{"id":3054,"date":"2026-03-19T11:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T16:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/?page_id=3054"},"modified":"2026-03-19T11:54:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T16:54:06","slug":"fall-2026-major-level-courses","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/fall-2026-major-level-courses\/","title":{"rendered":"Fall 2026 Major Level Courses"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Spanish 251A\/B: Gender & Race in Latin America<\/strong>
OLE CORE: WAC & WLC
Section A: Prof. Mariana Reyes Pay\u00e1n MWF 9:05-10:00
Section B: Prof. Ariel Strichartz MWF 12:55-1:50

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

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Spanish 271: Cultures of Spain: \u201cDiscovery, Conquest, or Invasion?\u201d<\/strong>
Prof. Jonathan O\u2019Conner MWF 12:55-1:50
Prerequisite: Spanish 250 or 251<\/span>

In 2014, Minneapolis became one of the first large cities in the United States to change
Columbus Day, which traditionally commemorated Christopher Columbus\u2019 October 12 arrival in
the Americas, to Indigenous People\u2019s Day. More recent conflicts in the United States have
centered on what to do with names and monuments that honor historical figures that embody
racism and oppression. Who tells the story of the past and whose views get represented are
questions intricately linked to power and identity not just in the United States, but globally. In
this course, we will take a critical approach to Spain\u2019s narratives of conquest and colonization.
Although this course has traditionally focused on Spanish perspectives, we will consider them
alongside Latin American perspectives in order to understand how these narratives undergo
constant transformation. Counts as a 270-level elective for the Spanish Major and for the Latin
American Studies major.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Spanish 275 \u2013 Exploring Hispanic Literature: Masculine Textualities in Latin American
Literature (Caribbean Focus)<\/strong>
OLE CORE: CRE
Prof. Kristina Medina-Vilari\u00f1o T 1:20-2:45\/ TH 2:15-3:35
Prerequisite: Spanish 250 or Spanish 251<\/span>

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 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 https:\/\/repeatingislands.com\/2019\/04\/15\/haitian-
photographer-breaking-the-mold-of-caribbean-masculinity\/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\u00f1e\/a\/os 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 el intertexto. Algunas secciones de los textos incluidos en esta clase
contienen un lenguaje sexual gr\u00e1fico que podr\u00eda resultar ofensivo para algunas personas.
Aquell@s estudiantes que tengan alguna reserva personal con este tipo de contenido pueden
discutir alternativas con la profesora durante la primera semana de clases. 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. Al final del semestre los estudiantes
crear\u00e1n un proyecto digital comparativo, enfocado en el tema del curso y sus respectivas
profesiones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Spanish 276: Spanish as a First and Second Language<\/strong>
Prof. Maggie Broner MWF 2:00-2:55
Prerequisite: Spanish 250 or Spanish 251<\/span>

\u00bfQu\u00e9 significa hablar bien una lengua? \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? This course will critically
explore 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 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. This
course is required for the Spanish major. Counts for Linguistic Studies concentration and counts
for RACE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Spanish 312: Voices of the Spanish-Speaking World: Indigenous Narratives Latin America<\/strong>
Prof. Am\u00e9rico Mendoza-Mori MWF 12:55-1:50
Prerequisite: Spanish 250 or 251 and at least one 270-level course<\/span>

Across Latin America (Abya Yala), Indigenous peoples have preserved and transformed cultural
traditions through storytelling, literature, music, arts, and other forms of cultural expression.
These traditions offer ways of understanding history, community, language, and relationships
with the environment that often challenge dominant national narratives. In this course, we will
explore Indigenous perspectives from the precolonial and colonial periods to the present through
the analysis of literary and cultural texts.

Students will encounter a range of Indigenous traditions and perspectives from across Abya Yala,
including Quechua, Aymara, and Mapuche from the Andes; Nahuatl, Maya, Mixe, and Zapotec
from Mexico and Central America; and Ta\u00edno from the Caribbean. Through these materials, we
will examine themes such as oral archives, Indigenous knowledges, colonial encounters,
language politics, and contemporary movements for cultural revitalization. Particular attention
will be given to contemporary Indigenous voices and intellectual contributions. The course will
include the reading of\u00a0\u00c4\u00e4: Manifiestos sobre la diversidad ling\u00fc\u00edstica\u00a0(2020) by Indigenous Mixe
scholar and writer Y\u00e1snaya Elena Aguilar, a collection of essays that reflects on language
diversity, Indigenous identity, and the politics of cultural justice in Abya Yala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Spanish 314: Literature and Society in Latin America: \u201cLove and Magical Realism:
Overcoming the Challenges of Life\u201d<\/strong>
NOTE: Students may register for Spanish 314 more than once provided a different topic is
offered.
Prof. Le\u00f3n Narv\u00e1ez T 11:45-1:10\/ TH 12:45-2:05
Prerequisite: Spanish 275<\/span>

Among English-speakers one sometimes hears references to \u201cthe power of love\u201d and much is
written about love, particularly the love between man and woman as well as family love
(between parents and children, between siblings, between grandparents and grandchildren). At
the same time some people deny human capacity to overcome difficulties and profound changes
in life through love. Is it possible to sustain love between two people under extremely adverse
conditions? Are there biological and social forces that ‘drive us to love’? What matters at the end
of a human life: the political, social, and economic history of a society or the history of the
family? What has ultimate meaning: the history of a nation or the love of a committed couple
based on shared perceptions, experiences, and esteem?

Even among those who believe in the power of love, there are differing opinions with respect to
the importance of the love of God. For many novelists toward the end of the past century and
today, God does not appear to exist, or at least the force of God in human life is never
communicated.\u00a0 In Spanish 314 we will explore these and other themes in a series of literary
works written in Latin America. We will analyze not only the authors\u2019 perspectives but also the
techniques employed to communicate them. Our particular focus will be the use of magical
realism. In addition, we wish to develop our linguistic capacity, that is to say, our capacity as readers, speakers, and writers of Spanish. We hope to stimulate our appreciation of the verbal art
of Hispanic writers as we comment on aspects of that art.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spanish 251A\/B: Gender & Race in Latin AmericaOLE CORE: WAC & WLCSection A: Prof. Mariana Reyes Pay\u00e1n MWF 9:05-10:00Section B: Prof. Ariel Strichartz MWF 12:55-1:50 This course focuses on gender […]<\/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-3054","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3054","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=3054"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3060,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3054\/revisions\/3060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}