Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Languages & Cultures School
This course will study the place of Latin American cultural thought within the Western culture. It will discuss questions related to centre/periphery, appropriation/rewriting, and orthodoxy/subversion in cultural studies in order to address two interrelated sets of issues: first, that Latin American thought has been constructed as a marginal paradigm in the symbolic space of Western culture; and second, that theoretical products specific to Latin America - Mestizaje, Magical Realism, Liberation Theology - elaborate on European systems of thought and radically transform them. Texts in Spanish/Portuguese will be studied in English translation.
This course will examine texts in order to interpret different cultural theories and debates in the Latin American tradition. Particular texts and authors might change from year to year, but there will be consistent work around some of these main topics: Liberation Theology and Philosophy of Liberation, post-colonial nationhood, Mestizaje and cultural hybrids, Latin America as periphery, Marxisms, Popular education, Magical Realism, Biology of knowledge, de-colonial thought. Students should develop the ability to contrast and compare Latin American and European cultural and theoretical contexts and categories, and to read sophisticated Latin American theoretical texts in translation.
Course requirements
Assumed background
LTCS3000 is an accompanying course to LTCS2026 Cultures of Latin America and LTCS2022 Imagining Latin America in the 20th Century. These courses count toward the Major and Extended Major in Spanish. They can also be taken as electives as part of the BA.
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Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
8 units of BA courses
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
CLCS3010
Course staff
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Public holidays:
Alternative arrangements for affected students will be announced through the Blackboard site.
Class allocation:
In order to optimise the student experience, it may be necessary to reallocate students to a different class from their first choice.
Before this happens, every effort will be made to enable students to voluntarily change into an alternative class that is suitable.
Please note: Teaching staff do not have access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation. Therefore, should you need help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you email hass.mytimetable@uq.edu.au from your UQ student email account with the following details:
- Full name,
- Student ID, and
- the Course Code
Additional information and support can be found here.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to equip students with an overview of some of the major aspects of the thought and debates of the Latin American tradition. Through a close reading of texts, students will learn to carry out critical readings of theoretical texts and to apply their readings in order to problematise Latin American and broader global issues. Through the study of key texts in the tradition covered, the course also aims to question the normative and received categorizations through which the Latin American world is often apprehended, and to make students think in other ways.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz |
Six Online Blackboard Quizzes
|
30% (6 Quizzes x 5% each) |
Quiz 1 - WEEK 2 - 4/08/2025 11:00 am Quiz 2 - WEEK 4 - 18/08/2025 11:00 am Quiz 3 - WEEK 6 - 1/09/2025 11:00 am Quiz 4 - WEEK 9 - 22/09/2025 11:00 am Quiz 5 - WEEK 11 13/10/2025 11:00 am Quiz 6 - WEEK 12 - 20/10/2025 11:00 am
All ONLINE QUIZZES ARE CONDUCTED IN-CLASS ON MONDAYS 11AM. This is a supervised assessment. |
| Presentation |
ESSAY PLAN PRESENTATION
|
10% |
15/09/2025 11:00 am
WEEK 8 In class |
| Essay/ Critique |
Essay 1
|
30% |
26/09/2025 5:00 pm
Friday, WEEK 9 |
| Essay/ Critique |
Essay 2
|
30% |
10/11/2025 5:00 pm
Monday, EXAM WEEK 1 |
Assessment details
Six Online Blackboard Quizzes
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 30% (6 Quizzes x 5% each)
- Due date
Quiz 1 - WEEK 2 - 4/08/2025 11:00 am
Quiz 2 - WEEK 4 - 18/08/2025 11:00 am
Quiz 3 - WEEK 6 - 1/09/2025 11:00 am
Quiz 4 - WEEK 9 - 22/09/2025 11:00 am
Quiz 5 - WEEK 11 13/10/2025 11:00 am
Quiz 6 - WEEK 12 - 20/10/2025 11:00 am
All ONLINE QUIZZES ARE CONDUCTED IN-CLASS ON MONDAYS 11AM. This is a supervised assessment.
- Other conditions
- Time limited, Secure.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02
Task description
All ONLINE QUIZZES ARE CONDUCTED IN-CLASS ON MONDAYS 11AM. The schedule of ONLINE QUIZZES is as follows:
ONLINE QUIZ 1 - Week 2: 04/08/25: Mignolo, Walter. Preface: Uncoupling the name and the reference, The Idea of Latin America. Malden, MA ; Oxford : Blackwell Pub. 2005. (pp.: x-xx)
ONLINE QUIZ 2 - Week 4: 18/08/25:Sarmiento, Domingo F. Facundo, or Civilization and Barbarism (1845). Nineteenth-century nation building and the Latin American intellectual tradition : a reader / edited and translated by Janet Burke and Ted Humphrey. Indianapolis, IN : Hackett Pub. Co., c2007. (pp. 124-147)
ONLINE QUIZ 3 - Week 6: 01/09/25: Marti, Jose. "Our America", Nineteenth-century nation building and the Latin American intellectual tradition : a reader / edited and translated by Janet Burke and Ted Humphrey. Indianapolis, IN : Hackett Pub. Co., c2007. (pp. 260-267)
ONLINE QUIZ 4 - Week 9: 22/09/25: Boff, Leonardo. Part 1. 1. Ecology. Politics, Theology and Mysticism. Ecology & Liberation. A New Paradigm. Orbis Books: New York: 1995 (pp. 9 - 45)
ONLINE QUIZ 5 - Week 11: 13/10/25: Krenak, Ailton. Ideas to Postpone the End of the World. Canada: House of Anansi Press, 2020.
ONLINE QUIZ 6 - Week 12: 20/10/25: Rita Laura Segato, "A Manifesto in Four Themes", Critical Times: Interventions in Global Critical Theory, Vol. 1, No. 1 (2018), pp. 198-211.
Use of AI & MT in this assessment:
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
All ONLINE QUIZZES are conducted in class a supervised assessment in Blackboard, under supervised assessment conditions.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
This maximum extension length of 7 calendar days will allow for students' suitable progression with their sequence of learning and preparation for the following assessment submission.
ESSAY PLAN PRESENTATION
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
15/09/2025 11:00 am
WEEK 8
In class
- Other conditions
- Time limited, Secure.
Task description
Students will deliver a 5 to 7 minute presentation of their essay plan for Essay 1. The plan must include information regarding essay structure: introduction, body and conclusion. Contextualization of topic. Explanation and justification of thesis position. Presentation should refer to topics covered in class. Definition of key concepts grounding the essay. The presentation will be followed by a brief Q&A. Students will submit their plan (on PPP, for example) to their teacher prior to class on Monday 15 September at 11AM.
Use of AI & MT in this assessment:
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
This is an in class supervised assessment
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
This maximum extension length of 7 calendar days will allow for students' suitable progression with their sequence of learning and preparation for the following assessment submission.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Essay 1
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
26/09/2025 5:00 pm
Friday, WEEK 9
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Students will be required to write a 2,000 - 2,300 (max.) word essay or critical commentary relating to a given text. Word count includes direct textual quotes. Questions and further instructions and guidelines will be distributed in class.
Use of AI & MT in this assessment:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Please submit via Turnitin. MS Word
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
This maximum extension length of 14 calendar days will allow for students' suitable progression with their sequence of learning and preparation for the following assessment submission.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Essay 2
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
10/11/2025 5:00 pm
Monday, EXAM WEEK 1
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Students will be required to write a 2,000 - 2,300 (max) word essay or critical commentary relating to a given text. Word count includes direct textual quotes. Questions and further instructions and guidelines will be distributed in class.
Use of AI & MT in this assessment:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Please submit via Turnitin. MS Word
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: All assessments in this course are marked according to the criteria outlined in this profile. These marks produce a final percentage and a grade in this category indicates that the total marks attained fall within this percentage range. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: All assessments in this course are marked according to the criteria outlined in this profile. These marks produce a final percentage and a grade in this category indicates that the total marks attained fall within this percentage range. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: All assessments in this course are marked according to the criteria outlined in this profile. These marks produce a final percentage and a grade in this category indicates that the total marks attained fall within this percentage range. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: All assessments in this course are marked according to the criteria outlined in this profile. These marks produce a final percentage and a grade in this category indicates that the total marks attained fall within this percentage range. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: All assessments in this course are marked according to the criteria outlined in this profile. These marks produce a final percentage and a grade in this category indicates that the total marks attained fall within this percentage range. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: All assessments in this course are marked according to the criteria outlined in this profile. These marks produce a final percentage and a grade in this category indicates that the total marks attained fall within this percentage range. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: All assessments in this course are marked according to the criteria outlined in this profile. These marks produce a final percentage and a grade in this category indicates that the total marks attained fall within this percentage range. |
Additional course grading information
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (28 Jul - 03 Aug) |
Workshop |
Introduction - Course presentation Aims, assessment and structure of course. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 2 (04 Aug - 10 Aug) |
Workshop |
Thinking Latin America from Latin America Can Latin Americans think? OR Is it possible to think critically from a Latin American perspective? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 3 (11 Aug - 17 Aug) |
Workshop |
Thinking independence Simón Bolivar Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 4 (18 Aug - 24 Aug) |
Workshop |
Inventing the Nation 1 Domingo Faustino Sarmiento: Civilization and Barbarism Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 5 (25 Aug - 31 Aug) |
Workshop |
Inventing the Nation 2 Juan Bautista Alberdi: Political Organization of the Republic of Argentina Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 6 (01 Sep - 07 Sep) |
Workshop |
Thinking Latin America José Martí Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 7 (08 Sep - 14 Sep) |
Workshop |
De-colonial thought Aníbal Quijano & Walter Mignolo Learning outcomes: L02, L05, L06 |
Week 8 (15 Sep - 21 Sep) |
Workshop |
IN CLASS ASSESSMENT: ESSAY PLAN PRESENTATION Identity verified in-class assessment. Essay plan presentation for Essay 1 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 9 (22 Sep - 28 Sep) |
Workshop |
Latin American Ecology Latin American Ecological thought: Leonardo Boff Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 10 (06 Oct - 12 Oct) |
Workshop |
PUBLIC HOLIDAY Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 11 (13 Oct - 19 Oct) |
Workshop |
Extractivism and Indigenous perspectives on the environment Maristella Svampa and Ailton Krenak Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 12 (20 Oct - 26 Oct) |
Workshop |
Feminist De-colonial thought Rita Laura Segato Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 13 (27 Oct - 02 Nov) |
Workshop |
The New Right in Latin America The raise and rise of the New Right in Latin America in an international context. Learning outcomes: L02, L05, L06 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.