Courses
CAS 100. Introduction to Central American Studies (3)
Comparative, historical introduction to political, cultural and socioeconomic aspects of the Central American experience both in Central America and in the United States. Considers the question of whether there can be a single Central American identity in light of the great variety of experiences of race, gender, ethnicity and social class in the Central American community. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. (Available for General Education, F Comparative Cultural Studies.) (ES)
CAS 102. The Salvadoran Experience (3)
Introduction to the political, economic, social and cultural realities of Salvadoran life in El Salvador and in the U.S. Emphasis is on various aspects of the institutional and private life of Salvadoran communities. The course is framed by historical and contemporary comparisons with other Central American national groups with respect to their experiences of race, ethnicity, class, gender and national identity. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. (Available for General Education, F Comparative Cultural Studies.) (ES)
CAS 113A. Approaches to University Writing A (3)
Prerequisite: Placement in a supported GE subarea A2 Written Communication course. Corequisite: UNIV 061. Expository prose writing with a focus on both content and form. Specific emphases include the exercise of logical thought and clear expression, the development of effective organizational strategies and the appropriate gathering and utilization of evidence. Includes instruction on diction, syntax and grammar, as well as the elements of prose style. Students receive credit for only one course chosen from AAS 113A, AFRS 113A, CAS 113A, CHS 113A, ENGL 113A, LING 113A or QS 113A. Students also are required to enroll in UNIV 061 (1 credit) or equivalent. Individual tutoring is available through the Learning Resource Center.
CAS 113B. Approaches to University Writing B (3)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of 113A. Corequisite: UNIV 062. Expository prose writing with a focus on both content and form. Specific emphases include the exercise of logical thought and clear expression, the development of effective organizational strategies and the appropriate gathering and utilization of evidence. Includes instruction on diction, syntax and grammar, as well as the elements of prose style. Students receive credit for only one course chosen from AAS 113B, AFRS 113B, CAS 113B, CHS 113B, ENGL 113B, LING 113B or QS 113B. Students also are required to enroll in UNIV 062 (1 credit) or equivalent. Individual tutoring is available through the Learning Resource Center. (Available for General Education, Basic Skills A2 Written Communication.) (IC)
CAS 114A. Approaches to University Writing A (3)
Prerequisite: Placement in a supported GE subarea A2 Written Communication course. Expository prose writing with a focus on both content and form. Specific emphases include the exercise of logical thought and clear expression, the development of effective organizational strategies and the appropriate gathering and utilization of evidence. Includes instruction on diction, syntax and grammar, as well as the elements of prose style. Students receive credit for only one course chosen from AAS 114A, AFRS 114A, CAS 114A, CHS 114A, ENGL 114A or QS 114A. Individual tutoring is available through the Learning Resource Center.
CAS 114B. Approaches to University Writing B (3)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of 114A. Expository prose writing with a focus on both content and form. Specific emphases include the exercise of logical thought and clear expression, the development of effective organizational strategies and the appropriate gathering and utilization of evidence. Includes instruction on diction, syntax and grammar, as well as the elements of prose style. Students receive credit for only one course chosen from AAS 114B, AFRS 114B, CAS 114B, CHS 114B, ENGL 114B or QS 114B. Individual tutoring is available through the Learning Resource Center. (Available for General Education, Basic Skills A2 Written Communication.) (IC)
CAS 115. Approaches to University Writing (3)
Prerequisite: Multiple Measures Placement in GE-level writing. Expository prose writing with a focus on both content and form. Specific emphases include the exercise of logical thought and clear expression, the development of effective organizational strategies and the appropriate gathering and utilization of evidence. Includes instruction on diction, syntax and grammar, as well as the elements of prose style. Students receive credit for only one course chosen from AAS 115, AFRS 115, CAS 115, CHS 115, ENGL 115 or QS 115. Individual tutoring is available through the Asian American Studies Activities Center, Chicana/o Writing Lab, Africana Studies Lab or Learning Resource Center. (Available for General Education, Basic Skills A2 Written Communication.) (IC)
CAS 151. Fundamentals of Public Speaking (3)
Prerequisite: Multiple Measures Placement in GE-level writing, or completion of 113A or 114A, or completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of public speaking and verbal communication, with particular emphasis on issues related to the Central American experience. Lectures and class assignments will focus on intensive practice in public speaking and developing students’ critical thinking, reading and listening skills. Over the course of the semester, students will learn how to research, organize, prepare and deliver oral presentations and to become confident and effective public speakers. Students will be required to deliver speeches that address topics and themes relevant to Central America and the Central American diaspora in the U.S. and to engage in constructive peer evaluations of their classmates’ oral presentations. Fulfills same requirements as AAS 151, AFRS 151, CHS 151, COMS 151 and QS 151. (Available for General Education, Basic Skills A1 Oral Communication.)
CAS 201. Survey of Central American Literature (3)
Analysis of literary traditions throughout the history of Central America from pre-Hispanic times to the present. The course will focus on 20th and 21st century literary movements, with the main emphasis placed on the historical and political elements and the ideological proposals of these works. It includes a discussion of the relationship between literary creation and the construction of Central American identity. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. (Available for General Education, C2 Humanities.) (ES)
CAS 202. Survey of Central American Visual, Installation and Performance Arts (3)
Analysis of artistic traditions throughout the history of Central America from pre-Hispanic times to the present. The course will focus on the cultural and sociopolitical construction of Central American identities through historical and contemporary artistic creation and representation. The main emphasis will be placed on the historical and political elements, Central American ethnic and cultural diversity, the multiple struggles for visibility and the ideological proposals that these works pose. It includes a discussion of the cultural and sociopolitical dimensions of art and the relationship between artistic production and the construction of Central American identity.
CAS 270/F. Fieldwork in Central American Communities (1/2)
Preparatory: CAS 100 or CAS 102. Field study in a selected Central American community. By reflecting on their work experience, students learn how the needs of the community can best be met and how the well-being of the community is impacted by its relationships to state and local governments, community organizations and private institutions. Faculty supervisor assists students in obtaining appropriate work placements. Field study to be conducted under supervision and after preparatory instruction to acquaint students with field learning techniques. (Available for General Education, E Lifelong Learning.)
CAS 303. Central American Film (3)
Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement; either CAS 100, CAS 102 or permission of the instructor. History of the development of Central American cinema and analysis of film and video production by Central Americans. The course will focus on 20th and 21st century film and video production, with the main emphasis placed on the historical and political context in which Central American cinema is produced, the ideological proposals that these works make and the ways in which this production contributes to the construction of a contemporary version of Central American identity.
CAS 309. Ancient to Pre-Modern History of the Central American People (3)
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Survey of the history of Central Americans from pre-Hispanic times to the pre-Independence days. Major topics include: Indigenous cultures (complex and single societies); Indigenous and European (Spanish and Anglo) relations; religion, family and land tenure; language and education; disease, labor and population; local and global trading; Indigenous revolts and pre-independence movements. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. (Available for General Education, D1 Social Sciences.) (ES)
CAS 310. Modern History of the Central American People (3)
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Survey of the history of Central Americans from Independence times to the present. Major topics include: Independence movements; 19th and 20th century dependency; state-nation and identity formation; politics of mestizaje; indigenous resistance; imperialism and economic growth; relations with the U.S. and Europe; politics of development; contemporary social movements; Central American diaspora. (Available for General Education, D1 Social Sciences.)
CAS 311. The Central American Diaspora (3)
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Comparative survey of the socioeconomic conditions and cultural life of Central American peoples in the U.S. today, particularly in California. Issues of immigration, employment, income, education, gender, family, language, national identity, acculturation and political participation will be examined. Discussion of Central American diaspora communities in other parts of the world also may be included. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. (Available for General Education, F Comparative Cultural Studies.) (ES)
CAS 350. Urbanization in Central America (3)
Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement; either CAS 100, CAS 102 or permission of the instructor. During the second half of the 20th century the Central American societies were transformed from an agrarian to an urban-based service economy. As a result of this process and the political instability in Central America, the Central American population was massively displaced toward urban areas inside and outside the region. This interdisciplinary course will provide students with an understanding of the cultural, social, economic, demographic and political implications of the planning and development of the urban landscape in Central America and of the Central American population movement to urban spaces inside and outside the region.
CAS 355. Environment, Development and Social Exclusion in Central America (3)
Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement; either CAS 100, CAS 102 or permission of the instructor. The focus of this course will be the origins and ramifications of environmental degradation that stems from developmental policies that have historically impoverished Central American peoples. It examines the sociocultural, demographic, economic, political and environmental problems experienced by Central America. It also addresses the effects of mono-crop cultivation and the devastation produced by the use of pesticides. Additionally, this course shows the linkages of land degradation and poverty, strategies of survival and resistance, and the communal response to the dynamics of global capitalism.
CAS 356. Afro-Caribbean Central American Cultures and Identities (3)
Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement; either CAS 100, CAS 102 or permission of the instructor. This interdisciplinary course examines the history of colonization and racism, as well as the socioeconomic, political and religious conditions that Afro-Caribbean peoples in Central America have endured since the time of their arrival as part of the slave trade until their most contemporary quests for self-determination. This course explores the diverse cultures of the Afro-Caribbean population, the transnational movements and initiatives linked to this population’s struggle for liberation and the challenges that such struggles have represented to the Central American nation/states. Emphasis will be placed on Afro-Caribbean Central American peoples’ cultures, identities, movements, rights, media, gender and migratory issues.
CAS 364. Culture and Violence in Central America (3)
Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement; either CAS 100, CAS 102 or permission of the instructor. This course will provide students with a basic theoretical and practical understanding of the relationship between culture and violence in Central America and the historical and socioeconomic conditions that have generated a culture of violence in the region. The course will include an analysis of the concept of violence as it takes ideological and physical forms, both in public and private spaces. Major topics of discussion include the historical legacy of exclusion, authoritarianism and the militarization of Central America; the colonial legacy of ethnic exclusion; the destruction and exploitation of the environment; the role that violence plays in the experience of displacement that Central American immigrant communities undergo; and the relationship between violence, culture and the construction of Central American identity.
CAS 365. Changing Roles of Central American Women (3)
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Preparatory: Either CAS 100 or CAS 102. Comparative examination of the shifting cultural, political, economic and sex/gender roles that have shaped the lives of Central American women, including women’s roles prior to and after the revolutionary movements. Also includes discussions of women activists and women’s movements in various Central American communities both in the U.S. and in Central America; the search of Central American women for identity in the U.S.; and women’s contributions to art, music, poetry, literature, politics and culture. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. (Available for General Education, F Comparative Cultural Studies.) (ES)
CAS 366. Contemporary Indigenous Peoples of Central America (3)
Preparatory: Completion of lower division writing requirement; either CAS 100, CAS 102 or permission of the instructor. This interdisciplinary course examines the new socioeconomic, political and religious conditions that contemporary Indigenous people of Central America are facing in their daily quest for self-determination. In the last two decades, the study of Indigenous practices has challenged the traditional notion that portrays native peoples as passive subjects of the modern forces of assimilation. This course explores the transnational spaces occupied by Indigenous associations and the challenges that this Indigenous movement represents to the Central American nation/states, the participation of women in defining the future of Indigenous communities and resistance to the imposing sociocultural and political paradigms. Emphasis will be placed on contemporary Indigenous culture, identity, movements, rights, media, gender and migratory issues.
CAS 367. Contemporary Religious Movements in Central America (3)
Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement; either CAS 100, CAS 102 or permission of the instructor. Designed to provide students with a basic theoretical and practical understanding of the contemporary religious movements that shape Central American life in both Central America and the U.S. Emphasizes the transnational nature of Central American religious movements, as well as the ways in which these movements are responding to the legacy of war and violence that has impacted Central American life, both in the region and in diaspora communities.
CAS 368. Central American Revolutionary Movements (3)
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Preparatory: Either CAS 100 or CAS 102. Examines the historical and socioeconomic conditions that have shaped the Central American revolutionary movements. Major topics of discussion include the history of Central America leading up to these movements, the role of U.S. policy in the region before and during the movements, the ideological sources of the revolutionary movements and their organizing strategies, the impact of the U.S. anti-intervention and solidarity movements, the peace processes in the region and the influence of these movements on the post-revolutionary diaspora communities in the U.S. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. (Available for General Education, D1 Social Sciences.) (ES)
CAS 369. Contemporary Social Movements in Central America (3)
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Preparatory: Either CAS 100, CAS 102 or permission of the instructor. Designed to provide students with a basic theoretical and practical understanding of the contemporary social movements that shape Central American life in both Central America and the U.S. Emphasizes the transnational nature of Central American social movements, as well as the ways in which these movements are responding to the legacy of war and violence that has impacted Central American life, both in the region and in diaspora communities. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. (Available for General Education, D1 Social Sciences.) (ES)
CAS 410. The Central American Child (3)
Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course examines the educational experience of the Central American child within the context of immigration in the U.S.. At the same time, it compares the educational experience of the Central American child with that of children from other ethnic groups. This perspective provides insight into the Central American educational experience in the U.S.. It analyzes family educational strategies, Central American cultural and ethnic diversity, as well as the legacy of war and violence that has impacted Central American life in the U.S. and their influence on the Central American child’s learning process. In addition, it will assess the educational system within a context of diversity, its outcomes and cultural relevance to Central American learning styles. Moreover, it will identify the national structures of culture, racism, economics and social policy, and their impacts on the local dynamics within the Central American community as well as other ethnic groups, particularly with regard to second language learning, bilingualism and non-Western cultural identities.
CAS 421. Central American Literature Seminar (3)
Examines Central American literary traditions with emphasis on the 20th and 21st centuries. Focuses on the aesthetic proposals, the historical and political context in which Central American literature is produced, the Central American transnational experience and the ways in which literary production contributes to the construction of a contemporary version of Central American identity. Emphasizes application of recent trends in literary theories and critical methodologies. Variable topics. Conducted in Spanish.
CAS 440. Research Seminar on Central American Culture (3-3)
Preparatory: Upper division standing; 6 units in Central American Studies, including CAS 201. Techniques and practice of the critical analysis of culture. Develop and implement a comparative research project that explores in-depth some aspect of Central American cultures. Variable content. Possible topics include the role of literature in the construction of national identity, the creation of texts through oral history, cultural transformation and continuity in the Central American diaspora, art and social protest, medicine, religion and sorcery in the Central American diaspora. May be repeated for credit with instructor consent.
CAS 460. Research Seminar on Central American Political Issues (3)
Preparatory: Upper division standing; 6 units in Central American Studies, including CAS 201. The purpose of this seminar is to acquaint students with the techniques and practices of theoretical research. Students will develop and implement comparative research projects that explore in-depth some aspect of the Central American political experience. Variable content. Possible topics include Sandinismo in theory and practice, the role of the Catholic Church and the influence of Evangelical Protestantism in Central American communities, postwar democracy in Central America and political activism in Central American diaspora communities in California.