Not offered 2007-2008
LATS 332 Latinos and Education: The Politics of Schooling, Language, and Latino Studies (Same as American Studies 332) (W)*
Schools have often become the focal point for debates over the relationship between cultural identity, intellectual abilities, and the production of knowledge. What should be taught, who
should be taught, and how they should be taught frame the politics of schooling. Language
has often taken center stage in these debates. This course examines the effects of educational
policies and practices on the development of Latina/o students and communities. We will
also consider how these students and communities have resourcefully carved out spaces and
made demands to meet their educational needs. Topics include school desegregation, bilingual education, student walk-outs and sit-ins, as well as the origins and advancement of Chicano Studies, Puerto Rican Studies, and more recently Latino Studies programs on college
campuses. Through a series of three essays, students will critically engage the major themes
of the course as they also engage each other in the form of peer-reviews and other in-class
writing workshops.
Format: discussion. Evaluation will be based on class participation, class presentations, and
three essays (8-10 pages each).
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 19 (expected: 12). Preference given to Latina/o Studies
concentrators.
RÚA