Department ___MCLL____
Course Number _SPAN 312_
AREAS OF INQUIRY
Course Name: Spanish American Civilization and
GLOBAL
Culture
AND MULTICULTURAL
PERSPECTIVES
This form must be submitted to the Faculty Council on Liberal Learning and Academic Life as part of the submission
process.
Please attach a proposed syllabus for this course and the Undergraduate Curriculum Course Proposal Form.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: 16 September 2005
Please answer the following questions:
Check Only One:
X This course is an existing course (in the current curriculum) that we are now proposing for this Area of
Inquiry.
 This is a new course that we are now proposing for this Area of Inquiry.
1. Name and contact information for the department chair administrating this course.
Danielle Cahill Velardi
MCLL
Commonwealth Hall #3
dcahill@cnu.edu
594-7107
2. In any given semester, how many sections of this course is your department willing to offer?
One
3. Why is this course being offered/what is it designed to achieve (Course purpose/goal) ?
Students majoring in Spanish are required to take either this course or SPAN 311 (Spanish Civilization).
This course may also be taken as a course above the 100-level to complete the minor in Spanish.
This course presents an overview of the cultural heritage of the Spanish American peoples from the preColumbian period to the present. The course will begin by studying the indigenous cultures, African
slavery, and Spanish colonization during the period of conquest. It will then examine the wars of
independence, the process of nation building, and European immigration in the XIX century. The course
ends by revisiting the Spanish American nations in the age of globalization and provides information about
the Hispanic population living in the United States.
4. Check the objectives below that the course will address. The first objective is required and every proposal
must include at least two more objectives from the list below.
X Interrogate the dominate culture in relationship to other cultures (required)
 Compare communication styles among cultures
X Assess how culture impacts and informs the development of creative expression/movements, politics,
economics, or philosophy
 Analyze how concepts of “self” and individuals in various cultures differ and/or intersect
X Articulate how culture influences the structure of languages, societies, and institutions
5. Briefly explain how this class addresses the above objectives. A course may cover more than three
objectives.
a.) Interrogate the dominate culture in relationship to other cultures: The readings from the textbook,
videos, films, art, and music will provide examples of syncretism, showing how the people living in
Spanish America have adapted to as well as resisted the Catholic religion and cultural traditions
imported from the colonizer, Spain. Attention will be given to the issues of ethnicity and social class,
stressing the transformations that they have experienced during different historical periods and in
different geographical locations in Spanish America and the United States.
b.) Assess how culture impacts and informs the development of creative expressions: The readings and
supplementary material (art, film, music, excerpts from literature) will help us to identify the artist’s
role in the Spanish American countries and the United States during different historical periods,
tracing how it has changed. For example, the course will look at the artist’s role in preserving
historical memory, expressing politically-committed viewpoints, and retreating from socio-political
realities to produce “art for art’s sake.”
c.) Articulate how culture influences the structure of languages, societies, and institutions: The
material studied in the course will focus upon how social hierarchies were created according to race or
ethnicity when the Spaniards colonized the Americas. It will also focus upon how intellectuals
attempted to forge a vision of national identity among the races and ethnicities and their theories about
the ideal forms of government for the independent Spanish American nations.
6. Course Assessment: Identify how this course will accomplish the above objectives (choose at least one):
X Participating in class discussion and debate
X Engaging in teamwork and other collaborative exercises
X Writing analytical or evaluative papers, perhaps incorporating original research
X Making oral presentations
 Creating an artistic product or a performance
X Participating in fieldwork: Interviewing a Spanish American or U.S. Latino
X Other means – please identify: Attending a lecture, performance, or cultural event in the Newport
News area that is related to Spanish American or U.S. Latino culture; Exams
7. Attach a proposed syllabus, which includes a statement of purpose, course objectives, and how these
objectives will be accomplished.
8. Please identify and explain if this course contributes to the Foundations of Liberal Learning expectations for:
 Oral Communication Literacy: The students will continue to hone their skills in speaking and
comprehending spoken Spanish by listening to the professor’s lectures, watching films and videos,
interviewing a Spanish American or U.S. Latino, and actively participating in discussions during class.
They will also gain practice in public speaking skills by producing group oral presentations.
 Information Literacy: The students will read materials in Spanish and English to use as
bibliographical sources in preparing research papers and oral presentations. They will have the
opportunity to examine a variety of these sources, such as newspaper articles, textbooks, books, academic
journal articles, web pages on the Internet, and learn how to evaluate their usefulness. The students will
also learn about Spanish America’s geography and history.
 Writing Literacy: The students will write analytical papers in Spanish. There will be numerous
opportunities for them to gain practice with this type of writing. They will prepare short essays as
homework assignments, answer essay questions on exams, compile a written report to accompany the
group oral presentation, and write a 3-4 page research paper.
9. Explain how this course connects to Vision 2010 – the CNU Strategic Plan.
Spanish 312 works with materials drawn from a variety of academic disciplines in the Humanities. By
examining historical texts, literature, artwork, and music, the course seeks to help students gain an
understanding of Spanish American and U.S. Latino cultures in the past and present. Vision 2010
emphasizes the importance of international studies and fostering the students’ connection with local
communities. This course attempts to reach those goals by providing information necessary to help
students learn how to interact with people from a variety of cultures, not only abroad but also where they
will work and live in the United States.
Submission Checklist:
By the deadline, submit a packet with the following documents to the Assistant Dean for Liberal Learning. Please
submit in electronic and hard copy form.
__X___ Area of Inquiry Course Proposal Form
__X__ Syllabus for the Course
__N/A__ Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Course Proposal Form
SPAN 312
SPANISH AMERICAN CIVILIZATION AND CULTURE
SYLLABUS
Instructor: Dr. Elaine M. Miller
Course Meeting Times: MWF 2:00-2:50
Required Text: Chang-Rodríguez, Eugenio. Latinoamérica: Su civilización y su cultura. 3rd edition.
Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 2000.
Course Description and Objectives:
This course presents an overview of the cultural heritage of the Spanish American peoples from the preColumbian period to the present. We will begin the course by studying the indigenous cultures and the
Spanish conquest of the Americas. We will then examine the wars of independence and the process of
nation building. The course ends by revisiting the Spanish American nations in the age of globalization
and provides information about the Hispanic population living in the United States. Readings from the
textbook Latinoamérica: Su civilización y su cultura will provide an overview of Spanish American
histories. Videos, films, art and music will supplement the readings and enable us to more closely
examine important concepts that have shaped Spanish America through the centuries: cultural and
religious syncretism, the artist's role in society, social class and ethnicity, civilization vs. barbarism, and
the resistance of cultural minorities.
Prerequisite:
Spanish 202 or its equivalent or consent of the instructor. The professor expects to work together with
the students toward a fuller appreciation of the complexity of Spanish America's cultures. While the
instructor will lecture to provide necessary background, the majority of class time will be dedicated to
discussion of the readings, films, videos, art, and music.
GRADING:
A)
Numerical grades will be determined by using the following formula:
1. Mid-term Exam…………………………………… ……………..............20 %
2. Final Exam …..…………………..…….................................................... 20 %
3. Research Paper ...…….…………………...…………..…………............. 20 %
4. Attendance and participation …….…………………………………….. 15 %
5. Group oral presentation… ………............................................................ 15 %
6. Quizzes and miscellaneous homework assignments …………………… 10 %
B)
Letter grades will be given according to the following conversion table:
93 - 100 = A
90 - 92 = A -
88 – 89 = B +
84 – 87 = B
80 – 83 = B -
78 - 79 = C +
74 - 77 = C
70 - 73 = C -
68 - 69 = D +
64 - 67 = D
60 - 63 = D -
0 – 59 = F
EXAMS:
A mid-term and a final exam will be given during the semester. The final exam will be given on the
date assigned by the university registrar. Both exams are not cumulative and their format will include:
A) short answer questions about key terms
B) essay questions
RESEARCH PAPER (20%):
Each student will write a three to four-page paper critically analyzing in detail an aspect of
Spanish American culture studied in the course. The paper should make reference to sources
obtained through research at the library. A preliminary bibliography is due on the date indicated
on the syllabus. The final paper should include a bibliography consisting of at least three sources
and be prepared by following the guidelines in the sixth edition of the MLA Handbook for
Writers of Research Papers. While the Internet can be a helpful resource in researching the
paper, websites do not count towards the minimum of three bibliographical sources required for
the paper.
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION (15%):
Regular class attendance is required and counts toward the final grade for the course. More than three
unexcused absences will result in your grade being lowered by one letter (e.g. A -->B). In order to get
an excused absence, you must present verifiable written proof of the reason for your absence. Any
missed opportunities for a grade will not be made up, unless proper documentation is presented to
the instructor! A note from a physician, an obituary, a court summons, and an official note of
participation in a sanctioned CNU academic or athletic event are examples of acceptable written
justification for missing class and then making up that day’s work.
Daily participation in discussions about the readings is very important. Please read all assigned material
before coming to class in order to ensure that you are prepared to actively participate. Participation
involves not only volunteering to speak during class discussions but also showing that you have
carefully read the assignments and are prepared to share your thoughts and opinions about them with
your classmates and instructor.
GROUP ORAL PRESENTATION (15%):
You will prepare a fifteen to twenty-minute group oral presentation with two classmates about a current
event from one of the Spanish American countries studied in the course. Each group should:




Research the country’s current events on the Internet. Some recommended websites are:
newspapers at http://www.prensalatina.com/, the CIA World Factbook at
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html, our textbook’s website at
http://latinoamerica.heinle.com/ and the embassies’ websites.
Select two newspapers from that country and read the front-page news for the latest available week.
You should mention the newspapers’ names in your presentation. Then you should choose one
current event from the headlines on the front page of the newspapers and summarize the news for
your classmates.
You should not merely summarize the current event but also explain how it relates to the country’s
history that we have discussed in class and read about in our textbook.
Write a one-page report summarizing the current event and explaining its relevance to what we have
studied in class.


Also include in the written report some basic data about the country. For example: the government
(Who is the president?), the economy (unemployment percentage), the currency (What is the
exchange rate with the US dollar?), the languages spoken in the country, and the ethnic groups
residing there.
Make sufficient photocopies of the report to distribute to all of the students in the class.
QUIZZES AND MISCELLANEOUS HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS (10%):
There will be pop quizzes and a variety of homework assignments, including those which will ask you to
“participate culturally” in the Spanish American world. They will include:
A. A map test
B. An interview with a person from Spanish America
C. Attending an event on campus or in the Newport News area that is related to Spanish
American culture and writing a report summarizing and reacting to it
D. Researching a Spanish American holiday and presenting your findings in class, sharing with
your classmates a tradition from that special day (for example: a recipe, a song, a dance, etc.)
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Disabilities:
IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE YOUR INSTRUCTOR
IMMEDIATELY! IN ORDER TO RECEIVE AN ACCOMMODATION, YOUR DISABILITY MUST
BE ON RECORD IN THE OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICES IN THE ACADEMIC ADVISING
CENTER, ROOM # 125, ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ( TELEPHONE: 594 - 8763).
Academic Honesty:
Plagiarism is the stealing or passing off as your own the writings or ideas of someone else.
Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, quoting, summarizing, or paraphrasing
ideas without giving credit to their source, submitting as your own work that has been copied or
purchased from another student or other source, permitting someone else to revise or edit a paper
to the extent that it is no longer your own work, lifting off the Internet wording or ideas that are
not your own without crediting the Internet source. Plagiarism is a very serious violation of the
CNU Honor Code and may result in penalties that can include, at the discretion of the instructor,
rewriting the entire assignment, having to complete an alternative assignment, getting a zero on
the plagiarized assignment or getting an F for the course. In addition to these penalties, the
instructor has the right to place a note in the student's university file, which could result in an
honors council sanction such as suspension or expulsion from CNU. I expect that you will uphold
the CNU Honor Code in all work submitted for this course.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week One:
Day 1
Day 2
Introduction to the course
Chap. 1: Unidad del mundo latinoamericano
Debate about the terminology: ¿Existe una Latinoamérica?
Day 3
Research on the Internet: The Geography of Spanish America
Chap. 2: La geografía y la gente
________________________________________________________________________
Week Two:
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Chap. 2: La geografía y la gente
Chap. 3: Las grandes civilizaciones precolombinas y su legado cultural
Map Test
Chap. 3: Las grandes civilizaciones precolombinas y su legado cultural
________________________________________________________________________
Week Three:
Day 7
Chap. 4: Las exploraciones, la conquista y su significado
Day 8
Chap. 4: Las exploraciones, la conquista y su significado
Day 9
Review of the guidelines from the MLA Handbook
________________________________________________________________________
Week Four:
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Chap. 5: El régimen colonial y su legado
Chap. 5: El régimen colonial y su legado
Due: Interview with a Spanish American
Chap. 7: La vida intelectual durante la colonia
________________________________________________________________________
Week Five:
Day 13
Chap. 7: La vida intelectual durante la colonia
Day 14
Chap. 8: Las guerras por la independencia hispanoamericana
Day 15
Chap. 8: Las guerras por la independencia hispanoamericana
________________________________________________________________________
Week Six:
Day 16
Chap. 8: Las guerras por la independencia hispanoamericana
Day 17
Review for Mid-term Exam
Day 18
Chap. 10: Los países del Plata
________________________________________________________________________
Week Seven:
Day 19
Chap. 10: Los países del Plata
Day 20
Group presentations about Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay
Day 21
Discussion of the film La historia oficial
________________________________________________________________________
Week Eight:
Day 22
Mid-term Exam
Day 23
Chap. 11: Los países andinos meridionales
Day 24
Chap. 11: Los países andinos meridionales
________________________________________________________________________
Week Nine:
Day 25
Day 26
Day 27
Group presentations about Chile, Bolivia, and Peru
Chap. 12: Los países andinos septentrionales
Chap. 12: Los países andinos septentrionales
Group presentations about Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela
________________________________________________________________________
Week Ten:
Day 28
Due: Preliminary Bibliography for the Research Paper
Chap. 13: México y su Revolución
Day 29
Analysis of Diego Rivera’s paintings
Day 30
Group presentation about Mexico
________________________________________________________________________
Week Eleven:
Day 31
Day 32
Chap. 14: Centroamérica republicana
Group presentations about El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica,
Nicaragua, Honduras, and Panama
Day 33
Chap. 15: La personalidad histórica de las Antillas
______________________________________________________________________________
Week Twelve:
Day 34
Chap. 15: La personalidad histórica de las Antillas
Day 35
Discussion about Cuban music from the film Buena Vista Social Club
Day 36
Group presentations about Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic
_____________________________________________________________________________
Week Thirteen:
Day 37
Due: Research Paper
El pluriculturalismo y el feminismo en Latinoamérica y los hispanos
(latinos) en Estados Unidos
Day 38
El pluriculturalismo y el feminismo en Latinoamérica y los hispanos
(latinos) en Estados Unidos
Day 39
Video: “Las Americas #10: Latin American and Caribbean Presence in
the United States”
______________________________________________________________________________
Week Fourteen:
Day 40
Day 41
Day 42
Homework Assignments: Spanish American Holidays
Homework Assignments: Spanish American Holidays
Review for Final Exam