Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies Advising

红杏直播app

Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies Advising

Introduction

Using a multidisciplinary approach, students in the Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies major study the diverse, multilingual, multiethnic regions of Latin America and the Caribbean and the cultural, linguistic, and socio-political characteristics of the Latin American immigrant populations in the United States. Students apply different methods of inquiry from various perspectives and disciplines to gather information, evaluate arguments, and analyze complex issues. A total of 11 courses are required for the LALC major as described below.

Courses appropriate for prospective majors

Language Requirements

LALC majors at Dickinson are required to be able to read, write, and understand one of the three main languages used in Latin America and the Caribbean (Spanish, Portuguese, or French). For students fulfilling their language requirements for the LALC major, this would mean a minimum of one course beyond the intermediate level required for all Dickinson students. Only one language course beyond the required level will count as part of the 11 for the major.

Depending on the specific region or topic of concentration, other languages used in Latin America and the Caribbean may be approved as a substitute for a second language. For example, someone working in the Netherlands' Antilles region would study Dutch, or a student working in the Peruvian highlands might elect to study Quechua or Aymara within a non-Dickinson program.

In the case of majors who are native speakers of Spanish, Portuguese, or French, the language requirement can be waived. This should be done with the permission of the LALC chair in consultation with the appropriate language faculty. In cases where the waiver is granted, the student would take an additional elective to complete the 11 courses required for the major.

Planning the Major

Because of the extensive geographic variation and virtually unlimited thematic concentrations, students who declare a major in LALC are asked to discuss their specific interests with contributing faculty and formulate a preliminary/tentative course plan for completing the major.

The LALC majors should plan on working with two faculty advisors and the chair of the department. Of the two faculty advisors, one should be the principal concentration advisor who will plan the courses with the student and in consultation with other relevant faculty. A file will be kept on each major to be reviewed every semester to make sure that all requirements are being met.
For course descriptions and requirements for the major, refer to the Academic Bulletin: Latin American Studies.

Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies Minor

The minor consists of a total of six courses as follows: LALC 101 and five other courses with the LALC designation in at least three different departments. Students pursuing the minor are encouraged to select a concentration in case they later decide to major.

Courses that fulfill distribution requirements

Some of the courses that fulfill the global diversity graduation requirement are:

LALC 101, Introduction to Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies
LALC 222, Contemporary Peoples of Latin America (ANTH 222)
LALC 230, Early Latin American History to 1800 (HIST 130)
LALC 242, Brazilian Cultural and Social Issues (PORT 242)
LALC 251, Latin American Government and Politics (POSC 251)
LALC 262, South American Archeology (ANTH 262)
LALC 272, Atlantic Slave Trade and Africans in Making the Atlantic World (HIST 272)

(Please check each semester offerings to have more information)

Some of the courses that fulfill the U.S. Diversity graduation requirement are:

LALC 123, Introduction to Latino Studies
LALC 295, Introduction to U.S. Latinx/Chicanx Literature and Culture (SPAN 295)
LALC 385, Topics in Latinx/Chicanx Studies (SPAN 385)

(Please check each semester offerings to have more information)

Some of the courses that fulfill the Social Sciences graduation requirement are:

LALC 122, Introduction to Caribbean Studies
LALC 203, Ecuador and the Andes: Culture, History and Society (Offered in Ecuador)
LALC 231, Modern Latin American History since 1800 (HIST 131)
(Please check each semester offerings to have more information)

Some of the courses that fulfill the Sustainability graduation requirement are:

LALC 239, Spanish for the Health Professions (SPAN 239)
LALC 242, Brazilian Cultural and Social Issues (PORT 242)
LALC 262, South American Archeology (ANTH 262)

(Please check each semesters offerings to have more information)

Suggested curricular flow through the major

Most students begin the LALC major with LALC 101 or one of the other introductory courses, and all finish with LALC 490 in the senior year. Otherwise, there is no necessary or preferred path through the LALC major.

Suggested Flow for First Year Students:

FYS
LALC 101
Language courses (goal: one language course above the intermediate level)
Another introductory course (see below)
LALC Concentration course or Elective course
LALC 285 (methods course)
Other graduation requirements

(Please check with a LALC faculty member or the LALC chair)

Suggested Flow for Second Year Students:

LALC 101 (if not taken previously)
Language courses (goal: one language course above the intermediate level)
Another introductory course (if not taken previously)
LALC Concentration courses
LALC 285 (methods course)
Additional methods course (see below)
Elective course
Other graduation requirements

(Please check with your LALC advisor or the LALC chair)

Suggested Flow for Third Year Students:

Study Abroad in Latin America (must have language requirement): Brazil or Ecuador and Argentina Programs

LALC 101 (if not taken previously)
Language courses (goal: one language course above the intermediate level)
Another introductory course (if not taken previously)
LALC Concentration courses
LALC 285 (if not taken previously)
Additional methods course (see below)
Elective course
Other graduation requirements

(Please check with your LALC advisor or the LALC chair)

Suggested Flow for Fourth Year Students:

LALC 490 (both semesters)
LALC 101 (if not taken previously)
Language courses (goal: one language course above the intermediate level)
Another introductory course (if not taken previously)
LALC Concentration courses
LALC 285 (methods course)
Additional methods course (preferably, it should be taken before senior year)
Elective course
Other graduation requirements

(Please check with your LALC advisor or the LALC chair)

Introductory Courses

In addition to LALC 101, all majors are required to take one of the following:

LALC 121, Introduction to Africana Studies
LALC 122, Introduction to Caribbean Studies
LALC 123, Introduction to Latino Studies
LALC 295, Introduction to U.S. Latinx/Chicanx Literature and Culture

(exceptions can be made with permission of the chair)

Additional Methods Courses

Majors select one additional methods course in consultation with their advisor:

AFST 200, Approaches to Africana Studies
AMST 401, Research Methods in American Studies
ANTH 220, Ethnography
ANTH 240, Qualitative Methods
ANTH 241, Measurement and Quantification in the Social Sciences
ECON 474, Econometrics
HIST 204, Introduction to Historical Methodology
POSC 239, Research Methods in Political Science
SOCI 240, Qualitative Methods
SOCI 244, Quantitative Research Methods
SPAN 299, Reading and Thinking 红杏直播app Texts
WGST 200, Feminist Practices, Writing and Research

(For other methods courses, please check with your LALC advisor or the LALC chair)

LALC Concentration (3) and Elective (2) Courses

LALC students should select geographic and or thematic concentrations within the major. An example would be a geographical focus on contemporary Argentina who would take HIST 131 (LA History) and POSC 251 (LA Politics), engage in a research project on an Argentine topic approved the LALC advisor, two courses from the Dickinson in South America Program, and an additional course on Argentina in another discipline. Past LALC students have focused on Brazil, Mexico, women and gender studies, migrations, Caribbean studies, Latinx issues, etc.

An example of a thematic concentration would be choosing to study community development and globalization; this is a theme that crosses geographical boundaries to possibly include Central and South America, the US-Mexico border region as well as the Caribbean. Students with this type of concentration would be able to select relevant courses in Africana Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science or Sociology. Relevant courses could include LALC 222 (Anthropology of Latin America), LALC 200 (Social Movements in Latin America), LALC 283 (Latin American-U.S. Relations), and two relevant courses in one of the study-abroad sites. For other concentrations, courses may be selected from the sciences as well as the humanities. When concentration and elective courses have prerequisites, LALC majors should have satisfied these requirements or received a waiver from the instructor with an approval of the LALC chair.

Some of LALC courses for concentrations or electives:

LALC 200, Special Topics in LALC Studies
LALC 222, Anthropology of Latin America (ANTH 222)
LALC 230, Early Latin American History to 1800 (HIST 130)
LALC 231, Modern Latin American History since 1800 (HIST 131)
LALC 242, Brazilian Cultural and Social Issues (PORT 242)
LALC 251, Latin American Government and Politics (POSC 251)
LALC 262, South American Archeology (262 and ANTH 262)
LALC 272, The Atlantic Slave Trade and Africans in Making the Atlantic World,
1450-1850 (HIST 272)
LALC 283, Latin American-U.S. Relations (HIST 283)
LALC 300, Special Topics in LALC Studies
LALC 301, Topics in American Studies, when topic is appropriate (AMST 301)
LALC 311, Pre-Columbian and Colonial Spanish American Texts (SPAN 311)
LALC 321, Late Colonial and Nineteenth Century Latin American Literatures
(SPAN 321)
LALC 331, Modernismo and Vanguardias (SPAN 331)
LALC 385, Topics in Latinx/Chicanx Studies (SPAN 385)
LALC 390, Senior Seminar in Hispanic Literature, when research is related to
LALC (SPAN 401)
LALC 490, Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies Senior Research
Seminar

LALC 490 is the capstone course, which consists of research into a topic concerning the LALC region. Students participate in a two-semester research seminar for a total of 1.5 credits (1 in the fall semester and .5 in the spring). Students develop their research papers with the guidance of a main supervisor and two other faculty readers representing at least two disciplines. Students must successfully defend their projects orally to satisfy the requirements for the major.

Honors

The department will grant honors based on the listed on the departmental web page.

Independent study and independent research

Independent Studies on LALC topics in the Departments of Political Science, Anthropology, Spanish and Portuguese Studies, Religion, Philosophy, History, Economics, Art & Art History, or any other academic department that may be able to offer such instruction, with prior approval from the candidate's program supervisor.

Opportunities for off-campus study

LALC majors are strongly urged to study at least one semester in an abroad program relevant to their concentration, and whenever possible majors should consider an entire year abroad. Preference is given to the Dickinson in Ecuador and Argentina Program (Cuenca, Ecuador, and Mendoza, Argentina) and the Dickinson in Brazil Program (beginning spring 2021 in São Paulo), and other partnerships that may develop. Only when a Dickinson or a partner program does not meet the needs of the concentration should non-Dickinson programs be considered.

Additional Remarks

LALC Café: Twice during the semester, LALC hosts a Café for majors, faculty, and prospective students. Drinks and food from Latin America are served!

Latin American & Caribbean Club: LACC is a student organization that promotes events on campus related to the region, such as discussions, Noche de baile, carnival, fundraising, etc.

Latinx House: this special interest housing is located on W. Louther Street and it hosts students who identify as Latinx.

After Dickinson and Careers: LALC majors develop strong critical and writing skills, analytical thinking, interdisciplinary abilities, cross-cultural comparisons and awareness. Visit the webpage for more information.

Advice: Students must discuss course selection with a LALC faculty member or the chair. Please feel free to contact professor Mariana Past, current chair.