Catalogue 2019-2020 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Hispanic Studies Department
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Chair: Nicolás Vivalda;
Professors: Andrew K. Bush, Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert, Eva Woods Peirób;
Associate Professors: Michael C. Aronnaa, Mario Cesareo, Mihai Grünfeld, Nicolás Vivalda;
Adjunct Assistant Professor: Augusto Hacthoun.
a On leave 2019/20, first semester
b On leave 2019/20, second semester
Study Away: Majors are expected to study, usually during the junior year, in a Spanish-speaking country. The department sponsors the Vassar-Wesleyan Program in Madrid (academic year) study abroad program, open to all qualified students.
Advisers: The department.
Major
Correlate Sequence in Hispanic Studies
Hispanic Studies: I. Introductory
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HISP 105 - Elementary Spanish Language Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
Fundamentals of the grammar and structure of the Spanish language with emphasis on oral skills and reading.
Open to students with no previous instruction in Spanish.
Yearlong course 105-HISP 106 .
Four 50-minute periods; one hour of drill.
Course Format: CLS -
HISP 106 - Elementary Spanish Language Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Fundamentals of the grammar and structure of the Spanish language with emphasis on oral skills and reading.
Open to students with no previous instruction in Spanish.
Yearlong course HISP 105 -106.
Four 50-minute periods; one hour of drill period.
Course Format: CLS -
HISP 110 - Latin American and Spanish Literacy and Cultural Topics
1 unit(s)
Two 75-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
Hispanic Studies: II. Intermediate
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HISP 205 - Intermediate Spanish Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
1 unit(s)
Intensive study and review of Spanish grammar at the second-year level with emphasis on oral practice and writing skills. Mario Cesareo (a); Michael Aronna (b).
Prerequisite(s): HISP 105 -HISP 106 or three years of high school Spanish.
Three 50-minute periods and one hour of conversation.
Course Format: CLS -
HISP 206 - Reading and Writing about Hispanic Culture Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
1 unit(s)
Reading, writing and speaking skills are developed through study of cultural and literary texts and audiovisual materials. Augusto Hatchoun and Andrew Bush (a); Augusto Hatchoun, Mihai Grünfeld, and Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert (b).
Topic for 2019/20a or b: Hyperbole to hype: Cuba: An examination of, and a reflection about, how particular acts, experiences and eventualities are publicly reported, privately memorialized, chronicled in histories, transformed into literature, and revived in films. Readings, written essays, oral discussions and presentations.Taught in Spanish. Augusto Hatchoun.
Topic for 2019/20a: Reading, writing and speaking skills are developed through study of cultural and literary texts and audiovisual materials. Andrew Bush.
Topic for 2019/20b: Latin America: Past and Present. This course is an introduction to Latin American history and culture, while it develops reading, writing and speaking skills in Spanish. Through the study of cultural and literary texts (short stories, poetry and essays) and audiovisual material (music, fine arts and films) we cover the main Latin American historical periods and also discuss the Hispanic presence in the United States. Some of the texts studied are: Popol Vuh, Nicolás Echevarría’s Cabeza de Vaca, María Luisa Bemberg’s Yo la peor de todas and Camila, the murals of Diego Rivera, Nicolás Guillén’s afro-Cuban poetry, Violeta Parra’s protest song, Luisa Valenzuela’s short novel Cambio de armas and Luis Valdes’s Zoot Suit. Mihai Grünfeld.
Topic for 2019/20b: Musical Traditions of Spain and Latin America. The course examines the salient musical traditions of Spain and Latin American through film, literature and art. Organized as a survey of music in Spanish–from flamenco to reggaetón–our readings will include Federico García Lorca, Gabriel García Márquez, Jorge Luis Borges, and Julio Cortázar, among others. Lizabeth Paravisini Gebert.
Prerequisite(s): HISP 205 or four years of high school Spanish.
Two 75-minute periods and one hour of conversation.
Course Format: CLS -
HISP 216 - Topics in Multidisciplinary Analysis Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
1 unit(s)
This course develops a set of methodological and theoretical tools for the investigation of cultural practices such as literature, popular and mass culture, social movements and institutions in Spanish-speaking countries.
Topic for 2019/20a: Reading Latin America through its Horror and Fantastic Short Stories. In Latin America, terror stories comprise not only the narration of paranormal and psychological delusions but also a very effective mirroring of specific social and political conditions. This course introduces students to literary analysis through the lens of horror and fantastic fiction. Materials for analysis will include literary texts by Rubén Darío, Leopoldo Lugones, Horacio Quiroga, Mariana Enríquez, and Samanta Schweblin. We will also examine films by Guillermo del Toro, Jorge Michel Grau, and Adrián García Bogliano. Nicolás Vivalda.
Topic for 2019/20b: Reading, Writing and Thinking Fiction. This course explores a set of theoretical concepts (from philosophy, sociology, Marxism, psychoanalysis, phenomenology and semiotics) to develop a set of interpretative tools through which we are reading Latin American short stories while engaging in creative and essay writing exercises in Spanish. Mario Cesareo.
Prerequisite(s): HISP 206 or permission of the instructor.
Two 75-minute periods.
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HISP 219 - Advanced Grammar and Composition Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
This course offers an in-depth coverage of Spanish grammar with emphasis on reading and writing skills. A more traditional approach in grammar explanations is combined with the study of numerous examples and exercises based on everyday life. The objectives of this course are 1) to provide a thorough review of major topics of Spanish grammar—ser and estar, por and para, the preterit and the imperfect, sequence of tenses, conditional clauses, etc.; 2) to explore in-depth the different mechanics of writing in Spanish (punctuation, written accents, etc.); 3) to work on writing skills in Spanish through the use of various writing techniques and strategies—the art of writing narratives, dialogue, descriptions, letters, and reports; 4) to improve reading skills and knowledge of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions in Spanish; 5) to continue to increase cultural knowledge of the Spanish-speaking world. Through the use of the target language in class, this course also contributes to the general language acquisition process. Some translation work is required as well—contextualized passages in English translated into Spanish are used to illustrate a variety of grammatical principles. Nicolas Vivalda.
Prerequisite(s): HISP 216 or permission of the instructor.
Two 75-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS -
HISP 225 - Creative Writing Workshop
1 unit(s)
This year’s workshop provides a space for the development of the student’s ability as a writer of fiction in Spanish. Writing projects could include short stories, drama, poetry and miscellany, depending on the student’s individual interests. Workshop members share, read and critique each other’s writing. We also engage some readings and exercises designed to enrich the student’s ability to give form, texture, and voice to their writing. Mario Cesareo.
Prerequisite(s): HISP 216 or HISP 219 or permission of the instructor.
Two 75-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS -
HISP 226 - Medieval and Early Modern Spain
1 unit(s)
Studies in Spanish literary and cultural production from the time of the Reconquest to the end of the Hapsburg Empire.
Two 75-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS -
HISP 227 - Colonial Latin America Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as LALS 227 ) Studies in Latin American literary and cultural production from the European invasion to the crisis of the colonial system.
Topic for 2019/20b: Screening the Past: Filmic Adaptations of Latin American Colonial Society. This course considers how the Latin American, European and American film industries have imagined, represented, and revised crucial moments and issues from Latin America’s colonial past with a special focus on the contemporary agendas of the filmmakers in their depiction of colonial society, culture, and politics. We study the many original colonial texts and sources which inspired these films and examine the cinematic techniques for the adaptation and revision of colonial perspectives, beliefs, and practices which seek to make them accessible and meaningful to contemporary audiences. Michael Aronna.
Prerequisite(s): One course above HISP 206 .
Two 75-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS -
HISP 228 - Modern Spain Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
Studies in Spanish literary and cultural production from the beginning of the Bourbon monarchy to the present.
Topic for 2019/20a: Fighting Fascism: Gender, Race, Media. (Same as WMST 228 ) Spain, Argentina and Chile continue to struggle with fascism, both in terms of the politics of memory and the enduring consequences of its violence. What did fascism mean for women, either on the frontlines, as victims or as allies, such as Vassar graduate Nancy Macdonald (‘32), founder of a relief organization for Spanish Civil War refugees? What did it mean for LGBTQ+ or historically racialized groups? Through analysis and close reading of a range of media content—novel, essay, poetry, songs, posters, magazines, photography, films, art and digital archives—this course explores fascism in three trans-Atlantic case studies and their intersection with gender and race. The course ends with attention to more recent debates on historical memory and the current emboldening of fascism throughout the Americas and Spain. Coursework emphasizes writing, speaking, reading and listening in Spanish. Digital projects welcome. Eva Woods.
Prerequisite(s): HISP 216 .
Two 75-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS -
HISP 229 - Postcolonial Latin America Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as LALS 229 ) Studies in Latin American literary and cultural production from the emergence of the nation states to the present. Thematically structured, the course delves into the social, political, and institutional processes undergone by Latin America as a result of its uneven incorporation into world capitalist development.
Topic for 2019/20a: An infinite venture. An inquiry on the idea, history and politics of Latin America through the poetry and prose of Pablo Neruda, poet, politician, diplomat (Chile 1904-1973, Nobel Prize for Literature, 1971). Readings, written essays, oral discussions and presentations. Augusto Hatchoun.
Topic for 2019/20b: Latin America Literature & the Environment. The course explores the links between history, the environment, and literature in Latin America. It follows the environmental history of the continent from pre-Columbian societies to the present through its representation in salient works of Latin American literature, from Amerindian texts to 21st –century literature, art, and film. Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert.
Prerequisite(s): HISP 216 or HISP 219 .
Two 75-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS -
HISP 252 - Building Inclusive Communities in Latino-a-x Poughkeepsie Semester Offered: Fall
0.5 unit(s)
(Same as LALS 252 ) This course is intended for students who wish to learn from and support that process, notably connecting with local Latino-a-x high school students with the goal of helping empower them to be leaders in the process.
The course offers students a chance to engage with and learn more about the local Latino-a-x community, meet local community leaders, and learn about the most pressing issues impacting the community at the local, state, and national levels. This course also allows students to experience best practices when it comes to developing and sustaining an inclusive community – developing intimacy, exploring social identity and power, using effective communication and conflict resolution skills, and attending to the well-being of the individual members of the community – specifically in the context of Latino-a-x community.
Spanish-speaking and Latino-a-x students are encouraged to enroll, but all students are most welcome! Both English and Spanish are used, but always in a way that is inclusive and accessible to non-Spanish speakers. Eva Woods.
First six-week course.
Course Format: CLS -
HISP 274 - Writing Workshop Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as LALS 274 ) It admits of three modes, according to each student’s preference. The course includes periodic meetings where the texts are collectively discussed (Previous Requisite: one course at the 220 level or special permission by me.). A) Chronicle: the course hinges around an ongoing event (political, historical, etc.) chosen by each student. Such event will be researched as it develops during the semester, in depth and thoroughly. The end result will be an annotated dossier of primary and secondary sources and the writing of a chronicle based upon some of the models studied (García Márquez, Rodolfo Walsh, Germán Castro Caycedo, Alma Guillermo Prieto, etc.) B) Fiction: the course is geared toward completion of a piece of writing previously agreed upon between each student and me (collection of poems or short stories, novelistic fragment, journal, short film and so on). Writing models and problematics will be discussed and serve as a springboard for each student’s project. C) Testimonial Writing: the course will allow for crafting a piece of testimonial writing (of one’s own or someone else’s experience). Writing strategies will be derived from an understanding of the genre’s logic and its problematization. In all modalities, the final text can take the form of an audiovisual product (the student’s technical knowledge for carrying on such a project is presupposed). Mario Cesareo.
Prerequisite(s): HISP 216 or HISP 219 or permission of the instructor.
Course Format: INT -
HISP 275 - The Oviedo Project Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
The Oviedo Project at Vassar College aims at translating the 50 books of Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo’s Natural History of the Indies–the first comprehensive description of the New World, written between 1524 and 1548—in time for the 500th anniversary of the publication of an abridged version of the first book in 1526. The collaborative project has been developed as part of Vassar’s new curriculum to work with student translators to produce the first complete English-language translation of the celebrated text. Students study and put into practice translation theory and editing skills as they complete their section of the project, under the guidance of profs. Michael Aronna, Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert.
Prerequisite(s): HISP 216 or HISP 219 or permission of the instructor.
Course Format: INT -
HISP 276 - Close Watching of Latin American Cinema Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This course focuses on one relevant Latin American or Spanish film director dealing with Latin American topics, and involves concentrated readings, research, and small group discussions on themes like race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, poverty, nationalism, liberalism, development, and modernity(ies). Student learn to identify and analyze the intersection between form and content in a select number of relevant Latin American films by situating them in contexts that are simultaneously national, regional, and global. Proposed directors: Luis Buñuel, Arturo Ripstein, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Leonardo Favio, Pablo Larraín, Patricio Guzmán. Nicolas Vivalda.
Prerequisite(s): One course above HISP 206 .
Course Format: INT -
HISP 277 - Study Abroad Follow-up Semester Offered: Fall
0.5 unit(s)
Through frequent conversations and writing opportunities, this course offers students the opportunity to analyze and gain a deeper understanding of their study abroad experience in a Spanish-speaking country. Through storytelling, memoirs and the creation of a final project, students reflect critically on tourism, knowledge production, global citizenship and their plans to integrate their study away experience into current learning opportunities or professional aspirations. Taught in Spanish. Eva Woods.
Prerequisite(s): HISP 206 or permission of the instructor.
Second six-week course.
One 2-hour period.
Course Format: INT -
HISP 290 - Community-Engaged Learning Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
Individual projects or internships. The department.
Prerequisite(s): One unit of HISP 205 or above.
Special permission.
Course Format: INT -
HISP 298 - Independent Work Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 1.5 unit(s)
The department.
Prerequisite(s): Two units of HISP 226 or above, and permission of the instructor.
Does not fulfill the requirement for 200-level work in the major or the correlate sequence.
Course Format: OTH
Hispanic Studies: III. Advanced
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HISP 300 - Senior Thesis Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
The department.
Course Format: INT -
HISP 374 - Writing Workshop Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as LALS 374 ) It admits of three modes, according to each student’s preference. The course includes periodic meetings where the texts are collectively discussed (Previous Requisite: one course at the 220 level or special permission by me.). A) Chronicle: the course hinges around an ongoing event (political, historical, etc.) chosen by each student. Such event is researched as it develops during the semester, in depth and thoroughly. The end result is an annotated dossier of primary and secondary sources and the writing of a chronicle based upon some of the models studied (García Márquez, Rodolfo Walsh, Germán Castro Caycedo, Alma Guillermo Prieto, etc.) B) Fiction: the course is geared toward completion of a piece of writing previously agreed upon between each student and me (collection of poems or short stories, novelistic fragment, journal, short film and so on). Writing models and problematics will be discussed and serve as a springboard for each student’s project. C) Testimonial Writing: the course allows for crafting a piece of testimonial writing (of one’s own or someone else’s experience). Writing strategies are derived from an understanding of the genre’s logic and its problematization. In all modalities, the final text can take the form of an audiovisual product (the student’s technical knowledge for carrying on such a project is presupposed). Mario Cesareo.
Prerequisite(s): HISP 216 or HISP 219 or permission of the instructor.
Course Format: INT -
HISP 375 - The Oviedo Project Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
The Oviedo Project at Vassar College aims at translating the 50 books of Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo’s Natural History of the Indies–the first comprehensive description of the New World, written between 1524 and 1548—in time for the 500th anniversary of the publication of an abridged version of the first book in 1526. The collaborative project has been developed as part of Vassar’s new curriculum to work with student translators to produce the first complete English-language translation of the celebrated text. Students study and put into practice translation theory and editing skills as they complete their section of the project, under the guidance of profs. Michael Aronna, Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert.
Prerequisite(s): HISP 216 or HISP 219 or permission of the instructor.
Course Format: INT -
HISP 376 - Close Watching of Latin American Cinema Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This course focuses on one relevant Latin American or Spanish film director dealing with Latin American topics, and involves concentrated readings, research, and small group discussions on themes like race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, poverty, nationalism, liberalism, development, and modernity(ies). Student learn to identify and analyze the intersection between form and content in a select number of relevant Latin American films by situating them in contexts that are simultaneously national, regional, and global. Proposed directors: Luis Buñuel, Arturo Ripstein, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Leonardo Favio, Pablo Larraín, Patricio Guzmán. Nicolas Vivalda.
Prerequisite(s): HISP 216 and one course above 216.
Course Format: INT -
HISP 387 - Latin American Seminar Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as LALS 387 ) A seminar offering in-depth study of topics related to the literary and cultural history of Latin America. This course may be repeated for credit when the topic changes.
Topic for 2019/20b: The Poetry of Pablo Neruda. In this seminar we examine the works of the man Gabriel García Márquez once called “the greatest poet of the 20th century in any language.” In addition to studying selections from most of Neruda’s poetry, we read his autobiography Confieso que he vivido, his play Fulgor y muerte de Joaquín Murieta, his manifestos and essays, discuss the movie Il postino and study several documentaries about the poet’s life. By examining the different styles of Neruda’s poetry, we define the major poetic movements of twentieth century Latin America. Mihai Grünfeld.
Prerequisite(s): HISP 216 and one course above 216.
One 2-hour period.
Course Format: CLS -
HISP 388 - Peninsular Seminar Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
A seminar offering in-depth study of topics related to the literary and cultural history of Spain and the Hispanic Transatlantic. This course may be repeated for credit when the topic changes.
Topic for 2019/20a: An infinite venture. An inquiry on the idea, history and politics of Latin America through the poetry and prose of Pablo Neruda, poet, politician, diplomat (Chile 1904-1973, Nobel Prize for Literature, 1971). Readings, written essays, oral discussions and presentations. Augusto Hatchoun.
Prerequisite(s): HISP 216 and one course above 216.
One 2-hour period.
Course Format: CLS -
HISP 399 - Senior Independent Work Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
Special permission. Does not fulfill the requirement for 300-level work in the major or correlate sequence.
Course Format: OTH
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