Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Changes effective Spring Term 2013
Allen Barreneche Biery-Hamilton Boniface
Diaz-Zambrana Kistler Lines Prieto-Calixto
Siry Taylor Tomé

 

The Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) program is a holistic and interdisciplinary field of study that explores, among other themes, the diverse cultures, history, ideologies, languages, literatures, natural environment and political economy of Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the challenges facing this critical region in the twenty-first century.  Latin America and the Caribbean are important in a local and national sense because of the region's many connections to Florida and the United States.  Latin America and the Caribbean are also critical in a global sense because of the region's rising economic and geopolitical significance.

The program is designed to educate students for global citizenship and responsible leadership, and to prepare graduates for productive careers in business, government, and other professions.  Students majoring in Latin American and Caribbean Studies are expected to:

  • Demonstrate a breadth and depth of knowledge of the forces that have shaped the region of Latin America and the Caribbean.
  • Learn to think critically about a region that is deeply connected to but also distinct from (North) American society.
  • Achieve competence in Spanish, Portuguese or French.

Students are encouraged to experience cultural immersion by participating in one of Rollins' overseas programs to the region.

 

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

Ten (10) courses (40 semester hours) are required. At least seven (7) of these courses must be completed at Rollins and five (5) must be at the 300-400 level. The major consists of two core courses, at least one advanced course in modern languages, three divisional courses, and four elective courses (or sixteen semester hours in any combination). No more than five (5) courses taken to fulfill requirements in another major or minor from the departments listed below, and with a concentration on Latin America or the Caribbean, may count toward meeting the requirements of the major in Latin American and Caribbean Studies; these must be approved by the LACS Director.

CORE COURSES (two courses required)

  • LAC 200 Foundations of Latin American and Caribbean Culture and Society
  • LAC 400 Seminar in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (capstone seminar)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT (one course required)

  • Modern Languages (300- or 400-level, Spanish, French, or Portuguese)

All Latin American and Caribbean Studies majors are required to take one (1) course in Spanish, French, or Portuguese at the 300- or 400-level, including those students who have native proficiency. Students may find that they need to take courses at the 100-200 level in preparation to enroll in the required 300-400 level courses. Students wishing to fulfill the foreign language requirement through courses in French or Portuguese should consult with the LACS Director regarding appropriate selections. Students wishing to fulfill the foreign language requirement through courses in Spanish should select from the following list.

  • SPN 302 Spanish for Advanced Communication
  • SPN 303 Business Spanish for Non-Native Speakers
  • SPN 322 Peoples and Cultures of Latin America
  • SPN 330 U.S. Latino Literature: Writings from Migration and Exile
  • SPN 332 Colonial Spanish Literature: Language and Empire
  • SPN 334 Latin American Identity in Literature
  • SPN 336 Latin American Short Fiction: Telling Stories
  • SPN 337 Performing Identity: Hispanic Theatre Today
  • SPN 338 Race, Class, and Gender in Latin American Literature: Voices from the Margins
  • SPN 340 Hispanic Caribbean Literature: Culture Clash
  • SPN 342 Latin American Film
  • SPN 344 CSI in Latin America: Crime, Family Ties, and National Politics
  • SPN 432 Twentieth Century Latin American Literature: Revolution and Experimentation

Students who do not have "native proficiency" in Spanish, as determined by the Spanish section of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, will be required to take additional courses that are prerequisites to the 300-400 level Spanish courses. According to different levels of preparation and previous courses, students will need to complete a minimum of one (1) and a maximum of five (5) Spanish courses before taking a 300-level course.

In order to take a 300-level course in Spanish, students must complete the following:

  • two (2) SPN 200-level courses OR
  • one (1) SPN 200-level course and obtain signed consent from professor. (Consent is usually granted with a grade 'B+' or higher in the lower-level course.)

Students may complete some or all of the 100-200 level Spanish courses through immersion programs abroad (in Spain or Latin America) taught entirely in Spanish. The one (1) 300-level course should be taken at Rollins or at a Rollins-affiliated program.

DIVISIONAL COURSES (three courses required)

  • Three (3) courses chosen from three (3) different disciplines, anthropology, economics, environmental studies, history, international business, political science, and humanities (as approved by the LACS Director, are required.)

ANTHROPOLOGY COURSES

  • ANT 201 Cultures of the Caribbean
  • ANT 302 The Maya
  • ANT 305 Topics in Anthropology (focus on Latin America or the Caribbean)
  • ANT 345 Brazilian Amazon: Culture and Environmental Change
  • ANT 365 Real and the Supernatural in Latin America
  • A 300-400 level equivalent course on Latin America or the Caribbean as approved by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Steering Committee

ECONOMICS COURSES

  • ECO 126 Economics and Public Policy
  • ECO 203 Principles of Micro- and Macroeconomics (prerequisite ECO 202)
  • ECO 254 The Latin American Economies
  • A 300-400 level equivalent course on Latin America or the Caribbean as approved by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Steering Committee

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES COURSES

  • ENV 206 Caribbean Environmental History
  • ENV 305 Topic: Environmental Issues in Latin America
  • ENV 323 Conservation of Biodiversity
  • ENV 348 Sustainable Development
  • ENV 353 National Parks and Protected Areas (focus on Latin America and the Caribbean)
  • ENV 365 Environment and Development in Central America
  • ENV 375 Island Economics and Sustainable Development in the Caribbean
  • ENV 385 Sustainable Development in the Amazon Basin
  • A 300-400 level equivalent course on Latin America or the Caribbean as approved by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Steering Committee

HISTORY COURSES

  • HIS 120 Decade of Decision: Mexican Revolution
  • HIS 265G Introduction to Latin American History
  • 300-400 level courses in Latin America or the Caribbean (approved by LACS Steering Committee)

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COURSES

  • INB 390F Latin American Business Environments: Costa Rica

POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSES

  • POL 312 Problems of Latin America
  • POL 317 Latin America and the United States in World Politics
  • POL 321 The Politics of Latin America
  • A 300-400 level equivalent course on Latin America or the Caribbean as approved by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Steering Committee

HUMANITIES COURSES

  • A course on Latin America or the Caribbean as approved by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Steering Committee 
  • MUS 225 Political Music of Latin America
  • MUS 260 Music of Brazil and Caribbean

ELECTIVE COURSES (16 semester hours in any combination)

Students must complete sixteen (16) semester hours of additional courses on Latin American and the Caribbean. These semester hours may be fulfilled by taking additional courses from the list above (including modern languages), or may be fulfilled by any of the following.

  • International field study courses in Latin American or the Caribbean
  • Topical courses with a LAC course designation (i.e., LAC 205)
  • Study abroad courses approves by the LACS Director
  • SPN 290 Introduction to Hispanic Literature

MINOR REQUIREMENTS

 The minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies is designed to complement a number of existing majors at the College by adding an international dimension. The minor is comprised of six (6) courses on Latin American and the Caribbean, including one (1) core course, and five (5) elective courses (or twenty semester hours in any combination); at least three (3) of which must be at the 300- 400-level. Only three (3) courses taken to fulfill requirements in another major or minor from the departments listed below, and with a concentration on Latin America or the Caribbean, may count toward meeting the requirements of the minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies; these must be approved by the LACS Director.

CORE COURSE (required)

  • LAC 200 Foundations of Latin American and Caribbean Culture and Society

ELECTIVE COURSES (five courses or 20 semester hours in any combination)

Five (5) courses chosen from the list below; no more than three (3) courses can be taken from the same discipline.

ANTHROPOLOGY COURSES

  • ANT 201 Cultures of the Caribbean
  • ANT 302 The Maya
  • ANT 305 Topics in Anthropology (focus on Latin America or the Caribbean)
  • ANT 345 Brazilian Amazon: Culture and Environmental Change
  • ANT 365 Real and the Supernatural in Latin America
  • A 300-400 level equivalent course on Latin America or the Caribbean as approved by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Steering Committee

ECONOMICS COURSES

  • ECO 126 Economics and Public Policy
  • ECO 203 Principles of Micro- and Macroeconomics (prerequisite ECO 202)
  • ECO 254 The Latin American Economies
  • A 300-400 level equivalent course on Latin America or the Caribbean as approved by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Steering Committee

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES COURSES

  • ENV 206 Caribbean Environmental History
  • ENV 305 Topic: Environmental Issues in Latin America
  • ENV 323 Conservation of Biodiversity
  • ENV 348 Sustainable Development
  • ENV 353 National Parks and Protected Areas (focus on Latin America and the Caribbean)
  • ENV 365 Environment and Development in Central America
  • ENV 375 Island Economics and Sustainable Development in the Caribbean
  • ENV 385 Sustainable Development in the Amazon Basin
  • A 300-400 level equivalent course on Latin America or the Caribbean as approved by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Steering Committee

HISTORY COURSES

  • HIS 120 Decade of Decision: Mexican Revolution
  • HIS 265G Introduction to Latin American History
  • 300-400 level courses in Latin America or the Caribbean (approved by LACS Steering Committee)

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COURSES

  • INB 390F Latin American Business Environments: Costa Rica

LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN STUDIES COURSES

  • Any topics class with a LAC designation (i.e., LAC 205)

POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSES

  • POL 312 Problems of Latin America
  • POL 317 Latin America and the United States in World Politics
  • POL 321 The Politics of Latin America
  • A 300-400 level equivalent course on Latin America or the Caribbean as approved by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Steering Committee

MODERN LANGUAGES COURSES

  • Spanish, French, or Portuguese (300- or 400-level)

Latin American and Caribbean Studies minors may take courses in Spanish, French, or Portuguese at the 300- or 400-level as electives in the minor. Students may find that they need to take courses at the 100-200 level in preparation to enroll in the required 300-400 level course. Students wishing to fulfill the foreign language requirement through courses in French or Portuguese should consult with the LACS Director regarding appropriate selections. Students wishing to fulfill the foreign language requirement through a course in Spanish should select from the following list.

  • SPN 290 Introduction to Hispanic Literature (prerequisite: 200-level SPN) 
  • SPN 302 Spanish for Advanced Communication
  • SPN 303 Business Spanish for Non-Native Speakers
  • SPN 322 Peoples and Cultures of Latin America
  • SPN 330 U.S. Latino Literature: Writings from Migration and Exile
  • SPN 332 Colonial Spanish Literature: Language and Empire
  • SPN 334 Latin American Identity in Literature
  • SPN 336 Latin American Short Fiction: Telling Stories
  • SPN 337 Performing Identity: Hispanic Theatre Today
  • SPN 338 Race, Class, and Gender in Latin American Literature: Voices from the Margins
  • SPN 340 Hispanic Caribbean Literature: Culture Clash
  • SPN 342 Latin American Film
  • SPN 344 CSI in Latin America: Crime, Family Ties, and National Politics
  • SPN 432 Twentieth Century Latin American Literature: Revolution and Experimentation

Students who do not have "native proficiency" in Spanish, as determined by the Spanish section of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, will be required to take additional courses that are prerequisites to the 300-400 level Spanish courses. According to different levels of preparation and previous courses, students will need to complete a minimum of one (1) and a maximum of five (5) Spanish courses before taking a 300-level course.

In order to take a 300-level course in Spanish, students must complete the following:

  • two (2) SPN 200-level courses OR
  • one (1) SPN 200-level course and obtain signed consent from professor. (Consent is usually granted with a grade 'B+' or higher in the lower-level course.)

Students may complete some or all of the 100-200 level Spanish courses through immersion programs abroad (in Spain or Latin America) taught entirely in Spanish. The one (1) 300-level course should be taken at Rollins or at a Rollins-affiliated program.

HUMANITIES COURSES

  • A course on Latin America or the Caribbean as approved by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Steering Committee 
  • MUS 225 Political Music of Latin America
  • MUS 260 Music of Brazil and Caribbean

INTERNATIONAL FIELD STUDY COURSES

  • International field study courses in Latin American or the Caribbean
  • Study abroad courses approves by the LACS Director

 

Course of Study

LAC 200 Foundations of Latin America and Caribbean Culture & Society. Surveys Latin American and Caribbean history, anthropology, and literature. Addresses the region's prehistory, colonialism, slavery, kinship, music, dance, race and identity, tourism, transnational encounters, and globalization.

LAC 325 Women in Latin America: Explores women's experience in Latin America as they negotiate their lives within a context of constraints and opportunities that range from how they conceive of themselves, to their status and role within the family and community, to global influences. Prerequisite: one ANT, LAC, or international relations course.

LAC 400 Seminar in Latin American and Caribbean Studies: Highlights research on contemporary problems. May delve into health of institutions in light of economic development (and underdevelopment); revolution and radicalization of masses; overpopulation, land scarcity, and hunger; human rights; role of elite in social and political life; social activism of the Catholic Church; and today's revolutions. Taught in English. Prerequisites: second-semester junior or senior standing and LAC 200 .