

World Literature

127 Chicano/Mexicano Geographies

Politics

140C Latin American Politics

144 Andean Politics

190V Problems in Latin American Politics

Psychology

157 Chicana Feminism (also offered as Feminist Studies 151A)

159K Advanced Topics in Chicana Feminism (also offered as Feminist Studies 151B)

Sociology

156 US Latina/o Identities: Centers and Margins

177A Latinos/as and the American Global City

Spanish

156A The language of Latin America Cinema

156G Spanish for the Professions

Spanish for Spanish Speakers

125 Mexico and the Southwest

The above is a partial list of upper-division courses taught by Latin American and Latino Studies participating and affiliated faculty based in other departments. A complete list of interdisciplinary course offerings approved for the Latin American and Latino Studies major and minor is published prior to each academic quarter on the department web site: http://lals.ucsc.edu.

Language Requirements

All Latin American and Latino studies majors are expected to learn to speak, read, and write Spanish or Portuguese and to make use of these skills on a regular basis in their upper-division academic work.

Majors must take at least two upper-division courses taught in Spanish or Portuguese. Before taking upper-division course work taught in the language, students must demonstrate proficiency in Spanish equivalent to the completion of Spanish 6 or 56, or Spanish for Spanish Speakers 63. Students who wish to pursue Portuguese may take the Portuguese 1A/1B or 60A/60B series.

Students who have achieved fluency in Spanish or Portuguese through life experience may be exempt from this recommended preparatory course work after demonstration of their proficiency. In addition to Latin American and Latino studies and affiliated department course offerings, the required two upper-division courses taught in Spanish or Portuguese*** may be fulfilled through study abroad with prior approval by the LALS Department. Students may also pursue internship or field study opportunities to satisfy one of the two required upper-division courses taught in Spanish or Portuguese; however, at least one of the two courses must be fulfilled in a classroom setting.

Field-Study and Internship Opportunities

All majors are encouraged to undertake either a field study in Latin America, the Caribbean, a Latino/a community in the U.S., or formal academic study abroad through the Education Abroad Program (EAP). These paths are the best ways to improve language skills, explore the nature and direction of specific academic and career interests in relation to Latin American and Latino studies, and deepen cross-cultural understanding and relationships based upon personal experience.
Field studies are independent, community-based study projects for academic, credit, done under faculty sponsorship and arranged on an individual basis. Local opportunities for internships and field study in Latino/a communities on California’s Central Coast are numerous. Credit for up to three upper-division courses may be applied toward the major from field study; however, course credit from field study and study abroad combined may not exceed three upper-division courses. Students should check the Latin American and Latino Studies Department web site for further information regarding the field-study process and course credit. A listing of local field-study programs and petition forms are available at the Latin American and Latino Studies Department office, 32 Merrill.

Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement

Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. The DC requirement in Latin American and Latino studies and the combined majors with global economics, literature, politics, and sociology are met by completing courses 100A and 100B.

Study Abroad

Students may apply to study abroad through the Education Abroad Program (EAP), or independently. EAP offers opportunities for students to study in Mexico City, Mexico; Santiago, Chile; Rio de Janeiro or Bahia, Brazil; and Madrid, Córdoba, Granada, and Barcelona in Spain. In addition to language and culture and university immersion programs, EAP also offers a Field Research Program in Mexico, which is an experiential program geared toward juniors and seniors who want to explore the “real” Mexico outside the classroom and at the same time receive undergraduate research training. The program has research sites in states such as Jalisco, Yucatán, Oaxaca, and Michoacán (final site choice depends on the research topic). Application deadlines are generally about one year in advance of the program, so students should visit the UCSC International Education Office early to plan for study abroad and to begin the application process. The department will approve courses taken abroad, whether through EAP or on independent programs, that cover topics appropriate to the LALS curriculum for upper-division credit toward the major. All credit for EAP classes is fully incorporated into student’s UCSC transcripts; students receive transfer credit for independent study abroad programs. Financial aid applies to all EAP programs and takes into account airfare and living costs in addition to tuition and fees; financial aid is not available for students who study abroad independently. Before departure, student should present an academic plan for courses abroad to the department advisor for review. Credit for up to three EAP courses can be applied toward the major. (A maximum of three courses of field study and EAP combined can be applied toward the major requirements.)

Senior Comprehensive Requirement

Every major must complete a senior exit requirement in order to graduate. The preparation and completion of this requirement is structured into the senior year. There are five options to choose from:

Enrollment in a Latin American and Latino Studies senior seminar (194 series), with good to excellent performance (grade of B or better). Students must write at least 30 pages cumulatively, during the course of the quarter, and must submit a final paper that is based on independent scholarly research, demonstrates advanced skills in critical analysis, and which
has undergone revisions. Senior standing and completion of LALS 100A and 100B are required before taking a LALS 194 course for fulfillment of the Senior Exit Requirement.

An expanded research paper, a minimum of 20 pages in length. This paper often builds on related course work and requires approval from the relevant faculty adviser before the end of the winter quarter of the senior year. Students must be enrolled in an independent-study tutorial to complete this paper.

A senior thesis, generally between 40–60 pages, based on two or more quarters of sustained independent research under the supervision of the faculty adviser while enrolled in an independent study (done by petition to LALS, and with the approval of the faculty adviser). If the thesis option is selected by a combined major, it should be planned in consultation with an adviser from each department, completed under the supervision of a faculty member from either department, and read and approved by both advisers; one adviser is sufficient if this faculty member is affiliated with both departments.

A senior project, which can be either a creative project or a community-action project. Creative projects include web site design, video, performance, slide show, photo exhibit, or other media work. A short written analysis of the student’s experience in conducting the project is required. Community-action projects often involve sustained research and/or activity conducted in a community organization or public interest group, usually stemming from an internship. A 10-page description and analysis of the project is required.

The student-directed seminar option is available to unusually qualified students only. It requires three quarters of preparation directed by a faculty adviser and approval by the Academic Senate Committee on Educational Policy prior to teaching the course. The class is limited to 15 students. This option can be taken only by petition to LALS and with the approval of the faculty adviser. This process should be initiated a year prior to offering the course.

Latin American and Latino Studies Major Planners

The following are two recommended academic plans for undertaking basic preparation for the Latin American and Latino studies major. Plan One is a guideline for students who commit to the major early in their academic career. Plan Two is for transfer students.

Plan One—Frosh
Year	Fall	Winter	Spring
1st (frsh)	SPAN 1	SPAN 2	SPAN 3
1st (frsh)	LALS 1	LALS 80	LALS 80
2nd (soph)	SPAN 4 or SPSS 61	SPAN 5 or SPSS 62	SPAN 6 or 56 or SPSS 63
2nd (soph)	LALS 100	LALS 100A	LALS 100B
3rd (jr)	LALS upper-division course	LALS upper-division course	LALS upper- division course
4th (sr)	LALS upper-division course	LALS upper-division course	LALS 194 (Senior- Exit Requirement)
4th (sr)	LALS upper-division course	LALS upper-division course	LALS upper- division course

Plan Two—Junior Transfers
Year	Fall	Winter	Spring
3rd (jr)	SPAN 4 or SPSS 61	SPAN 5 or SPSS 62	SPAN 6 or 56 or SPSS 63
	LALS 100	LALS 100A	LALS 100B
	LALS 80	LALS 80	LALS upper- division course
4th (sr)	LALS upper-division course	LALS upper-division course	LALS upper-division course
4th (sr)	LALS upper-division course	LALS upper-division course	LALS 194 (Senior- Exit Requirement)

Combined Majors

The combined major options, requiring fewer courses than a double major, are established with the global economics, literature, politics, and sociology programs.

Latin American and Latino Studies/Global Economics

Students are required to take a total of 18 courses and to satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement. For the combined major in Latin American and Latino studies/global economics, students complete a total of seven lower-division course requirements for both the Latin American and Latino studies and global economics majors. Students are assigned a faculty adviser from each discipline. Lower–division requirements include Economics 1, 2, 11A, 11B, Applied Mathematics and Statistics 5, upper-division course requirements include Economics 100A, 100B, and 113; LALS 100, 100A, and 100B; and five additional elective courses, two from economics (104, 114, 120, 125, 126, 128, 130, 137, 140, 141, 142, 148, 149, 150, 160A, 160B, 165, 169, 170, 171, 175, 183, 184, 189, 195 or 199) and three from Latin American and Latino studies. Two of the upper-division courses must be taught in Spanish or Portuguese*** and two to four (at least one quarter) must be courses of academic study abroad, internship, or field study in a Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking country. The comprehensive requirement is met by the completion of a senior thesis on a topic suitable to both global economics and Latin American and Latino studies, supervised by a faculty member from either department and read and approved by the student’s advisers from both departments.

Latin American and Latino Studies/Literature

Students are required to take a total of 13 courses and to satisfy a senior comprehensive requirement. Students complete a total of two lower-division course requirements. One of the lower-division LALS classes must be LALS 1 or LALS 80 and one of the lower-division classes must be Spanish Literature 60 or a Literature 80 series course in a relevant area of study. For transfer students, a petition can be made to replace the LALS 1 or 80 course with an appropriate course from another institution.

Upper-division requirements include five core courses, LALS 100, 100A, 100B, Spanish Literature 102A, and Spanish Literature 102B; and six additional elective courses, three from Spanish Literature and three from LALS. At least four of the upper-division courses must be taught in Spanish or Portuguese*** (with at least one taught by LALS core or participating faculty), and at least one of the Literature courses must address theoretical concerns. Up to three relevant courses taken through study abroad programs from which credits are transferable to UCSC may be credited toward the major when the content is deemed appropriate by both departments. To complete the comprehensive requirement, students can write a senior thesis (by petition), enroll in an appropriate LALS Seminar (194 series), or enroll in an appropriate Literature Senior Seminar in the area of concentration. If the thesis option is selected, it should be planned in consultation with an adviser from each department, completed under the supervision of a faculty member from either department, and read and approved by both advisers; one adviser is sufficient if this faculty member belongs to both departments. Both departments must approve a study plan before the major can be declared.

Latin American and Latino Studies/Politics

Students are required to take a total of 13 courses and to satisfy a senior comprehensive requirement. For the combined major in Latin American and Latino studies/politics, students complete two lower-division course requirements. One of the lower-division courses must be LALS 1 or 80, the other one course from Politics 1-79. For transfer students, a petition may be made to substitute Latin American and Latino studies 1 or 80, or one course from Politics 1-79 with appropriate course work from another institution. The 11 upper-division courses include three core course from LALS (LALS 100, 100A and 100B), one from Politics (140C) and seven upper-division electives, five from politics (three politics core courses from the 105, 120, 140, and 160 series) and two from LALS (one must be taught in Spanish or Portuguese*** and the other must be on Chicano/a-Latino/a issues).

To complete the senior comprehensive requirement, students may take either a Politics (190) or LALS (194) senior seminar.

Latin American and Latino Studies/Sociology

Students are required to take a total of 14 courses and to satisfy a senior comprehensive requirement. There are three lower-division course requirements, two from the Sociology Department and one from Latin American and Latino Studies Department. The lower-division LALS courses must be LALS 1 or 80; transfer students may petition to replace the LALS 1 or 80 with an appropriate course from another institution. Upper-division requirements include seven core courses: LALS 100, 100A, 100B; Sociology 103A, 103B, 105A, and 105B; and four additional elective courses, two from sociology and two from Latin American and Latino studies. At least one of the Latin American and Latino studies upper-division courses must be taught in Spanish or Portuguese***, and at least one course in the sociology/Latin American and Latino studies combined major must be on Chicano/a-Latino/a issues. Up to three relevant courses taken through study abroad programs from which credits are transferable to UCSC may be credited toward the major when the content is deemed appropriate by the faculty advisers of both sociology and Latin American and Latino studies. Students can satisfy the comprehensive requirement in one of three ways: (1) writing a senior thesis, (2) passing an appropriate LALS Senior Seminar (194 series), or (3) completing two additional sociology upper-division courses in the area of Inequality and Social Change(refer to the sociology undergraduate adviser for the specific list of courses). If the thesis option is selected, it should be planned in consultation with an adviser from each department, completed under the supervision of a faculty member from either department, and read and approved by both advisers; one adviser is sufficient if this faculty member belongs to both departments.

***Upper-division courses in Portuguese are currently not taught at UCSC and must be taken elsewhere.

Honors in the Major

The LALS faculty considers awarding honors in the major based on overall student academic performance in courses that count towards the major. To be considered for honors, narrative evaluations must indicate either consistently excellent performance or a pattern of increasingly improved performance, which reaches and maintains consistent excellence during the last several quarters. For combined majors, student work must be judged honors-level in both departments; the LALS faculty cannot award honors in the major unless the other department also confers honors. To receive the strongest consideration for honors in the major the following grade point average (GPA) criteria must be met: highest honors, 4.0; honors, 3.7. Students with a 3.5–3.7 GPA in the major go under review, and a decision is made based on their grades in core courses and improvement over time.

LALS also awards honors for the thesis, creative or community action projects, or student taught seminars, by the recommendation of the faculty adviser. Note that a thesis, a creative/community project, or a student-taught seminar are the only senior exit requirement options that qualify for this distinct honors designation. Expanded papers and senior seminars do not qualify for a separate honors designation, but students who choose these options may still qualify for honors in the major.

Minor Requirements

The minor in Latin American and Latino studies consists of seven courses, including two lower-division courses (LALS 1 or an 80s series course) and five upper-division courses (including LALS 100 or LALS 100A or 100B and any other four upper-division courses that count towards the major). Knowledge of Spanish and/or Portuguese is highly recommended, but not required for the minor.

Graduate Studies

Graduate students may work toward a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree that notes a designated emphasis in Latin American and Latino studies on the graduation documents. Students wishing to pursue this option should consult with the chairs of their respective Ph.D. programs and are encouraged to apply in the first or second year of graduate study. The application and an annually updated list of regularly offered, approved graduate courses are available at : http://lals.ucsc.edu.

The following are required for the designated emphasis:

Committee Composition. The student must have a designated graduate adviser from among the Latin American and Latino studies core, participating, or affiliated faculty. This adviser will be in addition to the graduate adviser from the student’s home department. The Latin American and Latino studies adviser must serve on the student’s qualifying examination committee and/or on the student’s dissertation committee.

Writing. The student must prepare a significant piece of writing in the area of Latin American and Latino studies. This writing may take the form of a substantial seminar paper, master’s essay, or doctoral dissertation chapter.

Course requirements. The student must take five graduate courses in Latin American and Latino studies, including the required LALS 200 and LALS 297. The remainder can be selected from appropriate graduate offerings of any UCSC department, as long as they are taught by core, participating, or affiliated Latin American and Latino studies faculty.

Teaching. The student must serve as a teaching assistant in at least one Latin American and Latino studies course or teach a Latin American and Latino studies course independently in the regular curriculum or in Summer Session.

Courses. Graduate course work in Latin American and Latino studies is available both in the Latin American and Latino Studies Department and in other UCSC departments. Graduate courses to date in the Latin American and Latino Studies Department include

200 Bridging Latin American and Latina/o Studies

210 Latina Feminisms: Theory and Practice

212 Latina/o Ethnographic Practice

215 Latina Cultural Studies; Transborder Feminist Imaginaries

220 Transnational Civil Society: Limits and Possibilities

230 Political Ecology in Latin America

240 Culture and Politics of Human Rights

242 Globalization, Transnationalism, and Gender in the Américas

244 U.S. Political Relations with Latin America

297 Independent Study

299 Thesis Research

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Revised: 8/13/12