Ecology and Latin America
This course will examine the relationships between people and their natural environment in Latin America, with a special emphasis on the representations of the natural environment in Latin American literature and film. Ecology and the impact of men and women on their natural surroundings have become central topics of discussion in Latin American culture and society. The discussion topics for the course include 1) the various manifestations of the natural environment in Latin American cultural texts, 2) the relationship between the natural world and indigenous communities, specifically in Mexico and Guatemala, 3) the study of ecofeminism and the relationship between the subjugation of women and the domination of nature, and 4) the natural environment as a living entity that influences Latin American culture and policy. This course is designed for a general audience and will not satisfy any major or minor requirements. The course is open to all students regardless of their major.