Debates over the meaning, interpretation and management of unique, artistic, historic or culturally significant places take center stage in this course. Students consider how and why some landscapes and buildings get preserved and protected while others are redesigned, ignored, neglected or demolished. Major themes in the course include continuity and change in the built environment, notions of cultural heritage and the concept of authenticity. Readings include theoretical and historical perspectives on the topic supplemented by case studies and field investigations.

GIS for Landscape & Urban Studies provides a critical lens for understanding landscapes, the built environment, and the complex interplay between geospatial environmental and social concerns with the implicit power of the act of mapping them. Emphasizing bias, equity, and ethics, the course examines how geospatial data informs planning and reflects social justice issues like green space access, housing density, and food insecurity. Students gain technical expertise while critically engaging with the societal impact of mapping.

Through readings and a series of lectures by Smith faculty and guests, this course examines the history and influences out of which landscape studies is emerging. The course looks at the relationship of this new field with literary and cultural studies, art, art history, landscape architecture, history, biological and environmental sciences. What is landscape studies? Where does it come from? Why is it important? How does it relate to, for instance, landscape painting and city planning? How does it link political and aesthetic agendas?

An introduction to the "Golden Age" of Latin literature which flourished under Rome's first emperor. Reading and discussion of authors exemplifying a range of genres and perspectives such as Virgil, Ovid and Horace, with attention to the political and cultural context of their work and to the relationship between literary production and the Augustan regime and its program. Practice in research skills and in reading, evaluating and producing critical essays. Prerequisite: LAT 212 or equivalent.

The Latin language has had an extraordinarily long life, from ancient Rome through the Middle Ages to nineteenth-century Europe, where it remained the language of scholarship and science. Even today it survives in the Romance languages that grew out of it and in the countless English words derived from Latin roots. This course prepares students to read Latin texts in any period or area of interest through a study of the fundamentals of classical Latin grammar and through practice in reading from a range of Latin authors.

Offered as LAS 263 and ANT 263. This course offers an ethnographic and analytical exploration of contemporary Latin America, focusing on anthropological perspectives in politics and law. It examines forms of resistance against violence and inequality in the region, analyzing how ideas of rights and justice intersect with complex power structures. The course highlights collective struggles that reshape social experiences, the public sphere, and governance.

In this course, students explore current perspectives central to the field of Latin American Studies, focusing on ethical and methodological questions—as they relate to research, publication, academia and activism. Students read broadly in the humanities, social, and natural sciences, developing a solid foundation for evaluating, contextualizing, and applying current trends within Latin American Studies. Case studies illustrate diversity of thought, interdisciplinary approaches, and innovative directions in the field.

Offered as SOC 244 and LAS 244. This course is designed to familiarize students with the history of Latin American and Latina (primarily Chicana) feminist thought and activism. A central goal of the course is to provide an understanding of the relationship between feminist thought, women’s movements, and local/national contexts and conditions. The writings of Latin American and Latina feminists comprise the majority of the texts.

Over the past decade, Latin America has experienced a surge in political activism around issues of gender and sexuality. These mobilizations have led to significant cultural and legislative changes across many countries in the region. During the same period, Latin American film production, especially by women and queer filmmakers, has expanded and become increasingly diverse. These developments have transformed the portrayal of gendered behaviors and perspectives in the region’s cinema.

This course is a multidisciplinary, thematically organized introduction to the cultures and sociopolitical understandings of Latines in the US. It serves as a primary gateway to the Latino/a/x Studies minor and a convergent course for the Latin American Studies major. This course surveys a variety of topics in culture, geography, politics, history, literature, language, and the arts through readings, films, music, discussions, and guest lectures. The course is required for all minors in Latino/a/x Studies.