Program in Latin American Studies

Faculty

Director

  • Gabriela Nouzeilles

Executive Committee

  • João Biehl, Anthropology
  • Eduardo L. Cadava, English
  • Beatriz Colomina, Architecture
  • Javier E. Guerrero, Spanish & Portuguese
  • Douglas S. Massey, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs
  • Gabriela Nouzeilles, Spanish & Portuguese
  • Christina P. Riehl, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
  • Irene V. Small, Art and Archaeology
  • Deborah J. Yashar, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs

Associated Faculty

  • Jeremy I. Adelman, History
  • José L. Avalos, Chemical and Biological Eng
  • Vera S. Candiani, History
  • Matias D. Cattaneo, Oper Res and Financial Eng
  • Miguel A. Centeno, Sociology
  • Fernando Codá Marques, Mathematics
  • Susana Draper, Comparative Literature
  • Patricia Fernández-Kelly, Sociology
  • Thomas Fujiwara, Economics
  • Rubén Gallo, Spanish & Portuguese
  • Mario I. Gandelsonas, Architecture
  • Maria E. Garlock, Civil and Environmental Eng
  • Reena N. Goldthree, African American Studies
  • Thomas D. Kaufmann, Art and Archaeology
  • Christina H. Lee, Spanish & Portuguese
  • Nicole D. Legnani, Spanish & Portuguese
  • Christina León, English
  • John B. Londregan, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs
  • Rosina A. Lozano, History
  • Pedro Meira Monteiro, Spanish & Portuguese
  • Isadora M. Mota, History
  • F. Nick Nesbitt, French & Italian
  • Stephen W. Pacala, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
  • Dan-El Padilla Peralta, Classics
  • Pamela A. Patton, Art and Archaeology
  • Grigore Pop-Eleches, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs
  • Rachel L. Price, Spanish & Portuguese
  • Alejandro W. Rodriguez, Electrical Engineering
  • Esteban A. Rossi-Hansberg, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs
  • Maria Micaela Sviatschi, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs
  • Marta Tienda, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs
  • Rocío Titiunik, Politics
  • Guadalupe Tuñón, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs

Sits with Committee

  • Fernando E. Acosta-Rodriguez
  • Dannelle Gutarra Cordero
  • Bryan R. Just
  • Stanley N. Katz

Lecturer

  • Noa E. Corcoran-Tadd
  • Marian A. Thorpe
  • Bridgette K. Werner
  • Tony Wood
For a full list of faculty members and fellows please visit the department or program website.

Program Information

The Program in Latin American Studies promotes interdisciplinary study and seeks to foster knowledge of and experience in Latin America.

Courses are offered by the Departments of African American Studies, Anthropology, Art and Archaeology, Comparative Literature, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Economics, English, French and Italian (appropriate French courses only), History, Music, Politics, Religion, Sociology, Spanish and Portuguese, the School of Architecture, the School of Engineering, the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, the Program in Latino Studies, and the Program in Latin American Studies (PLAS). Through various approaches in the humanities and the social and natural sciences, the program seeks to guide students toward an understanding of Latin American arts, cultures, histories, socioeconomic conditions, politics, and natural environments. The student's work is supervised by a departmental adviser and is combined with a departmental program in a regular field of concentration.

Experience abroad is not required, but PLAS strongly encourages students to travel to and explore Latin America. Funds are available to support student travel to Latin America for research purposes. First- and second-year students are eligible for exploratory research grants and juniors and seniors can apply for senior thesis research funding. Seniors are encouraged to apply to Princeton in Latin America (PiLA) for postgraduate opportunities.

Admission to the Program

Students from all departments are welcome. There are no prerequisites to enroll. Interested students should contact the program coordinator.

Program of Study

The Program in Latin American Studies offers two tracks of study: Latin American Studies and Brazilian Studies. For satisfactory completion of the program, a student must meet the following requirements:

1. Completion of the requirements of a departmental concentration.

2. Completion of the language requirement in Spanish, Portuguese, or French (for students focusing on the French-speaking Caribbean). 

3. For students pursuing the Latin American Studies track, satisfactory completion of four courses across several disciplines, at least one of the following courses must be a seminar. 

  • One humanities course cross-listed with LAS or with strong Latin American content;
  • Three courses from any field cross-listed with LAS or with strong Latin American content.

With the program director's permission, a maximum of two courses from study abroad may count toward fulfilling the course requirements.

In agreement with the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, only one course can be used toward both the certificate in the Program in Latin American Studies and a certificate in Spanish or Portuguese.

Students pursuing science studies may fulfill program requirements by taking a number of approved courses in ecology and evolutionary biology and environmental studies.

No course may be taken pass/D/fail or audit for program credit.

3a. For students pursuing the Brazilian Studies track, satisfactory completion of four courses across several disciplines, at least one of the following courses must be a seminar.

  • One humanities course cross-listed with LAS or with strong Brazilian content;
  • Three courses from any field cross-listed with LAS or with strong Brazilian content.

Courses that are not focused entirely on Brazil must be pre-approved by the program director, and the final written work must be Brazil related.

With the program director's permission, a maximum of two courses from study abroad may count toward fulfilling the course requirements. 

In agreement with the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, only one course can be used toward both the certificate in the Program in Latin American Studies and a certificate in Spanish or Portuguese.

No course may be taken pass/D/fail or audit for program credit.

4. For students pursuing the Latin American Studies track: Completion of a senior thesis on a Latin American subject. Normally it should be written under the supervision of a faculty member associated with the program. If this is not the case, students are encouraged to consult a faculty member associated with the program about available sources or professional contacts sometime during their junior year. If the senior thesis is not devoted exclusively to a Latin American topic, the director and relevant program faculty will determine its acceptability. Ordinarily, at least half of the thesis content will deal with Latin America, or a substantial portion of the research for the thesis will require proficiency in a language - other than English - spoken in Latin America.

4a. For students pursuing the Brazilian Studies track: Completion of a senior thesis on a Brazilian subject. Normally, it should be written under the supervision of a faculty member associated with the program. If this is not the case, students are encouraged to consult a faculty member associated with the program about available sources or useful professional contacts sometime during their junior year. If the senior thesis is not devoted exclusively to a Brazilian topic, the director and relevant program faculty will determine its acceptability. Ordinarily, at least half of the thesis content will deal with Brazil, and a substantial portion of the research for the thesis will be conducted in Portuguese.

5. Students whose thesis cannot be devoted to a Latin American or Brazilian topic may complete the program requirements either by writing a research paper of sufficient complexity and length to substitute for the thesis requirement (the topic should be determined in consultation with the director and relevant program faculty) or by taking an additional approved course.

Certificate of Proficiency

Upon graduation, students who have met all the program requirements will receive a Certificate of Proficiency in Latin American Studies along with their diploma.

 

Courses

LAS 210 Urban Sociology: The City and Social Change in the Americas (See SOC 210)

LAS 212 Environmental Sovereignties: Indigenous Social Movements in the Americas (also
ANT 212
) Fall CDHA

In this course we will examine how Indigenous peoples in the Americas have mobilized in the protection of environmental rights, against extractivism, and in defense of natural resource, territorial, and political sovereignty. We will draw connections and explore differences in the panorama of Indigenous social movements in hemispheric perspective, and the nature of state and elite responses to these protest movements. In so doing, we will draw out a broader understanding of how flashpoint moments of protest expose the political, social, and colonial fault lines that underpin everyday life in the Americas. Instructed by: B. Werner

LAS 215 Arts of the Americas: The First 5,000 Years (See ART 103)

LAS 219 Rap, Graffiti and Urban Cultures in the Hispanic Worlds (See SPA 239)

LAS 220 El Género Negro: Crime Fiction (See SPA 220)

LAS 221 Art of Hispania (See ART 221)

LAS 222 Introduction to Latin American Cultures (See SPA 222)

LAS 223 Introduction to the Literature and Culture of the Portuguese-Speaking World (See POR 221)

LAS 225 Interdisciplinary Design Studio (See ARC 205)

LAS 233 Languages of the Americas (See SPA 233)

LAS 235 Of Shipwreck and Other Disasters (See SPA 235)

LAS 237 Wildness, Whiteness, and Manliness in Colonial Latin America (See SPA 237)

LAS 238 Contemporary Latin American Literature (See COM 238)

LAS 241 Borges for Beginners (See SPA 241)

LAS 248 Modern Mexican Society (See SOC 248)

LAS 250 Identity in the Hispanic World (See SPA 250)

LAS 259 Spirits on Fire: Mysticism in The Spanish Empire (See REL 259)

LAS 267 Mesoamerican Art (See ART 267)

LAS 275 Religion and Social Change in Early Latin America (See REL 275)

LAS 276 Saints and Sinners: Women and the Church in Colonial Spanish America (See REL 276)

LAS 278 Histories and Themes in Mexican Religion (See REL 278)

LAS 300 The Literature and Culture of Spain and Colonial Latin America: Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque (See SPA 300)

LAS 301 Afro-Diasporic Dialogues: Black Activism in Latin America and the United States (See AAS 322)

LAS 303 Modern Brazilian Literature and Culture (See POR 301)

LAS 304 Modern Latin America since 1810 (See HIS 304)

LAS 305 Colonial Latin America to 1810 (See HIS 303)

LAS 307 Journalism, Politics, and Power in Latin America (also
JRN 307
/
COM 371
/
SPA 374
) Fall SA

Journalism has played an outsized role in Latin America's political and cultural life, whether as a form of witnessing, an instrument of analysis or a tool for resistance and revolt. This course will look at work from across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, exploring different approaches writers have taken, and highlighting a series of recurrent themes, foremost among them journalism's tangled relationship with power. We will mainly focus on print, but will also deal with film, TV, and photography. Throughout, students will be encouraged to reflect on parallels between the reportage of the past and the contemporary media landscape. Instructed by: Staff

LAS 308 Health, Education and Work in Latin America (also
GHP 308
) Fall SA

This course explores how health, education and work impact vulnerability and inequality in Latin America. Drawing from comparative studies, the seminar assesses these structural aspects of well-being and social development with an eye towards policy implications.On health we will examine overall disparities in care access and outcomes, persistent but neglected issues such as mental health and violence and emerging issues such as the preparedness for global epidemics. On education, enrollment, performance and how it relates to a changing world. On work, we will discuss employment patterns and wage inequality across race, ethnicity, and gender. Instructed by: M. Medeiros

LAS 309 Topics in the Sociology of Latin America (See SOC 309)

LAS 310 Gender and Development in the Americas (See SOC 310)

LAS 311 Topics in Brazilian Cultural and Social History (See POR 304)

LAS 313 Political Natures: The Politics of Nature and Development in Latin America (also
ENV 333
) Fall CDSA

Popular imaginaries depict Latin America as both brimming with pristine nature and afflicted with devastating environmental degradation. This seminar explores Latin American nature as an ecological, political and cultural creation, asking: Where do these imaginaries of pristine/despoiled nature come from? How are they used, perpetuated or debunked by scientists, Indigenous peoples, politicians and NGOs? We apply these questions to an array of environmental issues, including climate change, deforestation and ecotourism, to analyze the effects of these imaginaries on people's lived experiences of nature, conservation and economic development. Instructed by: Staff

LAS 314 Topics in the Study of Gender (See GSS 302)

LAS 315 Luso-Afro-Brazilian Literary Traditions (See POR 300)

LAS 316 Race, Ethnicity, and Nationalism in Latin America (See SOC 315)

LAS 319 Brazilian Cinema (See POR 319)

LAS 321 Topics in the Intellectual History of Modern and Contemporary Spain (See SPA 321)

LAS 326 Becoming Latino in the U.S. (See HIS 306)

LAS 327 Modernism in Fiction (See COM 327)

LAS 330 Social Exclusion in Latin America (See SOC 331)

LAS 331 Modern Latin American Fiction (See SPA 331)

LAS 332 Modern Latin American Poetry (See SPA 332)

LAS 333 Latino Politics in the U.S. (See POL 333)

LAS 334 Critical Theory in Latin America and Beyond (See SPA 363)

LAS 336 Latinos in American Life and Culture (See LAO 200)

LAS 338 The Sociology of Latinos in the U.S. (See SOC 338)

LAS 342 Topics in Latin American Modernity (See SPA 342)

LAS 343 The Invention of Latin American Traditions (See SPA 343)

LAS 344 Literature and Society in Early Latin America (See SPA 344)

LAS 345 Topics in Latin American Literature and Ideology (See SPA 345)

LAS 347 Topics in the Culture of Cities (See SPA 351)

LAS 348 Fictions and Communities in the Andes (See SPA 348)

LAS 349 Topics in Latin American Cultural Studies (See SPA 350)

LAS 350 Pre-Columbian Peoples of Tropical America and Their Environments (See EEB 332)

LAS 351 Tropical Biology (See EEB 338)

LAS 353 Topics in Gender and Representation (See SPA 353)

LAS 354 Topics in Cinema and Culture (See SPA 319)

LAS 355 The Itinerant Languages of Photography (See SPA 355)

LAS 356 Topics in the Politics of Writing and Difference (See SPA 352)

LAS 357 Contemporary Latin America in Literature and Visual Arts (See COM 353)

LAS 358 The Skins of the Film: Latin America and the Politics of Touching (See SPA 388)

LAS 360 Urban Modernism and Its Discontents (See POR 306)

LAS 361 Brazilian Cinema in a Global Context (See POR 351)

LAS 364 Modern Latin American Fiction in Translation (See SPA 346)

LAS 365 Roberto Bolaño: Adventures in Cultureland (See SPA 356)

LAS 366 Ancient Arts of Mexico (See ART 366)

LAS 367 Latin American Politics (See POL 367)

LAS 372 Latin American Philosophy (See PHI 372)

LAS 373 Modern Brazilian History (See HIS 333)

LAS 374 Drag Kings: An Archeology of Spectacular Masculinities in Latinx America (See SPA 372)

LAS 377 Modern Caribbean History (See AAS 313)

LAS 378 Screening Saudade (See POR 308)

LAS 379 Religion, Gender, and Sexuality in Early Latin America (See REL 378)

LAS 380 Religious Experience, Expression, and Authority in Colonial Latin America (See REL 370)

LAS 381 Puerto Ricans Under U.S. Empire: Memory, Diaspora, and Resistance (See SPA 387)

LAS 383 Masterpieces of Latin American Literature (See SPA 339)

LAS 384 Workshop on Contemporary Cuban Arts (See SPA 383)

LAS 386 Havana: A Cultural History (See SPA 385)

LAS 388 Indigenous Expressions: Native Christianities in Colonial Mexico (See REL 359)

LAS 389 Poisonous Flowers: Radical Women in Latin America (See SPA 329)

LAS 391 Human Rights in Latin America (See SPI 364)

LAS 392 The Fiction of Mario Vargas Llosa (See SPA 392)

LAS 393 Brazilian History: Slavery, Race and Citizenship in Modern Brazil (See POR 309)

LAS 396 Poetry Matters: Latin American Poets and the Power of Language (See SPA 396)

LAS 397 Mexico's Tenth Muse: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (See SPA 335)

LAS 398 Comparative Studies in Spanish and Portuguese Literatures in Latin America (See SPA 399)

LAS 401 Latin American Studies Seminar (also
SPA 412
/
LAO 401
) Not offered this year LA

The seminar will concentrate upon themes and topics in Latin American history, politics, society, literature, and/or culture. The focus will vary from year to year. Instructed by: Staff

LAS 402 Latin American Studies Seminar Not offered this year SA

The seminar will concentrate upon themes and topics in Latin American history, politics, society, literature, and/or culture. The focus will vary from year to year. Instructed by: Staff

LAS 403 Latin American Studies Seminar Not offered this year LA

The seminar will concentrate upon themes and topics in Latin American history, politics, society, literature, and/or culture. The focus will vary from year to year. Instructed by: Staff

LAS 404 Latin American Studies Seminar (also
SPA 410
/
POR 411
) Not offered this year LA

The seminar will concentrate upon themes and topics in Latin American history, politics, society, literature, and/or culture. The focus will vary from year to year. Instructed by: Staff

LAS 405 Latin American Studies Seminar Not offered this year

The seminar will concentrate upon themes and topics in Latin American history, politics, society, literature, and/or culture. The focus will vary from year to year. Instructed by: Staff

LAS 406 Latin American Studies Seminar Not offered this year

The seminar will concentrate upon themes and topics in Latin American history, politics, society, literature, and/or culture. The focus will vary from year to year. Instructed by: Staff

LAS 407 Commons, Enclosures and Colonization in the Early Modern Atlantic (See HIS 407)

LAS 408 Selected Topics in 20th-Century Latin America (See HIS 408)

LAS 409 Writing and Urban Life (See POR 406)

LAS 413 Museum as Laboratory: Experimental Art Practices in Latin America and Beyond (See ART 467)

LAS 415 Latin American Essays (See POR 405)

LAS 428 Topics in Hispanic Culture (Europe and America) (See SPA 401)

LAS 443 Global Exchange in Art and Architecture (See ART 443)

LAS 447 Shooting the Enemy in Non-Fiction Cinema (See POR 401)

LAS 448 Las Ciudades del Boom: Economic Growth, Urban Life and Architecture in the Latin American City (See ARC 448)

LAS 453 Digital Histories of Crime in the Americas (See HIS 453)

LAS 460 Theorizing the Archive in Latin American Art (See ART 460)

LAS 462 Building Mestizo Worlds: Early Colonial Mexican History in a Global Perspective (See HIS 462)

LAS 463 A Social and Multi-Dimensional Exploration of Structures (See CEE 463)

LAS 467 Populism in Global History (See HIS 468)

LAS 468 The Art and Politics of Ancient Maya Courts (See ART 468)

LAS 469 Maya Painting (See ART 469)

LAS 484 Borderlands, Border Lives (See HIS 484)