{"id":2924,"date":"2025-03-31T13:38:34","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T18:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/?page_id=2924"},"modified":"2025-10-24T10:46:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T15:46:21","slug":"spring-2026","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/spring-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Major courses for Spanish for the spring semester of 2026<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spanish 250: Family and Gender Roles in Spain: 1900 to Present<\/strong>
GE<\/strong>: FOL-S & WRI (OLE CORE<\/strong>: WLC \/ WAC)
Taught by Le\u00f3n Narv\u00e1ez, T 9:35-11:00 \/ Th 9:30-10:50
Prerequisite<\/strong>: Spanish 232 or Placement into Spanish 250\/251
\u00a0
Since 1975, Spain has undergone a “revoluci\u00f3n familiar” – dramatic changes in family
structures and, in some cases, gender roles, the rights of women and the acceptance of
minorities, and the relationships between generations. While some of these changes parallel
those that have occurred in other countries (including the U.S.), Spain is a remarkable example
of rapid change. In this class, we’ll explore the history of families and gender roles from the
early 1900s to the present day through the analysis of \u201ccultural texts\u201d \u2013 from statistical data to
articles to films to a historical novel that will help us imagine the lives of two teachers at a time
when new ways of interpreting the world and behaving challenged traditional values. You will
continue to develop your oral expression in Spanish through class discussions and other
activities, and through various modes of academic writing. The course includes participation in
three out-of-class conversation groups.

Key course materials:<\/span> Novel, Historia de una maestra<\/em> (Josefina R. Aldecoa);
film and videos, packet of readings from a variety of sources and a packet of ACTIVIDADES

Spanish 250 or 251 is required for the Spanish major (only one of the two courses can count for
the major).<\/span>\u00a0

Note: Spanish 250 (equivalent to Spanish 251) is the first course in the Spanish major but is open to any student who has completed Spanish 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 Spanish 250 or 251 counts as the prerequisite for 270-level courses and above.<\/em>\u00a0

Spanish 250 or 251 is required for the Latin American Studies major.\u00a0<\/span>

Counts Toward Majors:<\/em> Gender & Sexuality Studies, Latin American Studies, Performance,
Political\u00a0 Science, and Women\u2019s and Gender Studies\u00a0
Counts Toward Concentrations:<\/em> Family Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, International
Relations,\u00a0 Management Studies, and Women\u2019s and Gender Studies\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spanish 251: Gender and Race in Latin America<\/strong>
GE<\/strong>: FOL-S & WRI \/ OLE CORE<\/strong>: WLC & WAC
Prof. Mariana Reyes-Pay\u00e1n MWF 12:55-1:50
Prerequisite<\/strong>: Spanish 232 or placement into Spanish 250\/251

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 \u2013 people\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.
Spanish 250 or 251 is required for the Spanish major (only one of the two courses can count for
the major).<\/span>

Note: Spanish 250 or Spanish 251 is the first course in the Spanish major but is open to any
student who has completed Spanish 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 Spanish 250 or 251 counts as the prerequisite for 270-level courses and above.<\/em>

Spanish 250 or 251 is required for the Latin American Studies major.<\/span>

Counts Toward Majors:<\/em> Gender & Sexuality Studies, Latin American Studies, Performance,
Political Science, and Women\u2019s and Gender Studies
Counts Towards Concentrations:<\/em> Gender and Sexuality Studies, International Relations \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spanish 273: Cultures of the Latinx\/a\/o U.S.\u00a0<\/strong>
Topic:\u00a0Imagining Latinidad: Hemispheric Perspectives on Culture, Citizenship, and Creativity<\/span>
GE<\/strong>:\u00a0MCD \/\u00a0OLE CORE<\/strong>:\u00a0PAR
Instructor:\u00a0Prof. Am\u00e9rico Mendoza-Mori ,T 11:45-1:10 Th 12:45-2:05
Prerequisite<\/strong>:\u00a0Spanish 250 or 251 (or permission of instructor)

Building on your previous courses in Spanish and Latin American cultural analysis, this class
invites you to explore how Latine communities imagine, contest, and reshape Latinidad, the
diverse sense of belonging that connects peoples of Latin American descent in the United States. We will examine how migration, language, race, and memory inform Latinx identities and how artists, writers, and activists represent these experiences through literature, visual arts, music, and digital media.
Guided by frameworks of decolonial thought and hemispheric history, students will analyze how the terms Hispanic, Latino\/a\/e\/x, and Latinidad have emerged, evolved, and been challenged in
public discourse. As part of this exploration, we will consider Latinidad as not only a U.S.-based
category but also a hemispheric phenomenon shaped by dialogues, migrations, and cultural
exchanges across the Americas, including Indigenous and Afro-diasporic communities whose
histories and contributions are central to these processes. We will engage with works by
different authors, along with media and community initiatives that reflect the vitality of
Latinidad today.

Intended Learning Outcomes:
1. Recognize the historical and cultural processes that shape Latinx identities in the United
States.
2. Develop critical vocabulary to analyze issues of race, ethnicity, language, and migration from a Latinx and decolonial perspective.
3. Examine how cultural production in literary, visual, musical, and digital forms constructs and challenges ideas of belonging and citizenship.

Counts Toward Majors:<\/em> Latin American Studies, Performance, Political Science, Spanish,
Race and Ethnic Studies
Counts Towards Concentrations:<\/em> International Relations, Latin American Studies, Race and
Ethnic Studies \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spanish 275: Exploring Hispanic Literature<\/strong>
Topic:\u00a0\u00a0Intertextualidades Masculinas en la Literatura Latinoamericana con un enfoque caribe\u00f1o<\/span>
GE<\/span>: ALS-L \/ OLE CORE<\/strong>: CRE
Prof. Kristina Medina-Vilari\u00f1o, T 9:30 \u2013 11:00, Th 9:30 \u2013 10:50
Prerequisite<\/strong>: Spanish 250 or Spanish 251

El cantante puertorrique\u00f1o de trap, Bad Bunny, se present\u00f3 en febrero del 2020 en el Tonight
Show vestido con falda. La imagen impresa en su camisa llevaba un reclamo de que \u201cmataron a
Alexa [,] no a un hombre con falda.\u201d<\/a> Alexa fue una mujer transg\u00e9nero asesinada en un violento
crimen de odio en Puerto Rico que a\u00fan queda sin resolver. Este violento incidente se convirti\u00f3
en un punto de referencia crucial en la sociedad moderna puertorrique\u00f1a, y criticaba las
representaciones del g\u00e9nero o la sexualidad de Alexa publicadas en los medios masivos de
comunicaci\u00f3n en PR. Las masas de fans aplaud\u00edan el acto de Bad Bunny, en persona y online,
incluyendo algunos escritores y artistas activistas LGBTQ+. Sin embargo, en mayo del 2021, un
sector del senado en el Capitolio de Puerto Rico, defend\u00eda la legalidad de las terapias de
conversi\u00f3n. Estas \u00faltimas han sido reconocidas como \u201ctortura\u201d por muchos sectores sociales que defienden los derechos humanos, y ven las terapias de conversi\u00f3n sexual como una\u00a0 pr\u00e1ctica violenta de homofobia y transfobia.\u00a0
Este contraste refleja el choque de distintas ideolog\u00edas que operan entre las comunidades
caribe\u00f1as m\u00e1s all\u00e1 de Puerto Rico y alcanzan a sus di\u00e1sporas. Mientras que el contrato social de
gran parte de lo\/a\/e s j\u00f3venes caribe\u00f1os en el 2024 pareciera ser la aceptaci\u00f3n de una mayor
libertad sexual y el rechazo de cualquier binario de g\u00e9nero, la realidad diaria nos recuerda que
las expectativas culturales no han cambiado del todo.\u00a0
Este curso explora el concepto de la masculinidad en el caribe latinoamericano a trav\u00e9s de la
literatura, el cine y la cultura popular. Analizaremos textos literarios, incluyendo poes\u00eda, novela,
cr\u00f3nica y ensayo. Los estudiantes explorar\u00e1n la relaci\u00f3n entre intertexto, cultura, raza, pol\u00edtica y
masculinidad dentro de movimientos sociales y pol\u00edticos, con un \u00e9nfasis en el discurso literario
anticolonialista.\u00a0 Algunas secciones de los textos incluidos en esta clase contienen un lenguaje
sexual gr\u00e1fico.
Al final del semestre los estudiantes crear\u00e1n un proyecto digital comparativo, enfocado en el
tema del curso y sus respectivas profesiones.

Counts Toward Majors:<\/em> Latin American Studies, Performance, Political Science, Spanish
Counts Towards Concentrations:<\/em> International Relations \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spanish 276: Spanish as a First and Second Language\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0
Prof. Kris Cropsey MWF 12:55-1:50 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0
Prerequisite<\/strong>: Spanish 250 or 251

\u00bfDe qu\u00e9 se trata Espa\u00f1ol 276?\u00a0En este curso estudiaremos diferentes aspectos relacionados al uso y adquisici\u00f3n de la lengua espa\u00f1ola en contextos transnacionales y transculturales. En\u00a0particular, usaremos una aproximaci\u00f3n cr\u00edtica para\u00a0estudiar el espa\u00f1ol de los Estados Unidos, en Hispanoam\u00e9rica y en Espa\u00f1a. Durante el curso haremos particular hincapi\u00e9 en los procesos de adquisici\u00f3n del espa\u00f1ol como\u00a0primera y segunda lengua en cuanto ata\u00f1e a los hablantes del
ingl\u00e9s como primera lengua\u00a0y a los hablantes de herencia del espa\u00f1ol en los Estados Unidos.

Tentative reading list<\/span>:
Packet of journal articles and book chapters (available through the Bookstore)
Mi mundo adorado\u00a0by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor (available through
the\u00a0Bookstore)
Materiales para SPAN 276 (course handouts available through the Bookstore)

This course is required for the Spanish major.<\/span>\u00a0Spanish 276 cannot be repeated.<\/span><\/strong>

Counts Toward Majors:<\/em> Latin American Studies, Race and Ethnic\u00a0Studies, Spanish
Counts Toward Concentrations: <\/em>Applied Linguistic Studies, Latin American Studies, Race and
Ethnic Studies, and International Relations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spanish 314: Borders, Bodies, and Belonging: Resistance and Care in Latino\/x\/am\u00e9rica(s)<\/strong>
Prof. Mariana Reyes Pay\u00e1n. MWF 10:45 \u2013 11:40
GE<\/strong>: ALS-L \/ OLE CORE<\/strong>: WRITING IN THE MAJOR\u00a0
Prerequisite<\/strong>: Spanish 275\u00a0

Focusing on the relationship between the body and various contested geographies and forces, we examine how key contemporary global issues, particularly those connected to human rights, are depicted and also contested in Latin American (particularly Mexican) and U.S. Latinx cultural, artistic, and literary productions. The course centers on the body as the primary site where violence(s) and the struggle for humanity and belonging are enacted under continuous pressure. We will ask: what it means to be\/have\/experience a normative body, as well as a non-conforming body in Mexico and other Latin American countries, as well as in the in Latinx U.S. diaspora? To reflect on this question, we will engage with literary forms of resistance that challenge institutional control over citizenship, gender, race, and sexuality, as well as imagine alternative futures.\u00a0
The course will also function as a study space of the processes through which bodies are
recorded, registered, and\/or narrated to make sense of them. This, whether by the state (through documentation and policing) or by themselves (through literature, testimonies or artivism). The question of the body as a living archive allows us to ponder about its need to be protected and taken care of. By thinking about these transnational non-conforming subjectivities, we are called to consider how kinship, communities, and languages function as vital tools of resistance at both the global and local levels.

Pre-selected texts include<\/span>: El invencible verano de Liliana<\/em> (2021) by Cristina Rivera Garza,
Sal\u00f3n de Belleza<\/em> (1994), by Mario Bellat\u00edn, Brujas<\/em> (2011), by Brenda Lozano, When Language
Broke Open<\/em> (2023), edited by Alan Pelaez Lopez, as well as theoretical selections from texts by
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Rita Segato, Anna Tsing, Gloria Anzald\u00faa, Sayak Valencia, and Cherr\u00ede
Moraga, among others. This is a writing-intensive course. Taught in Spanish. Includes a digital
community-engaged project component.

Counts Toward Major<\/em>: Performance\u00a0
Counts Toward Concentration<\/em>: International Relations
Counts as a 300-level course required for the Spanish major<\/span>. Spanish 314 may be
repeated with a\u00a0different topic.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spanish 315: “Migration and the Forging of Identity”<\/strong>
Prof. Jonathan O\u2019Conner T 11:45 – 1:10, TH 12:45 \u2013 2:05
Prerequisite<\/strong>: SPAN 250 or SPAN 251 and at least one 270-level course.

The UN estimates that as of mid-2024, there were 304 million international migrants in the
world. Millions more have grown up as children of those who migrated. The Spanish-speaking
world is no exception to this reality. This seminar explores stories of individuals whose lives and
identities have all been marked by migration, whether their own or their parents’. We will
analyze how movement across national, social, and cultural borders transforms identity and
challenges monolithic notions of belonging. The course examines narratives in two spheres: 1) Africa and Spain and 2) Central America and the United States. Luc\u00eda Asu\u00e9 Mbom\u00edo Rubio’s novel, Hija del camino<\/em> (2019), tells a story of African diaspora and return. These same themes are echoed in Santiago Zannou’s film, La puerta de no retorno<\/em> (2011). Maya (Q\u2019janjob\u2019al) author Gaspar Pedro Gonz\u00e1lez’s novel Un maya migrante: Un viaje sin retorno<\/em> (2021) tells the story of a Guatemalan migrant who leaves for the United States. Fernando Fr\u00edas’s 2019 film I’m No Longer Here<\/em> follows the experiences of the young Ulises who is forced to leave his Mexican community behind and flee to New York City. We will use these diverse sources to examine how contemporary narratives describe the complex relationships between migration and cultural hybridity in a post-colonial world. We will focus on how people seek to forge individual identities in an increasingly multicultural world.

Counts Toward Majors<\/em>: Performance, Political Science, Spanish
Counts Toward Concentration<\/em>: International Relations<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Major courses for Spanish for the spring semester of 2026 Spanish 250: Family and Gender Roles in Spain: 1900 to PresentGE: FOL-S & WRI (OLE CORE: WLC \/ WAC)Taught by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10430,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2924","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2924","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\/10430"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2924"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3005,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2924\/revisions\/3005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}