Academics
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*Degree Options and Requirements |
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Academics |
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DEGREE OPTIONS & REQUIREMENTS Plan A majors Plan A majors are required to have a total of 12 courses distributed as follows ten courses in Hispanic Studies (beyond 102) plus two non-literature courses in "related fields" (e.g. in the history, anthropology, fine arts, art history, or politics of the Hispanic world), at least one of which must be taken at Trinity College. Of the ten Hispanic Studies courses, the following six must be taken at Trinity College: two Civilization and Culture courses, three 300-level courses (at least one centering on Spain and one on Latin America), and 401, in which students will write a senior thesis under the individual guidance of a member of the Department. In this final exercise, students are expected to build upon and refine a special interest developed while abroad or in previous coursework. All students wishing to receive major credit for courses taken in Hispanic Studies overseas must have taken at least one Civilization and Culture course before their departure. Careful planning in coordination with the student's advisor is therefore essential in this regard. Courses taken abroad will generally count as electives or "related fields" credits. In certain cases, students may request that one upper-level course taken at an approved Study Abroad program count towards the required number of 300-level courses. One course in Portuguese may be counted as an elective toward the major. Plan B majors Plan B majors whose primary concentration is Hispanic Studies are required to have a total of nine courses distributed as follows: seven courses in Hispanic Studies (beyond102) plus two non-literature courses in "related fields" (e.g. in the history, anthropology, fine arts, art history, or politics of the Hispanic world), at least one of which must be taken at Trinity College. Of the seven Hispanic Studies courses, the following five must be taken at Trinity College: two courses in Civilization and Culture, two 300-level courses (at least one centering on Spain and one on Latin America), and 401, in which students will write a senior thesis under the individual guidance of a member of the Department. In this final exercise, the student will engage in an in-depth study integrating coursework from their primary and secondary languages, as well as their courses in "related fields." All students wishing to receive major credit for courses taken in Hispanic Studies overseas must take at least one Civilization and Culture course before their departure. Careful planing in coordination with the student's advisor is therefore essential in this regard. Courses taken abroad will generally count as electives or "related fields" credits. In certain cases, students may request that one upper-level course taken at an approved Study Abroad program count towards the required number of 300-level courses. Plan B majors whose secondary concentration is Hispanic Studies are required to have a total of five courses in Hispanic Studies beyond 201. Of these, the following four must be taken at Trinity College: two courses in Civilization and Culture and two 300-level courses (at least one centering on Spain and one on Latin America). In certain cases, students may request that one upper-level course taken at an approved Study Abroad program count towards the required number of 300-level courses.
For students who do not wish to major in Hispanic Studies Plan A or Plan B, this "minor" requires a total of six courses beyond 202, plus one half credit of "Hispanic Studies Across the Curriculum" - preferably in one of the student's major courses. No more than two courses taken while studying abroad may be applied to the Language Concentration in Hispanic Studies.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Hispanic Studies 101 - Intensive Elementary Spanish I Designed to develop a basic ability to read, write, understand and speak Spanish. Since all linguistic skills cannot be fully developed in 101 alone, stress will be placed on the acquisition of basic structures, which it will be the function of 102 to develop and reinforce. Students who wish to acquire significant proficiency should therefore plan to take both 101 and 102 in sequence. Four hours of classwork, plus one required drill hour. Placement by exam if previous Spanish experience. (This course is also offered under the Latin American and Caribbean Studies program.) Hispanic Studies 102 - Intensive Elementary Spanish II Continuation of 101, emphasizing oral practice, consolidation of basic grammar skills, compositions and reading comprehension. Four hours of classwork, plus one required drill hour. Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 101, or two years of secondary school Spanish, or equivalent. Hispanic Studies 201 - Intermediate Spanish I: Grammar and Composition An intermediate course for those who have had at least three years of secondary school Spanish or one year of college Spanish. A thorough review of grammar combined with oral drill and practice. Improvement of translation skills will also be stressed. Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 102 or equivalent. (This course is also offered under the Latin American and Caribbean Studies programs.) Hispanic Studies 202 - Intermediate Spanish I: Grammar and Readings The review of grammar begun in Hispanic Studies 201 will be completed. In addition, there will be readings and discussion of contemporary Spanish and Spanish American prose, treating varied literary and cultural selections with a view to vocabulary-building and the reinforcement of the principles of grammar and syntax. Emphasis is placed on the development of competence in oral and written expression. Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 201 or equivalent. (This course is also offered under the Latin American and Caribbean Studies programs.)
Hispanic Studies
221 - Grammar Review and Composition
Hispanic Studies
224 - Spanish for Bilingual Students A comprehensive course for
bilingual students who demonstrate spoken ability in Spanish but whose
formal education has been in English. The course will cover all basic
language skills while targeting the particular needs of bilingual students,
including accentuation, homonyms, and usage of complex sentence structure.
Special emphasis will be placed on reading and writing.
Permission of the instructor is required. Admits to Hispanic
Studies 228
or more advanced study of Spanish.
Hispanic Studies
226 - Iberian and Latin American Film and Conversation In this course students will
analyze landmarks of Spanish/Latin American Cinema in terms of the social,
historical, and cultural questions they raise, as well as in terms of
the ideological, aesthetic, and cinematographic movements to which they
belong. The discussion of films will be conducted in Spanish and will
provide an academic forum for the exchange of ideas, interpretations and
critiques. Prerequisites: Hispanic Studies 221 or equivalent and permission of
the instructor. Enrollment limited. (This course is also offered under
the Latin American and Caribbean Studies programs.)
Hispanic Studies
228 - Foundations of Literary and Cultural Analysis This course serves as a transition
to advanced courses in Spanish language, culture, and literature. Students
will develop analytical skills through an intense exploration of cultural
production in the Hispanic world and through an examination of diverse
literary genres, film, and current events. The focus will be on improving
the necessary linguistic and critical thinking skills that are the fundamental
foundation for literary and cultural analysis in advanced Spanish study.
Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 221 or equivalent. (Same as Latin American and Caribbean
Studies 228.) Hispanic Studies 233 - Literature in Translation Varied topics. See course catalogue for details. Taught in English. Students wishing to count this course toward a major in Spanish should secure permission of the instructor. They will complete their assignments in Spanish and will meet with the instructor in supplementary sessions. (This course is may also be offered under related programs. (Same as Modern Languages 233.) Hispanic Studies 261 - Iberian Culture
I (Middle Ages to the XIX Century) The course is designed to
provide a broad understanding of the primary cultural dynamics of the
Iberian Peninsula from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century. We will pay special attention to the more important cultural
developments during this crucial era of Spanish history. Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 or equivalent. Hispanic Studies 262 - Iberian Culture II (The Twentieth
Century) This course introduces students to the set of cultural
problems that have shaped Spain’s contemporary development.
It will do so through the study of novels, films, and historical
narrative. Special emphasis given to the cultural history of the Franco
years (1939-1975) and the country’s more recent transition to democracy
(1975-1992). Hispanic Studies 263 - Latin American Culture I (Pre-Columbian Era to Enlightenment) This course examines the
history, societies, and cultures of the various regions that today are
known as Latin America. The course moves from the major pre-Columbian
civilizations, through the first encounter between Europe and these peoples,
the subsequent conquest and colonization, and the first manifestations
of the desire for independence. The course will concentrate specifically
on how the peoples of these various regions and periods explored their
social and political concerns through art, literature, and music. Prerequisite:
Hispanic Studies 221, 224 or equivalent. (Also offered under the Latin American
and Caribbean Studies programs.) Hispanic Studies 264 - Latin American Culture II (Independence
to Present) This course focuses on the
social, political, economic, and cultural development of the Latin American
nations. Emphasis will be on to the construction of national identities
during the nineteenth century as well as main historic-political events
of the twentieth century. Discussions will be based on readings, documentaries
and feature films. Latin American newspapers on the Internet are used
to inform our debates of current events. Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 221, 224
or equivalent. (Also offered under the Latin American and Caribbean Studies
programs.) Hispanic Studies 301 - An Introduction to Cervantes' Literary Industry: El Quijote, los Entremeses y las Novelas ejemplares. An analysis and interpretation
of the complete text of Don Quijote
de la Mancha, with attention given to Cervantes' use of irony (burla) as the keystone of his
artifice. Keeping in mind the historical
and cultural background of the text, we will examine how Cervantes' writings (El Quijote, Entremeses,
Novelas ejemplares) hinge on a parodic game that entails a process
of encoding and decoding, one which has the power to demystify reality.
Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262, 263 or 264,
or permission of Instructor. Hispanic Studies 302 - Conquest and Colonialism in the Americas. Through an examination of
writings and art produced before and around the Conquest of America as
well as the subsequent process of colonization that integrated the American
cultures into Modernity, this course explores the Indigenist consciousness,
European mercantilist culture, and the rise of creole and mestizo forms
of American consciousness. Special attention will be devoted to the ways
in which the various ideological and discursive forms generated in that
period relate to, or survive, in the present. Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and
one of the following: 261, 262, 263 or 264, or permission of Instructor. (Also offered under the Latin
American and Caribbean Studies programs) Hispanic Studies 311 - The Spanish Golden Age:
An Overview This course provides an overview
of some of the most relevant canonical works of the Golden Age while establishing
some basic guidelines for the understanding of this rich period of Spanish
culture. The American Empire made Spain one of the most powerful countries
in the history of humanity. We
will focus on central aspects of the Imperial Age poetics, such as the
relationship between literature and reality, as well as the key trends
in politics and religion (the connections between Golden Age culture and
the Reconquest and the Counter-Reformation), while simultaneously calling
attention to some of the critical stances of well-known writers such as
Cervantes. Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262,
263 or 264, or permission of Instructor. Hispanic Studies 312 - Foundational Tropes/Contested Tropes ("The Gaucho") Several debates, themes,
images, or tropes seem to constitute a symbolic and discursive core of
Latin American cultural history: “The Savage”, “The Gaucho”,
“The Mestizo”, “The
Captive”, “The Matriarch”, “The Landowner”,
“The Enightened Tyrant”, “The Developer”
and "The Immigrant". These concepts are, in turn, connected
to notions of Europeanness, whiteness, civilization, capitalist development,
and progress. Through the examination of a series of literary texts and
documents from different historical periods and literary and ideological
movements, this course explores the origin and historical evolution of
these recurring and enduring themes and metaphors. Prerequisite:
Hispanic Studies
228 and one of the following: 261, 262, 263 or 264, or permission of Instructor.
(Also offered under the Latin American and Caribbean Studies programs.) Hispanic Studies 313 - The Vision of America and its Inhabitants Through the
Renaissance and the Golden Age The course concentrates on the contradictory
worldviews of Amerindians' voices/writings and the specific projections
generated by explorers, travelers, historians, soldiers, friars, and conquistadors
as they sought to explain the "otherness" of this new land. It also will focus on the shift
of the official representation of America and the Amerindian provoked
by the complexities brought on by the emergence of the modern state.
We will also study, through the work of the leading playwrights
of the Golden Age, the significance of these profound changes, their implications
for the Spanish policies toward the Amerindians, and Spain's response
to this non-European world. Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and one of
the following: 261, 262, 263 or 264, or permission of Instructor.
Hispanic Studies
314 - Indigenous Peoples in Spanish American Literature and Culture This course looks at the
(primarily literary) representation of the indigenous peoples of Spanish
America, from the first writings of Christopher Columbus to current indigenista
and neo-indigenista prose and
indigenous testimonies. Besides essays, poetry, theater, and narrative,
the class examines art, film, photography, and popular culture, in order
to examine how national cultural production portrays, appropriates, marginalizes,
or celebrates the indigenous peoples and cultures. While we will look
at the portrayal of the indigenous peoples in a variety of contexts (including
the US), we will concentrate on those areas with the highest concentration
of indigenous peoples: Mexico, Central America, and the Andes. Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262,
263 or 264, or permission of Instructor. (Also offered under the Latin
American and Caribbean Studies programs.) Hispanic Studies 317 - The Construction of Spanish Early Modern National Identity Using the most recent interdisciplinary
discussions concerning the construction of national identity (racial,
religious, political, sexual, etc.), this course will examine those texts
which catalyzed the emergence, evolution, propagation and preservation
of the ideals of the "Spanish nation."
The course will also explore the main issues associated with the
political and cultural history of Early Modern Spain, within both the
Peninsula and the American New World. Prerequisite:
Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262, 263 or 264, or permission
of Instructor. Hispanic Studies 318 - Gender & Sexuality
in Spanish America How is gender imagined in
cultural production from Spanish America? What role has feminism played
in transforming women's writing? How is homosexuality represented in film
and literature? What is the relationship between gender and ethnicity
in articulating subjectivity? We will consider these questions and many
others in our exploration of the construction of gender and sexuality
in texts by men and women in Spanish America. Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and
one of the following: 261, 262, 263 or 264, or permission of Instructor. (Also offered under the Latin
American and Caribbean Studies programs) Hispanic Studies 320 - Emigration and Transatlantic “Cultural Commerce”
Since the middle of the nineteenth century,
the Iberian nations have produced a constant stream of emigrants to the
Americas. The new arrivals
from Spain and Portugal have often exercised significant influence on
the development of their countries of adoption. Similarly, the channels
of communication opened by these emigrants to the New World
have allowed citizens from countries such as
Argentina, Cuba, MŽxico, Venezuela, and the U.S. to play important roles
in the development of contemporary Spanish and Portuguese life.
After studying the prime “push” and
“pull” factors in these transatlantic migrations, we will examine literary,
cinematic and artistic manifestations of this transatlantic “cultural
commerce” during the contemporary era. Prerequisite:
Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262, 263 or 264, or permission
of Instructor. (Also offered
under the Latin American and Caribbean Studies programs.)
Hispanic Studies
321 - Gender, Ethnicity, and Geographies of Resistance in Andean
Cultures This course will focus on the construction
of the subject within national discourses and cultural expressions in
Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru. Specifically, we will look at those creators
and works (in literature, music, art, film, theater, and popular culture)
that challenge/threaten dominant discourse within the nation and demand
a rethinking of the dominant culture-space paradigm. Our exploration will
include, but not be limited to, cultural production by women, indigenous
and mestizo groups, Afro-Hispanics, Jews,
and gays. Prerequisite:
Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262, 263 or 264, or permission
of Instructor. (Also offered under the Latin American and Caribbean Studies
programs.) Hispanic Studies 324 - The
Spanish
Post-War Novel (1939-Present) The Civil War (1936-1939) severely damaged
Spain's social and cultural fabric. In the six decades since the end of
the war, however, Spaniards have demonstrated that violence, poverty,
and political oppression are no match for a vital literary and cultural
tradition. In this course we will analyze a number of the more important
novels of the post-War era with
an eye toward gaining an understanding of the social problems and transformations
that have taken place in the country during this period.
Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following:
261, 262, 263 or 264, or permission of Instructor.
Hispanic Studies
325 - Literature of Popular Consciousness and Revolution This course explores the
way certain literary works, themes, genres and movements emerged from
or accompanied a series of popular uprisings and revolutions (e.g., the
Mexican Revolution) as well as from emerging urban, working class and
nationalist forms of consciousness during the first half of the twentieth
century. Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and
one of the following: 261, 262, 263 or 264, or permission of instructor.
(Also offered under the Latin American and Caribbean Studies programs.) Hispanic Studies 328 - Iberian Film In this course we will examine the relationship
between history and film in Spain, one of the world’s
most important film-producing countries. Until quite recently, cinematic
production there was marked by a general tendency to promote the primacy
of Castilian culture and
Church-derived social mores through the production of
historicist narratives. Since
the country’s transition to democracy a much more plural and heterodox
cinematic tradition has taken root in the country. While still very much
engaged with history, this new tradition promotes
a broader view of the country’s religious, sexual, and linguistic
heritage. Prerequisite:
Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262, 263 or 264, or permission
of instructor. (Also offered under the Latin American and Caribbean Studies
programs)
Hispanic Studies
329 - Spanish-Caribbean Identities This course looks at the
literary and cultural productions of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and
Puerto Rico, and how they explore or propose national and pan-Caribbean
identities. We will examine the repercussions
of 1898; US-Caribbean relations; migration among the islands and to the
US and Europe; race, gender, and sexuality as they relate to cultural
identity; and popular culture. Materials will include canonical
and marginal literary works, as well as music, film, art, and other cultural
expressions. Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261,
262, 263 or 264, or permission of instructor. (Also offered under the
Latin American and Caribbean Studies programs.) Hispanic Studies 330 - Poetry in Action: the
Iberian New Song 1960-1980 In the 1960s singer-songwriters became
key agents of social change in many countries around the world. In the
distinct cultural regions of the Iberian peninsula (Castile, Catalonia,
Galicia, Portugal, and the Basque Country) the continued existence of
the Franco and Salazar dictatorships gave the “protest songs”
of such performers a heightened degree of social relevance. In this class,
we will examine the aesthetic and political importance of the “New
Song” phenomenon in these places, paying special attention to the
ways in which these “social poets” often relied upon texts,
messages, and tropes from as far back as the Middle Ages when composing
their visions of contemporary life. Prerequisite:
Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262, 263 or 264, or permission
of instructor. (Also offered under the Latin American and Caribbean Studies
programs.) Hispanic Studies 331 - The "Boom"
and Beyond This course will examine
the period known as the "Boom" both as literary movement and
as cultural phenomenon. What are the characteristics of the so-called
"New Narrative"? What are the principle concerns of the writers
of the "Boom"? What are the internal, global, cultural, and
market forces that produced this explosion in the production and reception
of Latin American literature? Who is excluded from the "Boom"
and why? In considering these questions, this course will look at various
genres while concentrating on the one most immediately associated with
the "Boom": the novel.
Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262, 263
or 264, or permission of instructor. (Also offered under the Latin American
and Caribbean Studies programs.) Hispanic Studies 338 - Turn-of-the-Century Iberia In 1898, Spain lost the last of its overseas
territories, thus bringing to an end its four-century experience as an
imperial power. This loss of empire sparked wide-ranging efforts to reconfigure
existing concepts of social identity in the Peninsula. This course will
examine the efforts made by intellectuals in Castile, Catalonia, Galicia,
Portugal, and the Basque Country to propagate new - and revivify old -
canons of national identity in the period between the Spanish American
War and the onset of the Primo de Rivera dictatorship in 1923. Prerequisite:
Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262, 263 or 264, or permission
of instructor. (Also offered under the Latin American and Caribbean Studies
programs.)
Hispanic Studies
339 - Testimonial Literature and Human Rights In the hope of engendering
a greater understanding of human rights in Latin America, and similar
struggles throughout the world, this course will introduce students to
the Hispanic tradition of testimonial literature and film. We will concentrate
on first-hand accounts by women and indigenist activists, students, Afro-Latinos,
guerrilla fighters, political prisoners and socially-committed clergy.
Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262, 263
or 264, or permission of Instructor. (Also offered under the Latin
American and Caribbean Studies, and the Human Rights programs.)
Hispanic Studies
340 - US Latino/Latina Writers This course explores exemplary
texts written by Latina/Latino authors in the 20th century and examines
them in relation to their representation of issues such as gender and
sexualities, diasporic identities, and bilingualism. We will consider
a diversity of Chicana/o and Latina/o literature (poetry, narrative, theater,
and film) in our analysis of topics such as transculturation, (im)migration,
feminist consciousness, exile, mythology and linguistic identity.
Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262, 263
or 264, or permission of Instructor. (Also offered under the Latin
American and Caribbean Studies programs.) Hispanic Studies 341 - Latin American Poetry The students will become
familiar with the main literary trends in Spanish American poetry since
the "Modernismo" movement" (end of nineteenth century)
to the present. The readings will include poets such as Pablo Neruda,
CŽsar Vallejo, Alejandra Pizarnik, RubŽn Dar’o and Gioconda
Belli, and some popular singers such as Silvio Rodr’guez and Violeta
Parra. There will be an emphasis on understanding the specificity of poetic
language and developing appropriate tools of analysis. The course will
enhance reading skills that will enable students to appreciate poetry
in Spanish or any other language.
Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262, 263
or 264, or permission of instructor. (Also offered under the Latin American
and Caribbean Studies programs.)
Hispanic Studies
342 - Latin American Theater This course explores the
various manifestations of Latin American theater of the late nineteenth
and the twentieth centuries. Texts to be studied include canonical authors
(e.g. Florencio S‡nchez, Agust’n Cuzzani, Augusto Boal) as well
as other, equally important authors, movements and trends such as Teatro
Campesino, Teatro Poblacional, Popular Theater, and performances.
Some attention will also be paid to the study of theatricality
in social and political rituals and everyday life.
Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262, 263
or 264, or permission of Instructor. (Also offered under the Latin
American and Caribbean Studies programs.) Hispanic Studies 343 - Latin American Cinema This course explores the
cinematic production of Latin America, particularly in the context of
the New Latin American Cinema movement started in the late fifties and
the sixties. Parented by the continent's colonial experience and forged
by its continuing underdevelopment and dependency, the movement has inscribed
itself in Latin Americans' struggles for national and continental autonomy.
Discussions will be based on films, films reviews, interviews, and political
and artistic manifestoes from this period. The course will also include
later cinematic developments in individual countries such as Mexico, Brasil, Argentina, Chile, and Cuba. Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and
one of the following: 261, 262, 263 or 264, or permission of instructor.
(Also offered under the Latin American and Caribbean Studies programs.)
Hispanic Studies
344 - The Spanish American Historical Novel How is history portrayed
in literature? How may literature be used to search for a greater, or
alternative, historical “truths”?
How may historical events be used to illuminate more intimate concerns
and problems? These and other questions will be explored by examining
some of the many historical novels produced both at the beginning of the
twentieth century and today in Latin America. We will study how authors
use history to explore problems of narration, gender, sexuality, ethnicity,
subjectivity, and the nation. Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the
following: 261, 262, 263 or 264, or permission of instructor. (Also offered
under the Latin American and Caribbean Studies programs.)
Hispanic Studies
345 - Special Topic- To be offered occasionally
on a special topic in Spanish American or Iberian literatures and cultures.
Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 228 and one of the following: 261, 262, 263 or 264,
or permission of instructor. (Also offered under the Latin American and
Caribbean Studies programs.)
Hispanic Studies
399 - Independent study Submission of special registration
form, available in the Registrar's office, and the approval of the instructor
and chairperson are required for enrollment.
Hispanic Studies
401 - Senior Thesis Required for graduation with a major in Hispanic Studies (Plan A) or Plan B with Spanish as primary language. Individual tutorial in the writing of a thesis on a special topic in literature or culture, in coordination with one of the members of the Hispanic Studies faculty. Submission of special registration form, available in the Registrar's office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. Hispanic Studies 460 - Tutorial Submission of special registration
form, available in the Registrar's office, and the approval of the instructor
and chairperson are required for enrollment. Hispanic Studies 466 - Teaching Assistantship Submission of special registration
form, available in the Registrar's office, and the approval of the instructor
and chairperson are required for enrollment. |