Latin American Studies

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Dean: Joel Kassiola

Latin American Studies Program
SCI 220
415-338-6177
Director: Abdiel Oñate

Faculty

Professors—Almaguer, Aviel, Barbosa, Bettleheim, Calderon, Cordova, Cuellar, Johnson, Keith, McCaughan, Oñate, Pahl, Peard, Rivera

Associate Professors—Baron, Carillo, Ferreira, Mirabal, Murguía, Quesada

Assistant Professors—Cortes-Rocca, Darling, Garcia-Moreno, Gordy, Hennessy, Jacobowitz, Jaimes-Guerrero, Martinez, Millet, Rodriguez

Lecturers—Benitez, Davila, Gomez, Kury, Leahy, Pereira

Program

Minor in Latin American Studies


Program Scope

The minor in Latin American Studies is a multidisciplinary program designed to provide undergraduate students with an understanding of Latin American societies, including their history and literature, as well as economic and political developments. The minor emphasizes the hybrid nature of Latin American societies, their shared cultures and history, their influence on other parts of the world, and the region’s multi-layered relations with other countries. With a selection of courses drawn from ethnic studies, the arts, the humanities, and the social sciences, students have flexibility to explore a wide range of subjects—from the ancient Maya civilization, to colonial Brazil, to the literary “boom” of the 1960s, or doing business in present-day Latin America. The minor will be useful to students planning careers in education, humanities and the arts, the Foreign Service, international organizations, overseas corporations and banking, as well as for those who simply desire a better understanding of Latin America. The multidisciplinary nature of the program also prepares students for further work in a number of academic fields at the graduate level.

The minor consists of a core curriculum of three courses (9-10 units) which deal with the region as a whole from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, plus 12 to 14 units of elective upper division course-work. Not more than 6 units can be taken on a CR/NC basis. Students planning to take courses other than those listed below must get prior approval from the program director. Students completing the Latin American Studies minor are encouraged to participate in the study-abroad programs at SF State. Courses taken in certified SF State study-abroad programs may be substituted for the minor’s requirements.

MINOR IN LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

On-line course descriptions are available.

Core Courses Units
Group A: Latin America in Historical Perspective 3
ANTH 501/
HIST 501/
RAZA 501/
S S 501
Latin America: The National Period  
Choose one course from Group B and one from Group C
Group B: Social Perspectives and Politics 3-4
HIST 520 Central America and the Caribbean  
HIST 535/
WGS 535/
RAZA 555
History of Women in Latin America
I R 322 Latin American Policy Analysis (4)
S S 550/
HIST 550
Social Change in Modern Latin America
SOC 645 Identities, Inequalities and Struggles in Latin America
Group C: Arts and Culture 3
HUM 455 Humanities of the Americas  
SPAN 405 Culture and Civilization of Spanish America
Total for core 9-10
Electives: Select two courses from each group, with no more than 9 units from any one discipline. Core courses may not be used to meet this part of the required work. 12-14
Group I: Social Perspectives, Politics, and International Relations (6-7 units)
ANTH 471 The Ancient Maya  
HIST 500 Colonial Latin America
HIST 524 History of Mexico
HIST 528 History of Brazil
IBUS 591 Doing Business in Latin America
I R 306 U.S.-Central American Relations (4)
RAZA 410 Raza Women
RAZA 460 Central Americans of the U.S.: History and Heritage
RAZA 467 Caribbeans in the U.S.: History and Heritage
RAZA 660 Raza Politics
RAZA 670 The U.S.-Mexico Connection: Politics and Cultures
RAZA 692 Cuba: Health, Education, and Culture
SOC 640/
RAZA 640
Sociology of the Latino Experience
Group II: Arts, Humanities, and Culture (6 units)
ART 503 Caribbean Art  
HUM 375 Biography of a City: Buenos Aires
HUM 375 Biography of a City: Havana
HUM 375 Biography of a City: Mexico City
HUM 375 Biography of a City: Rio de Janeiro
HUM 520/
RAZA 520
North and South American Cultural Expression
JS 451/
CWL 451/
ENG 451
Jewish Literature of the Americas
MUS 532 Musics of Central and South America
RAZA 320 Art History of Raza
RAZA 409 Latina/o Cinema
RAZA 425 Comparative Music Folklore
RAZA 450 Indigenismo: Indigenous Culture and Personality
RAZA 475 Aztec Philosophy
RAZA 490 Raza Teatro Workshop
RAZA 560 Contemporary Literature of Raza
RAZA 570 Raza World Views and Philosophy
SPAN 341 Junior Survey of Transatlantic Literature
SPAN 541 Spanish American Literature: Discovery to Early Romanticism [all topics]
SPAN 543 Spanish American Literature: Romanticism to Modernism [all topics]
SPAN 545 20th Century Spanish American Literature [all topics]
SPAN 595 Senior Survey in Spanish or Spanish American Literature [all Spanish American topics]
Total for electives 12-14
Total for minor 21-24

Foreign Language Requirement

All students completing this area studies minor are required to demonstrate intermediate level competency in a language other than English, relevant to the area. This requirement may be met by completing the university entrance requirement of two years of high school language study, one year of successful college level language study, or by demonstration of equivalent competency.