SPAN 2111 - Introduction to Latin American Culture
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2014
This course is a general introduction to the cultures of Latin America. It is aimed at students with little or no knowledge of the region. Starting with a review of the major aboriginal cultures that existed in Latin America previous to the arrival of the Spaniards, we will proceed to explore the conquest of the American continent and the effects these events had in the shaping of Latin American culture and society.
Enough time will be dedicated to the discussion of the process of nation building in the continent, including the struggle for independence and early revolutionary movements. The second half of the course will be dedicated completely to the study and discussion of 20th and 21st Century Latin America. Main topics to be introduced include the Mexican Revolution, the Cuban Revolution, the Central American Revolutions of the 1970s and 1980s, US-Latin American relations, and great Spanish American artists (writers, film directors and actors, painters, etc.).
Lectures for this course will be conducted in English and tutorials in Spanish. Reading material will be mostly in Spanish.
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code SPAN 2111 Course Introduction to Latin American Culture Coordinating Unit Spanish Studies Term Semester 2 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 3 hours per week Prerequisites SPAN 2101 Assumed Knowledge Basic oral & written knowledge of the Spanish language Assessment Mid-term examination (30%), research presentation (30%), final examination (40%) Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Sergio Holas
Room 807, Napier Building
Phone: 8313 4744
sergio.holas@adelaide.edu.au
Consultation Hours: Tuesday 10 to 12 noon.
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
SEMINAR: Thursday 9 to 11 a.m.; Ligertwood 425
WORKSHOP1: Tuesday 2 to 3 p.m.; Barr Smith South, 2064a
WORKSHOP2: Tuesday 9 to 10 a.m.; Napier 205 -
Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
1) acquire an advanced knowledge and understanding of Latin American cultures and societes.
2) acquire the ability to independently use a variety of sources to further your understanding of Latin American discourses on "liberacion" and "decolonization".
3) To get an overview of the immense diversity of Latin American and Amerindians cultures throughout history.
4) To reach an understanding of the ways in which Latin American peoples/indigenous communities creatively decolonize and represent themselves under different and continuous processes of colonization.
5) To reach an understanding of the situated nature of knowledge.
6) To have a strong conceptual and systemic foundation to further study in the area of Latin American Studies.
7) To further develop the capacity to write reports and oral presentations on Latin American theme.
8) To gain the ability to work collaboratively with their peers and to communicate effectively with them.
9) To further learn how to make effective use of the internet resources when doing research on Latin American cultures.
10) To be able to critically appreciate the cultural richness of Latin American cultures.
11) to be able to appreciate the "mestizo" character of Latin American cultural producctions.University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 2, 3, 4, 8, Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies. 4, 5, 7, 9, A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 -
Learning Resources
Required Resources
All of your readings for SPAN 2111 Introduction to Latin American Cultures are on the www. In the following Required Readings list you will find all the texts you will need to prepare yourselves prior to your lectures and workshops.
Required Readings
Week 2:
Wearne, Philip, "Before Columbus", Return of the Indian. Conquest and Revival in the Americas. London: Cassell & LAB, 1996, pp. 32-60.
Week 3:
de Sousa Santos, Boaventura, "A Critique of Lazy Reason: Against the Waste of Experience". Available at:
Accessed 23rd, May, 2014
Week 4:
Dussel, Enrique, "Conference 1. Eurocentrism". Available at:
Accessed 14th of July 2014
Weeks 5 & 6:
Quijano, Anibal, "Colonialidad del poder, eurocentrismo y America Latina. Available at:
Accessed 14th of July 2014
Week 7:
Dussel, Enrique, "Conference 4. The Spiritual Conquest. Towards the Encounter Between Two Worlds? Available at:
Accessed 14th of July 2014
Week 8:
Paz, Octavio, Los hijos de la Malinche. Available at:
http://www.chnm.gmu.edu/wwh/modules/lesson6/spanish/octaviopaz.htmlAccessed 23 of May 2014.
Week 9:
Jose Marti, "Nuestra America." Available at:
Accessed 18th July 2014
Week 10:
Menchu Tum, Rigoberta,, "La diversidad cultural es el espejo de la diversidad natural". Available at:
Accessed 23rd of May 2014.
Week 11:
Subcomandante Marcos, "La cuarta guerra mundial". Available at:
http://www.palabra.ezln.org.mx/comunicados/2003/2003_02_b.htmAccessed 23rd of May 2014.
Accessed 23rd of May 2014
Week 12:
Correa Delgado, Rafael (Presidente de la Republica del Ecuador), "La inciativa Yasuni-ITT: cambiando paradigmas para un futuro sustentable". Available at:
Accessed 23rd of May 2014.
Online Learning
Other Learning Resources.
a. Latin American Network Information center, University of Texas:
Vast internet resources on countries, economy, education, government, media, culture, communication, science, society, and many other aspects. In English, Portuguese and Spanish.
b. Library of Congress - Hispanic reading Room:
The primary access point for research to the Caribbean, Latin America, and Iberia; the indigenous cultures of those areas; and peoples throughout the world historically influenced by Luso-Hispanic heritage, including Latinos in the US, and peoples of Portuguese or Spanish heritage in Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
c. Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales. CLACSO.
Vast internet resources on Social Sciences and the Arts. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
Lectures supported by problem-solving seminars which develop the lecture material.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
1 x 2-hour lecture (or equivalent) per week 24 hours per semester 1 x 1-hour seminar (or equivalent) per week 12 hours per semester 6 hours reading per week 72 hours per semester 2 hours research per week 24 hours per semester 2 hours assignment preparation per week 24 hours per semester TOTAL WORKLOAD 156 hours per semester Learning Activities Summary
Schedule Week 1 Introduction Week 2 Seminar: Worlds Before Columbus: Anahuac and Tahantinsiyu.
Workshop reading:
Philip Wearne, "Before Columbus".Week 3 Seminar: Modernity and the waste of experience.
Workshop reading & discussion paper:
Boaventura de Sousa Santos, "A Critique of Lazy Reason: Against the Waste of Experience".Week 4 Seminar: How Europe was constructed & its effects in its periphery.
Workshop reading & discussion paper:
Enrique Dussel, "Conference 1. Eurocentrism".Week 5 Seminar: What "coloniality of power" means? What are its effects?
Workshop reading & discussion paper:
Anibal Quijano, "Colonialidad del poder, eurocentrismo y America". PART I.
Jueves 28 de agosto: ENTREGAR BIBIOGRAFIA ANOTADA.Week 6 Seminar: What "coloniality of power" means? What are its effects?
Workshop reading & discussion paper:
Anibal Quijano, "Coloniality of power, eurocentrismo y America." PART II.Week 7 Seminar: The two conquests: material & spiritual.
Workshop reading & discussion paper:
Enrique Dussel, "Conference 4. The Spiritual Conquest. Towards the Encounter Between Two Worlds?."Week 8 Seminar: Los hijos de la Malinche I.
Workshop reading & discussion paper:
Octavio Paz, "Los hijos de la Malinche." PART I.Week 9 Seminar: Los hijos de la Malinche II.
Workshop reading & discussion paper:
Octavio Paz, "Los hijos de la Malinche." PART II.Week 10 Seminar: Processes of decolonization in today's Latin America.
Workshop reading & discussion paper:
Rigoberta Menchu Tum, "La diversidad cultural espejo de la diversidad natural."Week 11 Seminar: Processes of decolonization in today's Latin America.
Workshop reading & discussion paper:
Subcomandante Marcos, "La cuarta guerra mundial."
Jueves 23 de octubre: ENTREGAR ENSAYO.Week 12 Seminar: Processes of decolonization in today's Latin America.
Workshop reading & discussion paper:
Presidencia de la republica del Ecuador, "La iniciativa Yasuni-ITT: cambiando paradigmas para un futuro sustentable."Small Group Discovery Experience
All activities in the classroom are organised in small groups aimed at discovering new cultural values & language realities of the Latin American speaking worlds. The student must aim at being open and sensible to the perspectives of others. In other words: a key requisite for this course is allowing self to open up to other realities through being able to read self assumptions clouding self. -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment summary
Participation (Summative) 15%
Anotated bibliography (Summative) (800 words) 25%
Workshop paper (Summative) (700 words) 20%
Essay (Summative) (1,400 words) 40%
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TOTAL 100%Assessment Detail
Assessment Detail.
a. Anotated bibliography.
This exercise requires you to choose one of the texts set for study and to locate 3 scholarly articles about it. For each of this articles you need to:
a.1. provide full bibliography details;
a.2. provide a 50 words account of the argument developed in the article (no critical appraisal required, just a shor account of what the author has tried to argue);
a.3. identify and make a list of the 5 key words (concepts) for each of the 3 articles.
b. Workshop paper.
You must nominate one text from the list of readings for your workshop paper. Before your workshop reading oral presentation you need to get together with the other 3 or 4 students who also have nominated it. Collectivelly, you will device 3 questions that will form the basis for discussion in the workshop. Keep the question straightforward. At the workshop, the class will be divided into 3 or 4 gruops and each of you will act as a speaker for the group. Your questions will be discussed in your group in turn, and each group will then report to the class on its findings.
Your workshop paper is based on what takes place during the workshop. You must devote the first 40% of the word count to summing up the main ideas that emerged during the workshop. The reminder of the workshop should be your own analysis of what you see as the major issues that need to be considered in order to understand the specific text. The due date for the workshop paper is during your next workshop (the week after the workshop presentation and discussion).
c. Essay
Full detail info about the Essay will be included in your Course Outline. The Subnittion date is Thursday the 23rd of October.Submission
Submission will be the day of your workshop.
Deadlines
Students are formally notified of essay deadlines well in advance of the due date. Essays handed in after the due date will incur a penalty of 5% deduction per working day, unless an extension has been granted. Essay submitted one week or more after the due date will not be marked. Extensions will only be granted on mediacl grounds (medical certificate required) or in docvumented cases of hardship. Extensions must be requested from the Course Coordinator well in advance of the due date.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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