Hispanic Studies (HISP)

This course is an introductory approach to the Spanish-Speaking World and its diverse cultures united by one common language, Spanish, and a cultural value system stemming from its core linguistic foundation. We will examine what unite the Spanish-Speaking World to then explore the regional differences and idiosyncrasies that make them unique, including the Spanish-speaking cultures present in the United States and in Spain (Europe). From popular culture (film, music, gastronomy) to more academic and formal cultural artifacts (short literary stories and the audiovisual arts), students will enter a journey of discovery to better grasp the cultural background of the Spanish-Speaking population, one and diverse. C21:GE,HU,OC.

Africa begins in the Pyrenees." "Spain is Different." "America is in Spain." Ranging from derogatory stereotypes to snappy slogans, characterizations of Spain have varied over the centuries but remain consistent in their expression of Spain as a land caught somewhere between the Eastern and Western worlds and the Northern and Southern Atlantic, a cultural crossroads where Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas meet. This course will examine the long history of inter-cultural contact in the literature and culture of what we know as Spain today. The course will also examine networks of migration, economics, and power associated with Spain's history as a global empire, the Spanish Civil War, and the present-day immigration boom from Africa and South America as depicted in Spanish works of literature, visual art, and film. C21:AE,HU,OC. EL when offered as a travel course.

Did you know that there are more Spanish speakers in the United States than in Colombia, Spain, and Argentina? Have you noticed the increasing presence of Hispanic politicians, influencers, and artists in mainstream media and commercial markets in North America? This course, given in English, examines how Hispanic populations are contributing to a changing demographic and cultural landscape that is reshaping the political, economic, linguistic, and social panorama of the United States. Throughout the semester, students will be exposed to the fundamental ideologies that promote these changes, including inclusive language, the impact of immigration, heritage identities, bilingual education, and movements such as LatinX. Additionally, through class discussions, readings, articles, and oral presentations, students will gain a better understanding of the diversity and influence of Hispanic populations in US. To that end, students will learn about the demand for cultural and linguistic equity in the North American job market. Finally, students will be able to identify the need for, and presence of, Hispanic populations in fields such as healthcare, education, hospitality, business, and public safety, among others. C21:CL,HU,DI.

A study of the conflictive process of modernization in Spain that concentrates on the clash between the progressive efforts to modernize and the traditionalist efforts to maintain Spain's unique social and cultural identity. This study abroad course in Spain includes visits to historical and cultural sites. Offered alternate years. C21:EL,GE,HU,OC.

This seminar provides intensive study of a literary, cultural, social, political, or linguistic movement, period, phenomenon, or current event, culminating in a major research paper or project. Throughout the capstone seminar, students will learn to situate their work within important frameworks, propose and identify research questions, organize research material, and critically discuss their own, as well as their classmates’ scholarship. Students will complete an original, coherent, accurate, well-documented, and persuasive project that applies the knowledge and skills related to the Hispanic Studies Program. Furthermore, students will integrate, extend, evaluate, and apply knowledge and skills from the Hispanic Studies major program. C21:CS.