LACS 396 - Capstone Seminar in Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Winter

Prerequisites: Declaration and completion of all other minor requirements or instructor consent. This capstone course builds upon the foundations developed in LACS 101 and related coursework in the distribution areas. Students discuss assigned readings centered around a key theme or themes of Latin American Studies in connection with an individualized research project. This project is carried out with continual mentoring by a faculty member and in collaboration with peer feedback. Each student presents his/her findings in a formal paper, or other approved end-product, and summarizes the results in an oral presentation.

Winter 2013 topic:

LACS 396: Capstone Seminar: Place and Displacement (3). Place has become a powerful metaphor to convey a sense of personal belonging, though the notion of place goes far beyond physical or geographical location. Art, literature, food, music, memory, and myth help to define place and have become important elements of identity construction across Latin America and Caribbean societies. The portability of these cultural features allows for the redefinition of place and belonging in multiple locations. We consider how and why people, beliefs, and boundaries—both real and imagined—are physically and/or conceptually dislocated. What new meanings, ideologies, and beliefs are generated as a result of displacement processes? Discussions are informed by interdisciplinary readings focused on Latin America and the Caribbean, including the United States. Readings and discussions consider colonial- and independence-era displacements as well as modern and contemporary redefinitions of place and belonging. Individualized research projects may build upon class discussions or consider unrelated themes of personal interest. Lepage. Staff.