Español 348 Civilizaciones y culturas latinoamericanas

Primavera del 2011

Dra. Linda Zee
White Hall 226 223-2461 lzee@utica.edu
Horas de consulta: lunes/viernes 10:30-12:20; miércoles 10:30-11:30, martes 12:00-12:50 y previa cita

Description: This course is designed as an introduction to the cultures, civilizations and history of Spanish-speaking
countries. While the emphasis will be on Latin America, Spain will be included as a point of reference and comparison.

Text: Latinoamérica: Presente y pasado 3a. Arturo A. Fox.

Selected hand-outs, web-based materials, films
http://spanish348.blogspot.com

Grading:
1. Country reports 15%.
Students will be assigned or will select one Latin American country on which they will report 3 times during the second
part of the semester. The first report will discuss the country’s capital, population, chief imports and exports, major bodies
of water, the basic state of the economy, the currency [and the use or importance of the US dollar] the role of tourism to the
economy and the main tourist attractions. The second report will discuss politics—who’s in charge, recent elections, past
government types, political parties, major conflicts. You will also discuss “minority” groups, both political and ethnic, and
the role of the indigenous populations. The third report, the longest of the 3, will discuss culture and sports. You can
prepare an audiovisual presentation of music, art, dance, famous people from the arts, sports teams, and anything else that
has caught your interest about the country. This should not be a country of family origin nor one in which you have spent
time.

2. Film reports 10% You will be responsible for viewing 3 different films on your own during the course of the semester.
Some of these are available in the Media Center, some are from my private collection, others are available commercially or
through Netflix. Plan ahead! You may not be the only person trying to watch the film at the last minute! These films have
been selected for their relevance to the material read/discussed in class. On the days that the film reports are due, you will
hand in a brief [1.5-2 pp.] report IN SPANISH that will include the following information:
How the film relates or pertains to the classroom material
How the film has reinforced or contradicted material discussed in class
How would someone who hasn’t taken this class relate to or enjoy the film
Your opinion of the film
The day that you hand in each report you will briefly summarize your opinions to the class.

3. Interview: mid-semester project 20% DUE 3/10

You will conduct a thorough interview in Spanish with a person from a Spanish-speaking country that you have never
visited [and that is not a country of your family’s origin]. You may interview a fellow student, someone from your
community or job, etc. The interview MUST be conducted in Spanish—it will be painfully obvious if you do it in English
and attempt to translate!] It is suggested that you tape the interview if at all possible, rather than try to write down all the
information. The interview project should be condensed, written in NARRATIVE FORM [and NOT in question and answer
form] and should include the following aspects as a MINIMUM:
a. The name and origin of the person interviewed
b. Unique geographic features of the country
c. Climate
d. Daily customs and routines [meals, working hours, etc.]
e. Typical foods [include a thorough description of one typical or special dish]
f. Holidays—religious and non-religious—and the description of how at least one of them is celebrated
g. Customs that distinguish this country from other Spanish-speaking countries
h. How the Spanish there differs from that spoken in other regions. Provide examples if possible.
i. Music
j. Current political situation [type of government, name of leader] and basic attitudes toward the United States
4. Exams and quizzes 25%
You will have a map test and several essay/short answer exams. Quizzes will be brief comprehension questions on the
readings if I feel that you’re not keeping up with the assignments.

5. Final oral report 15%

You will select a theme from below [or other, prior my approval] to present to the class in lieu of a final exam. This will be
held on the day of the scheduled final exam. The presentation should last about 15 mins. [maximum 20]. The idea is to
demonstrate to the class something about Hispanic popular culture in a way that is both interesting and entertaining. You
may include an activity, a video or anything else that will differentiate this from a simple report. Be creative! Suggested
themes[no repeated themes so if something interests you, claim it now!]:
a. Food and drink: comparison and analysis of the cuisines of different countries: tape a cooking segment from Univisión;
bring in recipes, menus, talk about the connection between cooking and national products, indigenous vs. European
influences; bring in something to eat that is authentic.
b. Song and dance: salsa, tango, merengue, tapatío, etc. etc. etc. Teach the class to dance. Bring in songs from latinos in the
US or well-known [or not] Latin American artists and teach us the lyrics. Analyze lyrics of songs. Show a clip from a video
featuring one of the aforementioned dances and explain. Give a demonstration of different dance styles and explain the
source.
c. Telenovelas: A popular expression and study of social dynamics. Follow a soap opera for as long as you can. Tape
segments to show to the class. Discuss the language used, the clothes, the setting, the relationship between or among
classes, generations, sexes. What values implicitly and explicitly revealed. If you have only a portion of the soap, act out
the conclusion that you judge most likely.
d. Folklore: artwork, artisans, markets. Demonstrate the way “regatear” works. Collect items that people have brought back
from different countries or concentrate on one area if you have enough info. Bring in the items and set up a kind of market
or explain how the items are made, their significance, etc. Discuss the crafts as art. Discuss the way markets function or the
history behind certain markets. For example: Vasco de Quiroga organized the indigenous towns in colonial Michoacan,
Mexico, around different crafts—laquer work, leather goods, wood, copper, pottery, textiles—in order to lessen
competition among the different indigenous groups.
e. Muralism: especially in US Chicano communities and post-Revolutionary Mexico. Bring in images/powerpoint. Explain
the artistic and political aspects. Compare and contrast specific artists like Rivera and Orozco.
f. Noticiero/newscast. Taking current events from throughout the Hispanic world, put on a skit with reporters, interviews
and commentaries. Must be sincere and accurate, not made-up news. Bring in a clip from a real newscast on Univisión and
discuss. Analyze newspapers from the Web. How is news reported elsewhere?
g. Fiestas and celebraciones: Day of the Dead. Posadas. La Pascua Florida. Etc. Make a piñata. Reenact the story of Juan
Diego and the Virgen de Guadalupe. Decorate the room for a special event with authentic decorations like the cut tissue
paper seen in Mexico on an alter for the Day of the Dead. Bring in a ‘rosca’ for el día de los Reyes Magos. Explain other
customs for other important events that differ from ours: La Diablada in Bolivia; el día del santo; el grito de Dolores in
Mexico, la quinceañera.
6. Homework 15% You will be assigned certain questions that follow each chapter in the text. It is essential that you
complete these questions in order to better test your understanding and to improve your vocabulary.

THE PAGE NUMBERS INDICATE WHAT YOU SHOULD READ BEFORE CLASS. THE HOMEWORK IS WHAT
YOU SHOULD HAND IN BEFORE CLASS STARTS.

CHECK THE CLASS POSTINGS FOR THE MOST CURRENT ASSIGNMENTS

1/20 Introducción

1/25 pp. 2-16. Mexico precolombino; HW A 1, 27, 10

1/27 pp. 17-31. Otras civilizaciones; HW A1, 2, 3, 10, 12

2/1 terminar con las civilizaciones. Los videos. write in class

2/3 pp. 33-47. Europa. HW A 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 12, 15

2/8 pp 49-64 las conquistas; HW A 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15

2/10 pp. 49-64 las conquistas continuan; HW B 1, 3

2/15 first film report [Captain from Castile; Aguirre, Wrath of God; La última conquista; Apocalypto]; write in class

2/17 pp. 62-73 Colonialismo; HW A 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11

2/22 pp. 76-89; HW A 1, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13

2/24 pp. 91-107 Independencias; HW A 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, 15, 16, 17

3/1 pp. 110-129 Overview; HW A 1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 14

3/3 second film report [The Mission; Yo, la peor de todas; Camila]

3/8 EXAMEN

3/10 INTERVIEW DUE. DVD “Omnibus”

3/15 no hay clase

3/17 no hay clase

3/22 pp. 134-55 las religions; la influencia Africana; la Guerra Civil española; HW A 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16

3/24 las mujeres; HW p. 156 14, 15; C 3, 4

3/29 first country report; pp. 158-174 Pre WWII; HW A 2, 4, 7, 8, 13, 16

3/31 No hay clase

4/5 pp. 178-195 Post WWII; HW A 1 3, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12

4/7 pp. 198-224 Mexico & Central America; HW A 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 18, 21

4/12 second country report; music

4/14 pp. 228-251 Caribe; HW A 2, 4, 7, 11, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20

4/19 pp. 254-278 Los Andes; HW A 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 12, 15, 20, 21, 25, 27

4/21 no hay clase pp. 316-338 Colombia y Venezuela; HW A 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 22

4/26 pp. 282-312 El Cono Sur; HW A 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 11, 14, 17, 19, 20

4/28 pp. 342-357 U.S. Latinos; third country report. HW A 2, 4, 6, 8, 13, 14, 17, 18

5/2 Brasil; film report [Frida; El norte; Missing; Evita; Mi vida loca, La historia oficial; others by permission]

5/6 1:00 proyecto final