Undergraduate Courses

An interdisciplinary introduction to the history, culture, societies, and literatures of the region. Students will get a broad overview of the region and will be introduced to the disciplines used to study these societies.

A study of the global dynamics affecting Latin America and the Caribbean today. Themes addressed will include globalization, neoliberalism, underdevelopment, populism, social movements, political ideas, and migration.

An examination of the major issues confronting Latin America and the Caribbean including democratization, economic integration, indigenous and women’s movements, human rights, social justice, and political change.

“No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!” said the skit comedy group, Monty Python. Their famous line is just one example of many ways that the Inquisition has entered our collective imaginations.

This class will explore the origins of the Holy Office, how it worked, and how it fit into the societies that it governed.  Although we will look at its European origins, the emphasis for this class will be on Latin America. Through readings and class discussion, we will examine the Inquisition as an institution with rules and procedures including interrogation and torture.

Interdisciplinary and critical engagement with the term “encounter” between various Indigenous communities and settler populations. Topic areas vary by year: introduction to Indigeneity across multiple geographies, cultural and literary practices, gender and the state, race, racialization, racism, place and space, food sovereignty, and education.

From the Wars of Independence until the end of the twentieth century, this class follows the emergence of Latin American nations, their economies, politics, culture and international relations.

Introduction to the history of the Caribbean that examines the indigenous populations, the role of colonialism and slavery in the construction of plantation societies, the impact of emancipation, and the social, cultural, economic, and political dynamics of the Caribbean in the post-emancipation period.

Introduces the study of cities as “systems of cities”, the political economy of linkages between urban places located unevenly in space, and “cities as systems”. Case studies of socio-cultural, political and economic relations within biophysical and built environments.

Introduction to the general contours of critical theory as it pertains to law and legal studies. The course will introduce key concepts and controversies in the field, identify specific theoretical debates, and consider what conceptual consequences follow from the elaboration of specific positions or arguments.

An overview of the evolution of Latin American political systems, including the impact of the European conquest, democratization, economic liberalization, state-civil society relations, gender politics, revolutionary movements, and relations with the United States.

Étude approfondie d’un genre ou mouvement littéraire. Conditions d’émergence (contextes: historique, social, artistique, etc). Textes théoriques et manifestes. Principaux représentants. Influence (continuations, ruptures). Contenu variable selon les années : consulter le site web du département de français.

Topics may include global issues of trade, finance and production, changing patterns of foreign aid, and the role of microfinance, mining, non-governmental organizations, migration, anti-poverty programs and activism in promoting development.

“No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!” said the skit comedy group, Monty Python. Their famous line is just one example of many ways that the Inquisition has entered our collective imaginations.

This class will explore the origins of the Holy Office, how it worked, and how it fit into the societies that it governed.  Although we will look at its European origins, the emphasis for this class will be on Latin America. Through readings and class discussion, we will examine the Inquisition as an institution with rules and procedures including interrogation and torture.

Comparative ethnographic and historical approaches to colonialism including topics such as the formation of colonial regimes, colonial governmentality, servile labour systems, missionization, anti-colonial resistance, cultural hybridization and post-colonial memory. Exploration of debates over the relation between colonialism and the production of social scientific knowledge.