Latino/a Studies

Interdisciplinary

The Kenyon College faculty voted to change from Kenyon units to semester hours. This change will go into effect for all students who start at the College in the fall of 2024. Both systems will be used throughout the course catalog with the Kenyon units being listed first.

Beginning Studies

First-year and sophomore students may begin with any of six core courses listed below. Students need not take two of the core courses consecutively during the same academic year. Those who need to fulfill the language requirement for the concentration should begin the study of Spanish in the first two years at Kenyon. Students may complete the Spanish requirement by placing out of Kenyon's language requirement.

Requirements for the Concentration

1. Core and Related Areas Coursework

Students are required to take five courses that focus on Latino/a culture and society, outside of the language requirement. Courses should be chosen from at least two different departments. These should be chosen from the list approved by the Latino/a studies program committee and may include up to two relevant courses taken in study-abroad programs.

The requirements for the concentration include:

Two core courses (see below)
Three courses that are related to the study of Latina/o studies

Core Coursework

ENGL 273: Latino/Latina Literature and Film
ENGL 381: Multiple Americas: Narratives of the Hemisphere
PSCI 354: Latinos in American Democracy (Spring 2024)
PSYC 328: Latino Psychology

Related area coursework is those courses that either provide more specialized and contextual knowledge regarding the Latina/o experience and/or provide a focused examination of issues related to the Latina/o experience either in the U.S. or abroad. Three of the following courses can count towards the related coursework requirement:

Related Areas Coursework: These courses are subject to modification

ARHS 191: Intro Art of the Americas (fall 2024)
ARHS 291: Art of Colonial Latin America and the Caribbean (fall 2023)
ANTH 259: Latin American Ethnicity, Identity and Cultural Heritage
ANTH 345: Ethnicity in Central America
ANTH 385: Archeology of the Colonialism
ENGL 391: Postcolonial Americas (fall 2021)
GSS 242: Transnational Feminisms
HIST 120: Early Latin American
HIST 121: History of Modern Latin America
HIST 218: History of Mexico
HIST 311: Immigrant Experience in the United States
HIST 321: The Mexican Revolution
HIST 322: Human Rights in Latin America
PSCI 355: Immigration, Citizenship and National Identity
PSCI 441: Latin American Politics in Film and Fiction
PSCI 442: Contemporary Latin American Politics
PSYC 327: Cross-Cultural Psychology
RLST 228: Christianity in the Global South
SOCY 233: Sociology of Food
SOCY 235: Transnational Social Movements
SOCY 237: Borders and Border Crossing
SPAN 324: Introduction to Spanish Literature
SPAN 339: Spanish Exiles in Latin America
SPAN 367: Modernism in Spain

2. Language Study

At least one year of study in Spanish is required. This requirement can be met by taking the two-semester sequence of Spanish (SPAN 111Y-112Y). The equivalent of one year of approved college-level language instruction in Spanish at another accredited academic institution also meets the requirement, as do some intensive summer programs, or a semester of language study abroad when paired with language immersion. In the case of transfer students, credit is accepted for a year of Spanish language study with a grade of C+ or better pursued at another institution. If the student tests out of the College language requirement, the program committee waives the requirement. Students in the concentration are encouraged to continue language study for more than one year.

3. Experiential Learning

A core part of the concentration is experiential learning that centers on understanding the Latina/o experience. For some courses, this experiential learning will entail community-engaged learning in our local community, while for other courses experiential learning may occur offsite. At the core of all of these experiences is the fostering of learning and engagement with the support of Kenyon faculty engagement.

Please note some of these courses may officially be tagged as a Kenyon CEL course, while others may not. A minimum of 20 hours of experiential learning is required.

The following courses offer experiential learning:

ANTH 259: Latin American Ethnicity, Identity and Cultural Heritage
PSYC 328: Latino Psychology
PSCI 355: Immigration, Citizenship and National Identity
SOCY 237: Borders and Border Crossing

Off-Campus Study

Off-campus study in a Spanish-speaking country is not required, but it is highly recommended. Students should consult with the Latino/a studies faculty and the director of the Center for Global Engagement for the numerous opportunities available to study abroad. Students are encouraged to attend study-abroad programs in countries representing most critically the U.S. Latino population, including, but not limited to, Mexico and Central America, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia and Cuba. The Earlham Border Studies program also is recommended.