MLO 3: Literary and Culture Knowledge
Learning Outcome:
Students develop a reasonable understanding of the ways of thinking (ideas, beliefs, attitudes, values, philosophies), the behavioral practices (patterns of social interactions), and the cultural products - both tangible and intangible (for example, art, history, literature, music) - of Hispanic societies.
Students develop a reasonable understanding of the ways of thinking (ideas, beliefs, attitudes, values, philosophies), the behavioral practices (patterns of social interactions), and the cultural products - both tangible and intangible (for example, art, history, literature, music) - of Hispanic societies.
MLO Narrative:
The literary and cultural knowledge major learning outcome (MLO) focuses on the development of reasonable understanding in ways of thinking, the behavioral practices, and the cultural products of Hispanic societies. This MLO works with ideas, beliefs, patterns of social interactions, art, history, etc. To fulfill this MLO, the courses I took include: SPAN 304: Introduction to Hispanic Literature, SPAN 305: Spanish for the Professions, SPAN 307: History and Politics of Mexico, SPAN 316: Cultures and Civilizations of Spain, and SPAN 325: Hispanic Cinema.
One of the courses that resulted in the most impactful for me in terms of meeting this MLO was SPAN 307: History and Politics of Mexico. Throughout this course, we focused on the history of Mexico and its impact not only on the politics of the country, but also on the culture. As a final project, I worked on “The Virgin of Guadalupe: the Two Stories of Mexico’s National Symbol” where I took a closer look at the role that the Virgin of Guadalupe plays as a religious, historic, and political figure. Throughout the various reading assignments and class discussions and this project, I learned how the Spanish colonists managed to strategically merge the existing indigenous beliefs with that of the religious beliefs that they brought from the “Old World.” As a result of these cultures merging, the colonists facilitated their conquest, were able to implement more of the beliefs to the political and cultural practices in current Mexico, and spread their religious ideology.
Another class that influenced my academic interest was SPAN 325: Hispanic Cinema. Through films produced in Latin American countries, I was able to learn about issues in Spanish-speaking and Latin American countries that often go unnoticed by American audiences. Although most of these films were rooted on issues in a country, we also learned a lot about the culture in each respective country. “Cidade de Deus (2002)”, a collaborative presentation, took us through the information that we needed to know before watching the film: getting to know the directors, historical content, film genre, plot, aesthetic approach, and any relevant awards. Cidade de Deus (2002), a film based on the favelas in Brazil, showed the lesser-known side of Brazil. Although Brazil is commonly known for its vibrant celebrations and rich culture, the issue of racism and poverty is overlooked. On the other hand, this film focused on highlighting the reality that Afro-Brazilians face while living in the slums with no way out. The plot of this film does not act alone, through the aesthetic approach of this film, such as the lighting and camera angles, the viewers were able to engage and feel empathetic to the story.
As I learned early in the major, one cannot learn a new language without learning the culture as well. Many of the historical events of a country play a major role in cultural practices, as we see with the Virgin of Guadalupe’s annual celebration in Mexico. Although in-class discussions resulted fruitful, to gain a better grip on the topic, further investigation is necessary to analyze the different perspectives on ideas in each country. For example, in the case of Cidade de Deus, I would like to learn more about how Afro-Brazilians and non Afro-Brazilians felt about the favelas.
The literary and cultural knowledge major learning outcome (MLO) focuses on the development of reasonable understanding in ways of thinking, the behavioral practices, and the cultural products of Hispanic societies. This MLO works with ideas, beliefs, patterns of social interactions, art, history, etc. To fulfill this MLO, the courses I took include: SPAN 304: Introduction to Hispanic Literature, SPAN 305: Spanish for the Professions, SPAN 307: History and Politics of Mexico, SPAN 316: Cultures and Civilizations of Spain, and SPAN 325: Hispanic Cinema.
One of the courses that resulted in the most impactful for me in terms of meeting this MLO was SPAN 307: History and Politics of Mexico. Throughout this course, we focused on the history of Mexico and its impact not only on the politics of the country, but also on the culture. As a final project, I worked on “The Virgin of Guadalupe: the Two Stories of Mexico’s National Symbol” where I took a closer look at the role that the Virgin of Guadalupe plays as a religious, historic, and political figure. Throughout the various reading assignments and class discussions and this project, I learned how the Spanish colonists managed to strategically merge the existing indigenous beliefs with that of the religious beliefs that they brought from the “Old World.” As a result of these cultures merging, the colonists facilitated their conquest, were able to implement more of the beliefs to the political and cultural practices in current Mexico, and spread their religious ideology.
Another class that influenced my academic interest was SPAN 325: Hispanic Cinema. Through films produced in Latin American countries, I was able to learn about issues in Spanish-speaking and Latin American countries that often go unnoticed by American audiences. Although most of these films were rooted on issues in a country, we also learned a lot about the culture in each respective country. “Cidade de Deus (2002)”, a collaborative presentation, took us through the information that we needed to know before watching the film: getting to know the directors, historical content, film genre, plot, aesthetic approach, and any relevant awards. Cidade de Deus (2002), a film based on the favelas in Brazil, showed the lesser-known side of Brazil. Although Brazil is commonly known for its vibrant celebrations and rich culture, the issue of racism and poverty is overlooked. On the other hand, this film focused on highlighting the reality that Afro-Brazilians face while living in the slums with no way out. The plot of this film does not act alone, through the aesthetic approach of this film, such as the lighting and camera angles, the viewers were able to engage and feel empathetic to the story.
As I learned early in the major, one cannot learn a new language without learning the culture as well. Many of the historical events of a country play a major role in cultural practices, as we see with the Virgin of Guadalupe’s annual celebration in Mexico. Although in-class discussions resulted fruitful, to gain a better grip on the topic, further investigation is necessary to analyze the different perspectives on ideas in each country. For example, in the case of Cidade de Deus, I would like to learn more about how Afro-Brazilians and non Afro-Brazilians felt about the favelas.