Offered as WLT 178 and SPN 178. This course focuses on fictional portraits of iconoclastic translators and interpreters. The first two months are devoted to a (relatively) "slow reading" of Don Quijote as a pioneer text in terms of attributing a central role to a fictional translator. The third month is devoted to international films and short stories--largely, but not exclusively, from the Spanish-speaking world, which has experienced a remarkable upsurge of "transfictions" (i.e., fictions about translators) since the ‘90s. Taught in English.

Aimed at students who have had some basic experience with Spanish, this course prepares them to communicate in the language about themselves and their environment, and to acquaint them with basic socio-historical aspects of the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. Students participate in activities that involve interacting with others, presenting information and understanding the target language, which allows them to learn about the structure of the language (its grammar). Priority is given to first- and second-year students.

Previously the first semester of SPN 112Y. This course is for students who have no previous experience with the language and emphasizes speaking, listening, writing and reading. Students work on developing linguistic proficiency as well as cultural knowledge. The course uses a student-centered, learner-driven, communicative approach to language learning. Prerequisite: Spanish Placement Exam (https://www.smith.edu/aboutsmith/ registrar/ placement-exams). Enrollment limited to 18. First-years and sophomores only.

This course provides an in-depth engagement with global migration. It covers such areas as theories of migration, the significance of global political economy and state policies across the world in shaping migration patterns and immigrant identities. Questions about imperialism, post-colonial conditions, nation-building and national borders, citizenship and the gendered racialization of immigration intersect as critical contexts for our discussions. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 12. Juniors and seniors only. Instructor permission required.

This course applies a sociological lens to understanding inequality in American higher education. The course examines how the conflicting purposes of higher education have led to a highly stratified system of colleges and universities. The course also addresses the question of how students’ social class, race, ethnicity and gender affect their chances of successfully navigating this stratified system of higher education. Finally, the course examines selected public policies aimed at minimizing inequality in students’ access to and success in college. Prerequisites: SOC 101.

This course introduces majors to widely used theoretical perspectives that inform the sociological imagination. It focuses on how these perspectives analyze core facets of social life, such as structure and stratification, power and inequality, culture, agency, self, and identity. Each topic is surveyed from several major perspectives, providing a comparative view so that students can make assessments of the insights each theory offers. Priority given to Sociology majors and minors. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 40.

This course introduces students to the historical roots of mass incarceration and how it shapes multiple aspects of life and society. Students focus on the particular experiences of currently and formerly incarcerated women, with an emphasis on the overrepresentation of Black women; the major social, political and economic factors that have contributed to the rise of mass incarceration in the United States; the primary ways mass incarceration alters the lives of people and communities; and why eliminating racial oppression cannot be disentangled from eliminating mass incarceration.