UNIVERSITY CATALOG: 2023-2024

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …