SPAN307

Bienvenidos al curso sobre cultura y sociedad en America Latina! This four-credit course, entirely conducted in Spanish, offers an overview of countries south of the Rio Grande, a land more than two times the size ofthe United States, where Spanish, although the official language of most nations, is only one of numerous languages spoken, and where many ethnic groups live side by side. It is an exploration of key periods, events, actors, and interpreters of Latin American cultural and political history since pre-Columbian times. The first half ofthe course will be devoted to the main indigenous cultures in existence prior to the arrival ofthe Europeans in the New World and the three centuries of Spanish colonial rule thereafter. The second half will focus on the wars for independence in the early 19'“ century and the postcolonial period. Throughout the course we will study the contributions of diverse Amerindian, European, African, and Asian peoples to the making of Latin American society. The textbook will be supplemented with samples from the literature, music, film, and the visual arts of Latin American countries.