LAS 201 - Africa in Latin America: From Language to Food to Music and Dance

Credits: 5
Introduce students to the study of the socio-cultural experiences of peoples of African descent in the Spanish, French, and Portuguese speaking countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, from the period of the transatlantic slave trade to more recent migration movements. Focusing on the linguistic, literary, culinary, musical, and dancing contributions of Africans and their descendants in this region, the course will deal with issues of enslavement, racism and discrimination, resistance and survival, as well as their contributions to the cultural richness of Latin America.

Enrollment Requirement: Eligible for ENGL& 101 or instructor consent.

Satisfies Requirement: Humanities/Fine Arts/English and Diversity
Course Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this class will be able to:

Discuss the intersections of colonialism, race, gender, politics, power, social structures, language, and history in Latin America and the Caribbean as they relate to the enslavement of Africans and its aftermath in the region.
Explain the impacts of the enslavement of Africans and its consequences for the development of distinctive cultural characteristics of Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly in relation to the dominant colonial languages (Spanish, French, Portuguese).
Assess how literature, music, dance, and art produced by Afro-Latin Americans reflect, question, and advance the causes of Afro-Latinidad in the region.
Recognize and apply the basic principles and conventions of effective written communication about the subject.
Examine the following elements of thought not only in the reading materials but also in the answers provided by other classmates: points of view, purpose, question at issue, implications and consequences, assumptions, concepts, conclusion, and solutions.

Program Outcomes
Analyze cultural perspectives and values of a multicultural world.

College-wide Outcomes

Critical Thinking - Critical thinking finds expression in all disciplines and everyday life. It is characterized by an ability to reflect upon thinking patterns, including the role of emotions on thoughts, and to rigorously assess the quality of thought through its work products. Critical thinkers routinely evaluate thinking processes and alter them, as necessary, to facilitate an improvement in their thinking and potentially foster certain dispositions or intellectual traits over time.
Diversity and Equity - In order to advance equity and social justice, students will be able to examine their own and others’ identities, behaviors, and/or cultural perspectives as they connect to power, privilege, and/or resistance.
Responsibility - Responsibility encompasses those behaviors and dispositions necessary for students to be effective members of a community. This outcome is designed to help students recognize the value of a commitment to those responsibilities which will enable them to work successfully individually and with others.
Written Communication - Written Communication encompasses all the abilities necessary for effective expression of thoughts, feelings, and ideas in written form.