Did you know that Spanish is called Castilian in Spain and that many other languages, such as Catalan, Euskera, and Galician are spoken in that country? Did you know that a substantial part of what constitutes Spain today was under Muslim sovereignty? Did you know that the encounter between Indigenous people and Spaniards in the 15th century led to religious and artistic syncretism still observed in parts of Latin America?
This fascinating course explores the foundations of the astonishingly diverse Hispanic cultures. You will learn about the pre-1800 cultures of Spain formed by a mosaic of Arabic, Jewish and Christian influences, examine the world of pre-Hispanic cultures of Latin America, and look into the question of the encounter between Indigenous people and Spaniards, and the influence it had on the colonial period.
Although SPAN 200 is a prerequisite for this course we accept students who did not complete that course but whose proficiency corresponds to the advanced level. If you have any questions concerning your level of Spanish and/or your placement, please, contact one of our faculty members and request an override.
SPAN 315 is taught entirely in Spanish and students are required to submit substantial essays in the course of the term. In order to take full advantage of this course we encourage our students to take SPAN 306 and SPAN 334 before enrolling in SPAN 315 or to take them simultaneously.
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