Departmental Brochure
The vibrant cultures of the Caribbean and Central and South American nations, blending indigenous strains with African a nd European influences, provide a rich field of study that can be approached from many points of view. Fairfield University's minor program in Latin American and Caribbean studies offers a humanistic perspective on the people of these countries, their customs, their politics, art, and civilization.
You may choose this program for its own inherent interest or to enhance a major in Spanish, politics, economics, history, sociology and anthropology, or fine arts. Latin American and Caribbean studies bundles together a strong array of courses on the nations and people of the Americas that are offered in all the above fields. The faculty also encourage you to take a semester abroad in Latin America or the Caribbean to gain a deeper understanding of the particular culture you are studying.
Course of Study
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Simon Bolìvar the Liberator,
by Fernando Leal, 1932 |
To complete the minor in Latin American and Caribbean studies, you must demonstrate competence in English and one other language (Spanish, French, or Portuguese). To demonstrate competence in a language other than English, you may complete an advanced course, take a semester abroad, or make effective use of the language in readings and research for the seminars and other courses. Five courses, distributed over any three of the participating disciplines, are necessary. One of these must be either of the four team-taught interdisciplinary seminars offered by the program:
- Latin America and the United States
- The Human Condition in Latin America
- Justice and the Developing World
- Environmental Issues in Latin America and the Caribbean
A sampling of courses that you may choose includes:
Art History
- The Arts of Spain and its World
Biology
Economics
English
French/English
History
- Mexico, 1519-1990s: Conquistadores to NAFTA
- Colonial Latin America, 1492-1800
- Modern Latin America
- Central America: Conquistadores to Democracy
- Africans in the Americas
Politics
- Latin American Politics
- Caribbean Politics
Religious Studies
Sociology and Anthropology
- Cultural Anthropology
- Social Change in Developing Nations
Spanish (Modern Languages and Literatures)
- Puerto Rican Literature and Culture
- Images of Latin American Indians
- Spanish-American Civilization and Culture
- Hispanic Film
- U.S. Latino/a Literature
- Survey of Spanish-American Literature
 Real World Education
The United States has a long history with the countries to its south, including political and economic involvement, and military intervention. In the United States itself, everyday influence of Latin American and Caribbean cultures has risen dramatically because of increased immigration by their peoples.
Life after Fairfield
The minor in Latin American and Caribbean studies can add significantly to your qualification for employment and graduate study. Students who have minored in Latin American and Caribbean studies are engaged in positions in law, government, teaching, international trade, environment, journalism, and social work, and a number of recent graduates have been awarded Fulbright scholarships.
Special Features and Distinctions
 Partnership with UCA-Managua:
In 2004, Fairfield University signed a five-year collaborative partnership with a sister-Jesuit university, the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA), in Nicaragua. The agreement provides opportunities for language and service learning opportunities, student exchanges, and semester and summer study program at UCA. For further information, contact Dr. Sourieau at (203) 254-4000, ext. 3412.
Study abroad:
Given the wide array of study abroad opportunities in Latin America, we strongly encourage our students to take advantage of them. Our students have spent one or two semesters in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Honduras, and Mexico. For further information about these opportunities contact Christine Bowers, Study Abroad coordinator, at (203) 254-4000, ext. 3404.
Fulbrights:
Based on their innovative research proposals and knowledge of the region, three of Fairfield's recent graduates have received coveted Fulbright Awards and spent a year in El Salvador, Chile, and Argentina. Since 1993, 39 Fairfield students have been selected in this national competition.
Language study:
As you may conclude from the variety of opportunities our students enjoy (study abroad, internships, Fulbrights, etc.), language skills are of the utmost importance.
- We strongly recommend that you continue language study beyond the core requirements, to better equip yourself for the options that await you as an upperclassman.
Internships and Research
 With the International Studies program, Latin American and Caribbean Studies is developing a series of internships that expose students to services and activities that involve the Latino/a community, here and abroad. One such program is the International Executive Service Corps in Stamford that sends business executives overseas on troubleshooting missions. Interns write project evaluations of these missions. Another internship is at Technoserve, an organization in Norwalk that supports grassroots development projects in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
 Profile
Marco Ambrosio
Latin American and Caribbean Studies major
"The courses I have taken at Fairfield University on Latin America and the opportunity of traveling to Nicaragua have broadened by perspective of the world by making what I read a reality. Moreover, the interdisciplinary nature of the program reinforces the mission of the Jesuit education and inspires me to orient my career toward this fascinating and too-often neglected world."
For further information, please contact:
Dr. Marie-Agnès Sourieau, program director
Canisius Hall 3412
Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT 06824-5195
Tel: (203) 254-4000, ext. 3412
E-mail: msourieau@mail.fairfield.edu
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