{"id":2447,"date":"2023-04-03T15:09:41","date_gmt":"2023-04-03T20:09:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/?page_id=2447"},"modified":"2025-06-12T13:44:44","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T18:44:44","slug":"spanish-major-courses-fall-2020-2-3","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/spanish-major-courses-fall-2020-2-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Spanish Major Courses – Fall 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

Major-Level Spanish Courses Fall 2023<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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All courses are taught in Spanish.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For an overview of all Spanish courses, see this presentation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Spanish 250: Family and Gender Roles in Spain: 1900 to Present
\nPrerequisite: SPAN 232 or placement into SPAN 250 or SPAN 251<\/span><\/strong>
\nGE: FOL-S & WRI \/ OLE CORE: WLC & WAC)<\/span>
\nProf. Gwen Barnes-Karol, T 8:00-9:25 \/ Th 8:00-9:20<\/h5>\n

In this course, you’ll explore Spain’s \u201crevoluci\u00f3n familiar\u201d \u2013 dramatic changes in family structures and gender roles, the rights of women and members of the LGBTQ+ community, and relationships between generations. While some of these changes may seem to parallel those that have occurred in other countries (including the U.S.), the way they came about in Spain is unique. Together we\u2019ll examine the history of families and gender roles from the early 1900s to the present day through a variety of \u201ccultural texts\u201d \u2013 informational texts about trends in society at large (from videos to official documents) as well as narratives that capture the human experiences of individuals and families: both stories of the lives of real people and a historical novel that creatively portrays a society in transition. In the process, we will work on developing our academic language skills in Spanish, especially through writing with the use of textual evidence. The course includes participation in three out-of-class conversation groups.<\/p>\n

Key course materials: <\/span>Novel, <\/span>Historia de una maestra<\/span><\/i> (Josefina R. Aldecoa); films an videos,\u00a0 packet of readings from a variety of sources<\/span><\/p>\n

Offered Fall and Spring.<\/p>\n

Prerequisite: SPAN 232 or placement into SPAN 250 or SPAN 251<\/span>
\nSPAN 250 or SPAN 251 required for the Spanish major (only one of these two courses can count for the major). Note: SPAN 250 (equivalent to SPAN 251) is the first course in the Spanish major but is open to any student who has completed SPAN 232 or placed into the 250-level. 250-level courses cannot be repeated, and students cannot count both 250 and 251 for the Spanish major. Either SPAN 250 or 251 counts as the prerequisite for 270-level courses and above.<\/span><\/p>\n

SPAN 250 or SPAN 251 are required for the Spanish and Latin American Studies majors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Counts Toward Majors: Gender & Sexuality Studies, Latin American Studies, Performance, Political Science, and Women’s and Gender Studies\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Counts Toward Concentrations: Family Studies, Gender & Sexuality Studies, International Relations, Management Studies, Women\u2019s and Gender Studies<\/span><\/p>\n


\nSpanish 251: Gender & Race in Latin America
\nPrerequisite: SPAN 232 or placement into SPAN 250 or SPAN 251<\/span>
\n<\/strong>GE: FOL-S & WRI \/ OLE CORE: WLC & WAC<\/span>
\nSection A: Prof. Jonathan O’Conner, MWF 11:50-12:45
\nSection B: Prof. Maggie Broner, MWF 12:55-1:50.<\/h5>\n

This course focuses on gender and race in Latin America and explores gender roles, femicide, intersectionality, activism, and Latin America\u2019s deep-rooted history of activism and resistance to oppression. To capture a wide range of experiences and voices, we work with short stories, articles, podcasts, films, songs, and poems from across Latin America. We include objective sources that focus on providing information, as well as subjective sources that narrate human experiences\u2014people\u2019s stories. In the process, we also work on developing our academic language skills in Spanish, especially through writing with the use of textual evidence. Includes participation in 3 out-of-class conversation groups. Taught in Spanish. Offered Fall and Spring.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Counts toward Gender & Sexuality Studies, RACE, and Latin American Studies majors and concentrations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Note: <\/b>SPAN 251 (equivalent to SPAN 250) is the first course in the Spanish major but is open to any student who has completed SPAN 232 or placed into the 250 level. 250-level courses cannot be repeated. Either SPAN 250 or 251 counts as the prerequisite for 270-level courses and above.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Spanish 272: Cultures of Latin America
\n<\/strong>Prerequisite: SPAN 250 or SPAN 251
\n<\/span>Prof. Mariana Reyes Pay\u00e1n, T 9:35-11:00; Th 9:30-10:50<\/span><\/p>\n

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The World Health Organization considers \u201cthe highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right of every human being.\u201d But in times like these, where violence, political uncertainty, and natural and economic disasters around the world continue to escalate, access to healthcare has proven to be unequal. Additionally, Latina\/o\/x populations are particularly affected because of language, cultural, and bureaucratic barriers to accessing the healthcare system, among others.<\/p>\n

In this course, we will examine the challenges migrants from Mexico and Central American countries face to take care of themselves and others. By analyzing memoirs, documentaries, movies, and other cultural materials, we will explore the way in which various diseases, disabilities, and access to medical care shape the Latina\/o\/x experience both in the migrant trail and in the U.S. We will focus on issues such as the fight for women\u2019s reproductive justice, mental and physical health, as well as alternative and spiritual care.<\/p>\n

Counts as a 270-level elective for the Spanish major.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Spanish 275: Exploring Hispanic Literature. Topic: The Spanish Civil War through Literature
\n<\/b><\/strong>Prerequisite: SPAN 250 or SPAN 251
\nGE: ALS-L \/ OLE CORE: CRE)
\nProf. Gwen Barnes-Karol\u00a0 T 11:45-1:10 \/ Th 12:45-2:05<\/h5>\n

You’ve read works of literature in Spanish in culture classes at St. Olaf – Historia de una maestra<\/em>, Cenizas del Izalco<\/em>, a selection of short stories, or perhaps even the sci-fi thriller La piel fr\u00eda. <\/em>Now you’re ready for the next step\u2014reading literary works not just as cultural documents, but also as “literature.”<\/p>\n

In this course, we’ll explore the creative process that underlies selected literary works in Spanish from four genres (poetry, short stories, a novel, and a play) by analyzing the how different authors make use of a variety of elements to produce works of imagination to share with their readers\/audiences. Our specific point of departure in this edition of the course will be a historical event – the Spanish Civil (1936-39). An internal conflict that took on international importance in the 1930s and is now considered to be the prelude to WWII, the Spanish Civil War quickly sparked artistic responses by Spaniards (Picasso’s 1937 painting Guernica<\/em>) and foreigners alike (Ernest Hemingway’s 1940 novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, <\/em>made in to an Academy Award-winning film in 1943<\/em>). The war continues to be the seminal event in 20th-century Spanish history and even today inspires novelists, playwrights, movie directors, and graphic novelists as the country wrestles to process its painful history.<\/p>\n

We’ll analyze the works below with regard to the specific creative elements their authors use to respond to the war and in relation to their historical and artistic context:<\/p>\n

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  • Poetry: War-time poems written by famous literary figures of the day as well as by everyday Spanish citizens that express their reactions to the war in real time (in conjunction with poster art from the period);<\/li>\n
  • Short stories: selected microstories from the 1938 collection Valor y miedo<\/em> by Arturo Barea that highlight the human dimension of war-time life in Madrid and in the countryside;<\/li>\n
  • Novel: R\u00e9quiem por un campesino espa\u00f1ol<\/em>, by Ram\u00f3n J. Sender, a novel originally written in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and published in Mexico because it was banned by the Franco regime, about how war impacts human bonds of friendship; and<\/li>\n
  • Theater: Fernando Fern\u00e1n-G\u00f3mez’s Las bicicletas son para el verano, <\/em>an award-winning play by one of 20th-century Spain’s foremost actors\/playwrights, that explores the interactions among neighbors in a Madrid apartment building as they share hopes, dreams, worries, sorrows, fears, and food.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The course also requires viewing films outside of class and two approved “comunidad de pr\u00e1ctica” activities (for example, la Mesa avanzada, or Casa Hisp\u00e1nica\/Presente\/Somos events).<\/p>\n

    This course is required for the Spanish major. Offered Fall and Spring.<\/p>\n

    Counts toward Latin American Studies, Performance, and Political Science majors and International Relations and Latin American Studies concentrations.<\/p>\n

    Note: SPAN 275 cannot be repeated.<\/p>\n

    Spanish 276:\u00a0 Spanish as a First and Second Language
    \n<\/strong>Prerequisite: SPAN 250 or SPAN 251
    \nProf. Maggie Broner, MWF 2:00-2:55<\/h5>\n

    \u00bfQu\u00e9 significa hablar bien una lengua? \u00bfQu\u00e9 lenguas tienen poder en Estados Unidos y el mundo hispanohablante? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 es el espa\u00f1ol una lengua minoritaria en los Estados Unidos? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 se ense\u00f1a el espa\u00f1ol como una lengua extranjera y no como una segunda lengua en los Estados Unidos? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 los libros de texto de espa\u00f1ol introducen el uso de \u201cvosotros\u201d pero no \u201cvos\u201d? \u00bfQu\u00e9 es Spanglish y qui\u00e9n lo habla? <\/span><\/p>\n

    This course will critically explores these, and other, questions related to the acquisition and use of Spanish as first, Heritage, and second language in a social context. The course introduces the cognitive and social processes involved in learning, acquiring, and using Spanish as a second language.\u00a0 In addition, SPAN 276 explores Spanish as a first and Heritage language through the study of the different varieties of Spanish spoken in the Spanish-speaking world, with particular emphasis on Spanish and English bilingualism in the U.S.. The questions also invite us to look at the intersections between language, power, and identity. In order to do all this, this course will introduce some foundational notions from the fields of Second Language Acquisition, Hispanic Linguistics and sociolinguistics.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Tentative reading list:<\/span><\/p>\n

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    • Packet of journal articles and book chapters (available through the Bookstore)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Mi mundo adoraro <\/span><\/i>by Supreme Justice Sonia Sotomayor (available through the Bookstore)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Materiales para Span 276 (course handouts available through the Bookstore)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      This course is required for the Spanish major<\/p>\n

      Counts for Linguistic Studies concentration<\/span><\/p>\n

      Counts for RACE<\/span><\/p>\n

      Spanish 313: Literature and Society in Spain, Topic – What Is a Meaningful Life?\u00a0<\/b><\/strong>
      \nPrerequisite: SPAN 250 or SPAN 251; and SPAN 275
      \nGE: ALS-L
      \nProf. Le\u00f3n Narv\u00e1ez, MWF 9:05-10:00<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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      What is a meaningful life? How do human beings vary in their understanding of that life? What do they seem to communicate as to the nature of a meaningful life? What do Spanish writers of the past convey about the possibility of leading a life that has meaning? There is a general focus in our society on happiness and ‘the pursuit of happiness’. How does happiness relate to having a life of meaning?<\/span><\/p>\n

      As we consider these questions and others, we will read some of the works that mattered to me when I was a teenager and in my twenties. We will explore together how they had an impact on my life, how they influenced my view of the meaningful life, as well as your understanding of these works. I will have the opportunity to consider again the importance of literature in my life and for you to consider its importance, if any, in yours.<\/span><\/p>\n

      What we will read may include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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      • Lazarillo de Tormes, a novel by an unknown author<\/span><\/li>\n
      • selections from El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha, a novel by Miguel de Cervantes<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Don Juan Tenorio, a play by Jos\u00e9 Zorrilla<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Pepita Jim\u00e9nez, a novel by Juan Valera<\/span><\/li>\n
      • essays written by Jos\u00e9 Mariano de Larra and Azor\u00edn<\/span><\/li>\n
      • San Manuel Bueno, M\u00e1rtir, a novel written by Miguel de Unamuno<\/span><\/li>\n
      • poetry written by Gustavo Adolfo B\u00e9cquer, Federico Garc\u00eda Lorca, and others<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Historia de una escalera, a play by Antonio Buero Vallejo<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Either SPAN 313 or SPAN 314 is required for the Spanish major<\/span><\/p>\n

        Can count as a 300-elective if you\u2019ve already taken 313 or 314 with a different topic<\/span><\/p>\n

        Counts as a \u201cfocus on Spain\u201d course<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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        Spanish 399: Seminar in Literature –\u00a0 “Literature and Dictatorship in the Southern Cone (Argentina, Chile & Uruguay)”
        \n<\/strong>Prerequisite: SPAN 250 or SPAN 251 and at least one 270-level course
        \nGE curriculum: WRI; OLE Core: WIM
        \nProf. Ariel Strichartz, T 1:20-2:45 \/ Th 2:15-3:35<\/h5>\n

        Perhaps you have heard of los desaparecidos<\/em>, have seen images of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo marching in front of the Casa Rosada with photographs of their loved ones, or are familiar with the stories of Argentines, Chileans, and Uruguayans who were forced into exile. Indeed, the military dictatorships that emerged in Latin America\u2019s Southern Cone in the 1970s and 1980s were characterized by their systematic violation of human rights and by their generalized intolerance for any public expression critiquing the regime in power. Nevertheless, writers have continued to turn to literature as a means of actively responding to the historical circumstances brought about by the military dictatorships in question. With this premise, this course will explore the following questions through analysis of novels, plays, and essays from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay:<\/p>\n

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        • What are the possibilities for artistic and cultural expression under the centralizing and often violent control of authoritarian regimes?<\/li>\n
        • When faced with extreme censorship, what strategies have writers developed in order to challenge the official version of events put forth by an authoritarian regime?<\/li>\n
        • Are there literary tools capable of expressing horror, fear and pain? How might these tools differ from one literary genre to the next?<\/li>\n
        • In the wake of authoritarianism, how does artistic activity \u201cinhabit\u201d the past rather than avoid it? What are the possibilities and limitations of literature for carrying out such a project?<\/li>\n
        • In what ways does literature in exile differ in theme and literary strategy from works by authors who remain in their countries during periods of repression?<\/li>\n
        • Under dictatorship, what is the role of the reader and\/or spectator? What do they need to infer in order to make sense of a work?<\/li>\n
        • Do the fear and distrust created by state-sponsored repression eliminate the possibility for human solidarity and intimacy?<\/li>\n
        • In what ways does violent authoritarianism impact national identity?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Tentative<\/em> readings include the following:
          \nNOVELS <\/strong><\/p>\n

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          • Marta Traba (Argentina, 1981). Conversaci\u00f3n al sur.<\/li>\n
          • Cristina Peri Rossi (Uruguay, 1984). La nave de los locos.<\/li>\n
          • Manuel Puig (Argentina, 1976). El beso de la mujer ara\u00f1a.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            PLAYS<\/strong><\/p>\n

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            • Eduardo Rovner (Argentina). Concierto de aniversario.<\/li>\n
            • Mario Benedetti (Uruguay). Pedro y el capit\u00e1n.<\/li>\n
            • Ariel Dorfman (Argentina\/Chile). La muerte y la doncella<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              Counts as a 300-level elective for the Spanish major\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

              <\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Major-Level Spanish Courses Fall 2023 All courses are taught in Spanish. For an overview of all Spanish courses, see this presentation. Spanish 250: Family and Gender Roles in Spain: 1900 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2897,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2447","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2897"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2447"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2447\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2973,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2447\/revisions\/2973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}