Hispanic Studies
Chair: Tommasina Gabriele
Department home page: http://www.wheatoncollege.edu/Acad/Hispanic/
The Hispanic Studies Department offers a broad range of courses in the language, literature and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world.
The department complements its curriculum through Wheaton's interdisciplinary Programa de Estudios Hispanicos en la Universidad de Cordoba (PRESHCO), in Spain, which offers courses in various aspects of Hispano-Muslim art and civilization, Spanish art, economics, history, geography, language, literature and music. PRESHCO is sponsored by a consortium of Oberlin College, Smith College, Trinity College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College and the College of Wooster.
Before enrolling in a first Spanish course at Wheaton, all students who have studied Spanish must take the placement exam given by the department.
Applicants for admission who intend to continue the study of Spanish at Wheaton are strongly advised to take the Spanish Achievement Test of the College Entrance Examination Board. Applicants who have taken an advanced placement course in Spanish language or literature and who score 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Examination administered by the Educational Testing Service may receive up to two Wheaton degree credits for this advanced work upon successful completion of a 300-level course in Hispanic studies at the college.
Major
Requirements are intentionally broad and flexible to accommodate the diverse interests of students, while being sufficiently focused to assure development of appropriate knowledge and skills. Students interested in this program should discuss their plans with the department as early as possible in order to design an individualized program of study depending upon their personal preferences and career aspirations.
Majors and minors in Hispanic studies usually go on to further studies or employment in a wide variety of areas. These include graduate studies, teaching, law, government, publishing and editing, interpreting, personnel work and a multitude of positions in international relations, business and banking.
The department encourages students to develop a second major or minor in such areas as American studies, anthropology, art, computer science, economics, education, English, history, international relations, Latin American studies, legal studies, management, music, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, sociology, theatre, women's studies or a second language.
Print a major planning worksheet
The major consists of nine courses distributed as follows:
Hispanic civilization and culture
Hisp 260 The Hispanic World: Introduction to Spain's Social and Cultural History
and
Hisp 280 The Hispanic World: Introduction to Latin American Culture
Hispanic literature
Two 300-level literature courses.
Senior seminar
One senior seminar (Hisp 400) that allows students to integrate the diverse perspectives gained in courses and readings.
Electives
Four more elective courses at the 200 level (starting with 220 or above) or 300 level.
Study Abroad
The opportunity to study abroad is an integral part of the program of Hispanic studies at Wheaton. Serious students of Hispanic studies are expected to spend their junior year or a semester abroad, with PRESHCO in Spain, PMCSP in Mexico, or another approved program in Latin America or Spain.
Minor
Print a minor planning worksheet
Any combination of five courses at the 200 level (starting with 220 or above), including at least one at the 300 level or equivalent.
Courses
Language courses
Language courses at the elementary and intermediate levels in Spanish are offered on an intensive basis and are taught with an eclectic, functional five-skills approach. This integrated approach simultaneously develops all the fundamental skills: speaking, comprehension, reading, writing and cultural awareness. In language courses, classroom practice in speaking is supplemented by work in the language laboratory.
Our language courses offer students an opportunity to acquire communication skills while developing an awareness and appreciation of Hispanic culture. These courses are designed for students in any field or major that benefits from the ability to communicate in Spanish and knowledge of Hispanic culture and civilization.
101. Basic Spanish
A yearlong course conducted by intensive oral method for students with no preparation in the language. Its goal is to provide more than a basic knowledge of Spanish while developing the fundamental skills: understanding, speaking, reading, writing and cultural awareness. Four class meetings per week plus work in the language laboratory and media center.
102. Basic Spanish
(Continuation of Hisp 101.)
105. Review of Basic Spanish
Intensive one-year review of the basic structure of Spanish for students with some previous knowledge of the language but who are not ready for intermediate work. Intensive oral method. Comprehensive grammar review, with activities designed to improve the fundamental skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing and cultural awareness. Four class meetings per week plus work in the language laboratory and media center.
106. Review of Basic Spanish
(Continuation of Hisp 105.)
150. Intermediate Spanish
This intensive one-semester course provides further development and practice of all language skills. Comprehensive grammar review, with activities designed to enhance the fundamental skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing and cultural awareness. Four class meetings per week plus work in the language laboratory and media center.
200. Advanced Intermediate Spanish
Reading and discussion in Spanish of a number of Spanish and Spanish American texts (drama, novel, short stories and poetry). Nonliterary texts such as films and music will also be included. The course is designed to (1) to improve students' ability to communicate orally and to express themselves in written Spanish; (2) to broaden their understanding of the Hispanic world; (3) to introduce them to contemporary Hispanic writers. Four class meetings per week plus work in the language laboratory and media center.
220. Advanced Oral and Written Communication I: Conversation
Designed to improve students' ability to speak Spanish at an advanced level, the course provides intensive practice in conversational skills through reading and discussion of current works that reveal sociocultural aspects of the Hispanic world. Using political and social ballads, popular verse, idioms, articles, short stories, plays and films, students will discuss contemporary topics with the goal of ensuring good communication skills. Attention will also be placed upon developing students' knowledge of syntax and writing ability. Four class meetings per week plus work in the language laboratory and media center.
240. Advanced Oral and Written Communication II: Composition
This course is designed to improve students' writing skills in Spanish, with emphasis on the practice of various types of writing: formal letters, diaries, poetry, essays, short stories, and analysis of literary texts and social and political issues in the Hispanic world. Attention is also given to improving conversational skills. Three class meetings per week plus work in the language laboratory and media center.
260. The Hispanic World: Introduction to Spain's Social and Cultural History
A study of the major trends and development in the evolution of Spanish society and culture, from its origins to the present, from historical, political, social, artistic and intellectual perspectives.
(Hector Medina)
270. Studies in Latin American Culture: Cuba and the Pursuit of Freedom
An advanced course that provides an introduction to Cuban culture while maintaining and improving Spanish language skills. The course is designed to give students an overview of the evolution of Cuban culture and society from the colonial times to the present, with emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries. Readings include novels, short stories, plays, poetry, essays and historical sources. Some of the authors that will be considered are José María Heredia, Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, José Martí, Nicolás Guillén, Lydia Cabrera, Alejo Carpentier, Fidel Castro, Guillermo Cabrera Infante, Lourdes Casal, Nancy Morejón and Dolores Prida.
(Hector Medina)
280. The Hispanic World: Introduction to Latin American Culture
An advanced course that provides an introduction to Spanish-speaking Latin American culture while maintaining and improving Spanish language skills. The course is designed to give students an overview of the diverse cultures of the region, moving historically from the first encounters of colonial times to the various communities that make up present-day Latino culture. While the temptation in such a course is to attempt to obscure differences in order to present a coherent narrative, our focus will rather be on the way many different and divergent voices make up Latin American identity and culture.
Connections:
Conx 23003 Modern Latin America
Literature survey courses
305. Literary Currents in Spain I: From the Middle Ages to the End of the Golden Age
A study of literary movements and genres in Spanish literature from the medieval period to the end of the Golden Age through the reading and discussion of representative works.
306. Literary Currents in Spain: 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries
A study of literary movements and genres in Spanish literature from the 18th century to the present through the reading and discussion of representative works.
315. Spanish American Literature I: Colonialism to Modernism
A study of Spanish American literature from the colonial period to 1910 through the reading and discussion of representative works.
316. Spanish American Literature II: Contemporary Literature
A study of Spanish American literature from modernism to the present through the reading and discussion of representative works.
Connections:
Conx 23003 Modern Latin America
Studies in literature
320. Studies in Spanish Literature of the Middle Ages and the Golden Age
330. Studies in Spanish Literature of the 18th and 19th Centuries
340. Studies in Spanish Literature of the 20th Century
350. Studies in Spanish American Literature: Narrative
355. Voyages, Navigations and Shipwrecks
This course introduces advanced Spanish students to the study of Early Modern Spanish texts, offering a scholarly approach inclusive of Humanities Computing tools, particularly the TEI and XML mark-up languages. Goals of the course are to improve the ability of the students in reading and understanding primary sources, and to initiate them in the experience of scholarly research in literary texts.
(Domingo Ledezma)
360. Studies in Spanish American Literature: Drama and Poetry
370. Studies on Hispanic Women Writers
399. Independent Study
400. Seminar in Hispanic Studies: The Multicultural Route of Don Quijote de la Mancha
Special course
298. Experimental Courses
300. Spanish Practicum Internship
In collaboration with the The Filene Center for Academic Advising and Career Services, majors and minors in Hispanic studies are placed in agencies in Massachusetts or Rhode Island that need Spanish-speaking volunteers. Students will be able to increase their fluency in Spanish through personal and continued contacts with the language and, at the same time, assist the Hispanic community in programs related to foster care, refugees, hospitalized children and adolescents, battered women and their children, legal advocacy, rape crisis, AIDS, substance abuse, runaways, family emergency shelter and in after-school programs, etc. Readings and class discussion will focus on the literatures, histories and cultures of Latinos in the U.S. and other issues pertaining to this community.
Connections:
Conx 20058 Latino Culture
Course in translation
235. Contemporary Latin American Fiction in Translation
Readings in translation of significant works by modern authors from Latin America.
(Also see courses offered through PRESHCO.)
PRESHCO
Hisp 999
PRESHCO is housed in the University of Córdoba's Facultad de Filosofia y Letras, where courses are taught in Spanish by professors of the University of Córdoba and other foreign scholars. This interdisciplinary program has been in operation since 1981 and has three basic objectives:
1. To encourage the personal and intellectual growth that comes from living and studying in a foreign country;
2. To increase the student's command of the Spanish language;
3. To foster knowledge and appreciation of Spanish culture through studies in the humanities, social sciences and fine arts as they pertain to Spain.
Applicants must have completed Hispanic Studies 200 or the equivalent prior to participation in the program and may receive as many as four course credits per semester. All courses may be counted toward a major or minor in Hispanic studies. Students interested in PRESHCO or other programs in Latin America or Spain should consult with the PRESHCO coordinator and the Center for Global Education.
Courses offered by PRESHCO
Language
1301. Advanced Oral and Written Communication
Three class hours per week plus additional practice outside class. An exploration of various kinds of textual material viewed as examples of linguistic registers with special attention to semantics and discourse in the contemporary Spanish world. This course is normally required for all students during their first semester in Córdoba (unless exempted by the resident director, in consultation with individual campus coordinators). (Fall and Spring)
1306. Topics in Spanish Phonology and Linguistics
A review of Spanish phonetics and phonology with an eye toward improving pronunciation and facility in identifying different accents and dialects. Together with extensive class work, students may choose to participate in a practicum working with local nongovernmental organizations or in other settings to increase contact with contemporary language usage. (Fall and Spring)
1310. Translation
Theoretical and practical aspects of the translation of both literary and nonliterary texts. Classes are centered on the discussion of weekly translation exercises and are directed toward increasing students' linguistic competence in both English and Spanish. (Spring)
Literature
1601. Introduction to Spanish Literature I
An examination of representative texts and literary movements from the medieval period to the Golden Age. (Fall)
1602. Introduction to Spanish Literature II
An examination of representative texts and literary movements from the 19th and 20th centuries. (Spring)
1611. Seminar: Studies in Spanish Theatre
Focusing on a different historical period each semester, the seminar will explore key aesthetic, cultural and political facets of selected representative texts. (Fall)
1612. Seminar: Studies in 19th-Century Literature
Close reading and analysis of representative texts from the 19th century. (Spring)
1613. Seminar: Studies in 20th-Century Literature
Critical analysis of key texts from the Generation of 1898 to the present. (Fall)
1614. Seminar: 20th-Century Feminist Expression
An examination, through various media, of feminist expression in contemporary Spain with particular attention to currents in Spanish feminist thought. (Spring)
Fine Arts
1700. The Music of Spain
A panorama of Spanish music with a focus on its most significant and
distinctive aspects, from the medieval period to the polyphony of the Golden Age and the nationalist trends of the last two centuries. (Fall and Spring)
1701. Spanish Art: From the Islamic Period to El Greco
A survey of the most significant artistic expressions--architecture, painting and sculpture--that emerged in Spain from the 8th to the 16th centuries. (Fall)
1702. Spanish Art: From Velázquez to Picasso
A continuation of the course described above, exploring artistic milestones from the 17th to the 20th centuries. (Spring)
1720. Seminar: Methods and Techniques in Andalusian Art Restoration
An integrative seminar entailing classroom instruction, extensive fieldwork and hands-on practice in the creation and restoration of arts specific to Andalusia. (A portion of this course takes place at the Escuela de Artes Aplicadas y Oficios Artísticos de Córdoba.) (Spring)
1730. History of Spanish Architecture
An examination of the principal works of Spanish architecture from prehistoric times to the modern works of Antoni Gaudi and Rafael Moneo. (Spring)
History
1401. Roman Andalusia
An exploration of the social and cultural history of the Roman aspects of Andalusia, from the second century B.C.E. to the 5th century C.E. (Fall)
1404. The Spanish Middle Ages
An examination of the unique configuration of Christian, Islamic and Jewish cultures in Iberia during the medieval period. Focus on political, economic and social factors, as well as contact with other European powers. (Fall)
1405. Imperial Spain, 1492-1711
The inner history of the "Spanish Century," when Spanish military might was peerless and Spanish influence was supreme in Europe and America, is examined in all its contradictions. (Spring)
1406. The Colonization of America
A critical examination of political, cultural, economic and racial cross-currents between Spain and the Americas during the colonial period. Particular focus on the making and implementation of the policies of the Spanish monarchy in the New World. (Spring)
1407. Political Reform and Social Change, 1808-1936
An analysis of the political transmutations that followed the great wave of bourgeois revolutions in Western Europe, which brought with them the movement known as Constitutionalism. Examination of the particular transformations occasioned by the dual nature of Spanish economic development. (Spring)
1410. Seminar: El Franquismo and the Transition to Democracy
An analysis of the complex period of the Franco dictatorship, from its Civil War beginnings to its conclusion and the transition to democracy. (Spring)
Geography
1500. The Geography of Spain
A study of the basic components of the Iberian Peninsula in its ecological, human, economic and social dimensions, and an analysis of Spanish landscapes and regional diversity. (Fall)
Philosophy
1811. Political Philosophy: Spain and Latin America
An examination of the development of concepts of nationhood, colonialism and human rights within a Spanish and Latin American context. (Fall)
Interdisciplinary courses and seminars
1910. The European Union: Economics and Society
An examination of the impact of the political economy of the European Community on the economic and social structures of member states (growth, employment, standard of living), with special emphasis on present-day Spain. (Spring)
1911. The European Union: Political Structures and Institutions
An examination of communitarian forms of government and political cooperation among member nations. Particular focus on ways in which participation in the EU and adherence to a supranational structure have informed Spanish government, jurisprudence, economics and society. (Fall)
1912. Women in Spanish Society
An inquiry into how a feminist focus reconfigures both the content and form of cultural and archival research. The course examines gendered notions of space, education, religion and culture through a variety of periods in Spanish history. (Fall)
1914. From Text to Film: Spanish and Latin American Cinema
Focusing on six novels by Spanish and Latin American authors that have been adapted for film, the course examines questions of form, medium and narrative. (Fall)
1915. The Semitic Legacy in Hispanic Societies
An analysis of the formation of "semitic culture" (primarily Hebrew and Arabic) in both Eastern and Western contexts and its lasting influence on the Spanish ways of life and culture. Emphasis given to the role of Córdoba as a crossroads of intellectual, cultural and artistic currents. (Fall)
1916. Islam: Beginnings, Introduction into Spain and Contemporary Andalusia
An examination of the origins of Islam in Arabia and its introduction into and evolution within Spain beginning in 711 C.E. Particular attention to the diversity of Islamic religious thought and philosophy, competing notions regarding lasting Islamic influence in Spanish identity, and the role of Andalusia as a cultural site for contemporary Islamic thought. (Spring)
1917. Image, Gender and Sexuality: Contemporary Spanish Cinema
Focusing on recent Spanish films by important filmmakers, the course analyses the ways in which societal codes dealing with gender and sexuality are presented, explored and oftentimes subverted. (Spring)
Archaeology
1920. Andalusian Archaeology: Theory and Practice
A course encompassing both theory and hands-on practice. Readings and lectures in archaeological theory and methods (including differences between American and European approaches), complemented by extensive practice at local sites. (Fall)
1921. Theory and Methods in the Study of Prehistoric Material Culture
Taking advantage of Córdoba's rich offering of research sites, this course combines an understanding of general approaches to the study of prehistoric remains with hands-on practice in the Facultad´s "Laboratorio de Prehistoria," visits to the Museo Arqueológico de Córdoba and other local research facilities. (Spring)
Offerings at the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras
PRESHCO students, as part of their academic program, are encouraged to take a course offered as part of the regular offerings at the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras or another division of the University of Córdoba (for example, economics, education or law). Doing so can facilitate greater integration into Spanish student life and offers students an extensive array of courses in areas not common in study-abroad programs. Additional fees required by the university for a one-credit course are covered by the PRESHCO program. The grade received is transferred to American grading standards and reported to the home institution for program credit. Given the fact that the Spanish university calendar differs considerably from that in the U.S. (requiring accommodations in terms of class meetings and due dates for assignments and examinations), students interested in this option should speak to their coordinator before departure or with the resident director upon arrival.
In addition to informing students about the many offerings of the University of Córdoba, the program identifies a short list of courses that may be of particular interest to students learning about Spain and its culture. These offerings are enhanced for program participants by additional course meetings and discussion sections. A list of these courses is available approximately two months before the beginning of each semester and is sent to all accepted students.
Students interested in PRESHCO or other programs in Latin America or Spain should consult with the PRESHCO coordinator and the Center for Global Education.