Heartland Community College
Master Course Syllabus
Division name: Humanities and Fine Arts
COURSE PREFIX & NUMBER: HUMA 213
COURSE TITLE: Civilization and Culture of Latin America
DATE PREPARED: January 9, 1995
DATE REVISED: March, 2004
PCS/CIP/ID NO: 11 050107 01
IAI NO. (if available): HF 904N
EFFECTIVE DATE OF FIRST CLASS: February 27, 1995
CREDIT HOURS:
CONTACT HOURS:
LECTURE HOURS: 3
LABORATORY HOURS: 0
CATALOG DESCRIPTION (Include specific prerequisites):
Prerequisite: ENGL 101 or equivalent with a grade of “C” or better.
Interdisciplinary survey of the significant intellectual and artistic achievements of
several Latin American cultures through selected works of literature, philosophy,
visual art, and music and other performing arts, as well as a comparative examination
of their values, motifs, and aesthetics with those of other cultural expressions.
TEXTBOOKS:
Textbooks will vary depending upon which Latin American cultures are selected for
emphasis during a particular semester. The following list is representative:
Dawn Ades. Art in Latin America: The Modern Era.
Biesanz and Biesanz. The Costa Ricans.
E. Bradford Burns. Latin America: Conflict and Creation.
John A. Crow. The Epic of Latin America. 3rd Ed.
Paul Goodwin. Global Studies: Latin America. 5th Ed.
Mariano Picón-Salas. A Cultural History of Spanish America: From Conquest to
Independence.
Antonio Rodriguez. A History of Mexican Mural Painting.
Steven J. Stern. Peru's Indian Peoples and the Challenge of the Spanish Conquest.
Henri Stierlin. Art of the Incas and Its Origins.
Jon Manchip White. Cortés and the Downfall of the Aztec Empire: A Study in a
Conflict of Cultures.
Students will also read selections from leading Latin American literary figures. The
following writers are representative: Sor Juana Inéz de la Cruz, Rómulo Gallegos,
José María Arguedas, Ciro Alegría, Juan Rulfo, Mario Vargas Llosa, Jorge Luis
Borges, Gabriela Mistrál, Pablo Neruda, Miguel Angel Asturias, Gabriel García
Marquez, Isabel Allende, Derek Walcott, Alejo Carpentier, Arturo Uslar Pietri.
Slides, Video- and audiocassettes will be used to familiarize students with Latin
American music, dance, and visual art.
RELATIONSHIP TO ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND
TRANSFERABILITY:
HUMA 213 fulfills 3 of the 9 semester hours of credit in Humanities/Fine Arts required for
the A.A. or A.S. degree. It may be used to satisfy either the Humanities or Fine Arts
component of this requirement. HUMA 213 transfers to most Illinois colleges and
universities as part of the General Education Core Curriculum [IAI course no. HF 904N]
described in the Illinois Articulation Initiative. For information regarding particular
institutions, students should consult an academic advisor or refer to the IAI web page at
www.itransfer.org. HUMA 213 fulfills the SOAR graduation requirement at Heartland
Community College.
COURSE OBJECTIVES (Learning Outcomes)
Students in this course will be able to:
LO
Assessment
Identify important historical, intellectual, and artistic
movements that have taken place in Latin America.
Recognize some of the major works of painting,
architecture, literature, music, and philosophy that have
contributed to Latin American cultures and civilizations.
Articulate and communicate major ideas that have
informed the principal intellectual and aesthetic
movements within Latin American cultures and
civilizations.
Identify the principal artists, writers, statesmen,
philosophers, scientists, and other intellectuals who have
made major contributions to the Latin American
civilizations and cultures.
Relate the art and thought of the past to the art and
thought of later periods and see the continuity between
past cultural achievements and subsequent ones.
Recognize and define such terms as Aztec (Mexica),
Maya, quipu, criollos, mestizos, encomienda,
costumbrismo, magical realism, kinetic art, huayno,
compadrazco, liberation theology, etc.
C7
test items, in-class
writing
test items, in-class
writing
C7
D3
extended formal
writing
D3
test items, in-class
writing
D5
research based writing
C2
test item
Compare Latin American cultural values and
achievements to those of other cultures, recognizing
adaptations to and influences on those cultures.
Articulate both in speech and in writing those personal
thoughts and observations that have come about due to
class assignments and discussions.
Identify appropriate topics for scholarly research in the
culture and civilization of Latin America and the
Caribbean, utilize standard bibliographic and other
research tools, select suitable sources and methodology,
and write papers presenting the results of their research
while observing the conventions of scholarly discourse.
D1
extended writing
C3
oral presentations,
formal writing
C6
research paper
COURSE/LAB OUTLINE:
1. Latin American Civilizations and Cultures During the Pre-Columbian Era
2. The Mixing of Cultures During the Conquest and the Colonial Eras
3. Latin American Civilizations and Cultures After Independence
4. Agriculture, Economics, and the Environment: Historical and Contemporary Issues
5. Religion and the Church(es): Historical and Contemporary Issues
6. Family and Community: Historical and Contemporary Issues
7. Contemporary Latin American Literature
8. The Visual Arts in Latin America
9. Music and Dance
10. Popular Culture in Latin America Today
METHOD OF EVALUATION (Tests/Exams, Grading System):
Course grades will be a compilation of scores on classroom discussion, 2-4 papers,
essay exams (4), and a comprehensive final exam. The papers as a group will
comprise one-third of the semester grade; the four essay exams (along with credit for
class discussion) as a group, one-third; and the final exam, one-third.
Final grades will be determined according to the following scale:
92 to 100% = A
83 to 91% = B
74 to 82% = C
65 to 73% = D
Below 65% = F
REQUIRED WRITING AND READING:
Students will write either four short (5-7 pages) papers or two longer (12-15 pages) papers
and make one in-class presentation in addition to taking four essay exams.
Selected essays, short stories or novelle, plays, and poems that best define the cultures
studied will be assigned in addition to textbook assignments. Some of these readings will be
distributed as handouts; others will be placed on the reserve shelf in the library.