The Literatures and Cultures Major

“Literature is one facet of culture. The significance of a literature can be best understood in terms of the culture from which it springs, and the purpose of literature is clear only when the reader understands and accepts the assumptions on which the literature is based.” Paula Gunn Allen.

Overview  |  Requirements for the B.A.  |  Course Descriptions  l  Learning Outcomes |

Overview

The major in Literatures and Cultures at the University of California, Merced asks students to recognize the complex interactions of history, culture, and literature, and in doing so, to ask questions of gender and minority thought and discourse, and of intersections with other fields such as cognitive science, social sciences, and information science. Literatures and Cultures offers a program of study that develops in students the critical skills most necessary to understand how culture shapes and is shaped by the production, dispersal, and consumption of literary and cultural texts; it seeks to ensure that students understand the basic notion of cultural production, and that they are, through a variety of courses, familiarized with the inherent relationship between society and literature, between reading and thinking, and between individual and societal forms of expression. In keeping with the campus' primary directive of interdisciplinary approaches, the Literatures and Cultures major situates itself at a disciplinary crossroads, both inviting collaboration with the other schools and disciplines within the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts and across the campus, and illustrating, within its own precepts, a wide ranging set of disciplinary approaches and interests.

Currently, the major asks students to select one of two concentrations, consisting of three overlapping interdisciplinary areas, each of which can be understood as a distinct geographic, intellectual, linguistic, and aesthetic territory, and which can also be studied in relation to the others. They are as follows: Literatures of the Spanish Speaking World, focusing on Mexico and the U.S., South and Central American countries and European countries such as Spain and Portugal; and Literatures of the English Speaking World, emphasizing literatures, both oral and written, produced within the United States and England, but also encompassing geographic terrains such as Australia and South Africa. The Literatures of the Spanish Speaking World concentration has a global reach and interest, which includes Peninsular, American, African, and Asian literatures in Spanish, as well as a Portuguese component. Courses in this area are taught in Spanish (with some eventually in Portuguese), and are available to students interested in cultural and linguistic proficiency in Spanish. The Literatures of the English Speaking World concentration also has global reach and interest, and includes colonial and postcolonial literatures, and indigenous literatures, including a focus on American regional literature and environmental literatures, including literature of the Great Central Valley, California literatures, and the literature of Yosemite. Additionally, a third area is encompassed by an overlap both geographical and cultural, and comprises courses students take within both concentrations. This area of study, Literatures and Cultures of the Americas, will enable a bold hemispheric approach, exploring commonalities and differences between native and postcolonial cultures in North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

Overall, UC Merced’s highly comparative approach to literature enables the interdisciplinary training of students in literature, cultural studies, theory and comparative studies. Upon graduation, students will find themselves prepared for a number of career possibilities, including education, graduate and professional programs, including the fields of law, medicine and business, as well as advertising, editing and publishing, journalism, communications and mass media.

Requirements for the B.A. in Literatures and Cultures (LITC)1

In addition to adhering to the UC Merced and School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts requirements, the Literatures and Cultures major requires 52-60 units (some of which simultaneously fulfill general education requirements). Courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade and may not be taken on a pass/no pass basis unless the course is only offered on a pass/no pass basis. Students must complete all major course prerequisites with a C- or better. All major course requirements must be completed with a grade of C- or better. Students in the Literatures and Cultures major must maintain a 2.0 grade point average in all major coursework.

LOWER DIVISION LITERATURES AND CULTURES MAJOR REQUIREMENTS [32-40 units]:

  • Two lower division introduction courses in area of concentration (preferably within a sequence).
    • Concentration in Literatures of the English Speaking World
      • Introduction to World Literature I (LIT 020)
      • Introduction to World Literature II (LIT 021)
      • Introduction to American Literature I (LIT 030)
      • Introduction to American Literature II (LIT 031)
      • Introduction to British Literature I (LIT 040)
      • Introduction to British Literature II (LIT 041)
    • Concentration in Literatures of the Spanish Speaking World
      • Introduction to Hispanic Literature I (LIT 050)
      • Introduction to Hispanic Literature II (LIT 051)
  • Two additional lower division LIT courses
  • Foreign Language Requirement
    • Literatures of the English Speaking World (at least 2 semesters of college-level foreign language)*
    • Literatures of the Spanish Speaking World (at least 4 semesters of college-level Spanish)*
      *Students must take at least one year of the same language. This requirement may be satisfied through alternative means, such as proficiency testing and/or prior college-level course work. Does not meet the lower division Humanities, Arts or Foreign Language General Education requirement.

UPPER DIVISION LITERATURES AND CULTURES MAJOR REQUIREMENTS [20 units]:

  • Engaging Texts: Introduction to Critical Practice (LIT 100)
  • Senior Project (LIT 190)
  • At least 3 concentration-specific upper division courses in Literature

BREADTH REQUIREMENT [8 Units]:

Two non-literature courses from within the student's chosen concentration. These may be either upper- or lower-division courses.
(Please consult a SSHA advisor or the SSHA web site for approved courses).

Students interested in a concentration other than those listed above (for example, a thematic concentration in gender or race or a geographical location in US literature or Literature of the Americas) may submit a petition with a proposed list of courses that would constitute their concentration. Over time, additional approved concentrations may be added to the list above.

Transfer Students

Transfer students who wish to major in Literatures and Cultures should complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) at their community college. In addition, students should complete at least one full-year UC-transferable introductory course sequence selected from their intended concentration, two additional introductory literature courses as well as introductory courses in anthropology, art history, economics, history, political science and/or sociology. Students should complete the equivalent of one year of a college-level courses in one language other than English; students with a Literatures of the Spanish speaking world concentration should complete two years of courses in Spanish language.

Course Descriptions:

LOWER DIVISION COURSES

LIT 020: Introduction to World Culture and Literature I [4]
Introduction to the connections between language, literature, and culture over time and across national traditions through a variety of literary genres. Introduces the masterworks of world literature in their cultural contexts, through comparative analysis.
Prerequisite: WRI 001 or passing score on the entry level analytical Writing Placement Exam or equivalent. Discussion included.

LIT 021: Introduction to World Culture and Literature II [4]
Introduction to the connections between language, literature, and culture over time and across national traditions through a variety of literary genres. Introduces the masterworks of world literature in their cultural contexts, through comparative analysis.
Prerequisite: WRI 001 or passing score on the entry level analytical Writing Placement Exam or equivalent. Discussion included.

LIT 030: Introduction to American Literature I [4]
Survey of the history and major works of literature of the United States from colonial times to the present, with a special emphasis on the range of American cultural traditions in a comparative context.
Prerequisite: WRI 001 or passing score on the entry level analytical Writing Placement Exam or equivalent. Discussion included.

LIT 031: Introduction to American Literature II [4]
Survey of the history and major works of literature of the United States from colonial times to the present, with a special emphasis on the range of American cultural traditions in a comparative context.
Prerequisite: WRI 001 or passing score on the entry level analytical Writing Placement Exam or equivalent. Discussion included.

LIT 032: American Women Writers [4]
This course will feature selected works of writers from pre-Columbian to the present, with an emphasis on social, cultural and historical constraints on women's arts; the rise in feminist artistic strategies; and contemporary trends in literary production. Includes some study of influences on American women writers.
Prerequisite: WRI 001 or passing score on the entry level analytical Writing Placement Exam or equivalent. Letter grade only. Discussion included.

LIT 040: Introduction to British Literature I [4]
Survey of the history and major works of the literature of the British Isles from the Middle Ages to the present.
Prerequisite: WRI 001 or passing score on the entry level analytical Writing Placement Exam or equivalent. Discussion included.

LIT 041: Introduction to British Literature II [4]
Survey of the history and major works of the literature of the British Isles from the Middle Ages to the present.
Prerequisite: WRI 001 or passing score on the entry level analytical Writing Placement Exam or equivalent. Letter grade only. Discussion included.

LIT 042: British Women Writers [4]
From selected works of British women writers, we include a variety of texts, from early religious treatise through the birth of the British novel and beyond. Students study economic, social and cultural constraints, and examine the relationship between historical context and artistic production of women writers.
Prerequisite: WRI 001 or passing score on the entry level analytical Writing Placement Exam or equivalent. Letter grade only.

LIT 050: Introduction to Hispanic Literature I [4]
Survey of the history and major works of Peninsular, Latin American and Latino literatures until the nineteenth century.
Prerequisite: SPAN 004 or SPAN 011 or equivalent score on the Spanish Placement Exam. Discussion included.

LIT 051: Introduction to Hispanic Literature II [4]
Survey of the history and major works of Peninsular, Latin American and Latino literatures from the 19th. C to the 21st. C.
Prerequisite: SPAN 004 or SPAN 011 or equivalent score on the Spanish Placement Exam. Discussion included.

LIT 055: Introduction to Portuguese and Brazilian Literature and Culture [4]
Emphasis on reading and discussion of literary texts representative of different literary movements and authors of the Luso -Brazilian world. Discussion of significant historical, social and cultural trends in the Portuguese-speaking world. We focus on Portugal, Azores, Portuguese Africa, the Portuguese in the United States and Brazil.

LIT 061: Hispanic/Latino Children's Literature and Film [4]
Explores Latino/Hispanic children's literature and film from theoretical and cultural perspectives. We study texts, contexts, illustrations, traditions, as well as issues related to production, reception, publishing and marketing. Special attention is paid to linguistic issues, including bilingualism and translation, and to visual forms of representation, including comic books.
Prerequisite: WRI 001 or passing score on the entry level analytical Writing Placement Exam or equivalent. Discussion included.

LIT 063: Hispanic Film and Popular Culture [4]
Theoretical and historical overview of Hispanic film and popular culture, including music, performing arts, traditional storytelling, mass entertainment, among others. Particular attention is paid to connections with the arts and literature. Course, films, and readings are given in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPAN 004 and (WRI 001 or passing score on the entry level analytical Writing Placement Exam or equivalent). Letter grade only.

LIT 067: Multicultural Children's Literature [4]
Explores the field of children's literature from a theoretical and a cultural perspective. Readings include books from many cultural traditions as well as secondary sources on multiculturalism and cultural literacy. We study texts, contexts, illustrations, traditions, as well as issues related to publishing and marketing.
Prerequisite: WRI 001 or passing score on the entry level analytical Writing Placement Exam or equivalent. Letter grade only. Discussion included.

LIT 069: US Latino Literature [4]
A representative overview of U.S. Latino literature, from its colonial and pre-colonial origins to the present. A socio- historical framework is first outlined in order to situate the different periods in the history of this literature. Main groups studied include Chicanos, Puerto Ricans, and Cuban-Americans, though others are represented as well.
Prerequisite: WRI 001 or passing score on the entry level analytical Writing Placement Exam or equivalent. Discussion included.

LIT 090X: Freshman Seminar [1]
Examination of a topic in Literature.
May be repeated for credit.

LIT 095: Lower Division Undergraduate Research [1 - 5]
Supervised research.
Permission of instructor required. May be repeated for credit.

LIT 098: Lower Division Directed Group Study [1 - 5]
Permission of instructor required. Pass/No Pass grading only. May be repeated for credit.

LIT 099: Lower Division Individual Study [1 - 5]
Permission of instructor required. Pass/No Pass grading only. May be repeated for credit.

UPPER DIVISION COURSES

LIT 100: Engaging Texts: Introduction to Critical Practice [4]
An introduction to issues and approaches in literary theory and criticism, with an emphasis on applications of methods to selected literary texts.
Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor.

LIT 110: Topics in World Literature [4]
Topics may include literature of one country or region of the world or comparisons of multiple literatures.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051. May be repeated for credit twice with different topics.

LIT 111: Empire, the Postcolonial, and Representation: Reading East and West [4]
Study though literature, film and mass media of emancipatory uprisings and postcolonial challenges of the last 200 years that unsettled the old Eurocentric and the U.S. colonial order. Includes Occidental readings on Asian and African cultures. Topics: racism, xenophobia, illegal migrations and terrorism. Strong interdisciplinary approach to case examination.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051. Letter grade only.

LIT 112: Literature and History [4]
Emphasizes historical contextualization of literature, including theoretical approaches such as Marxism, Post colonialism, Intellectual and Social Historicism. Explores ways in which literary histories are written. Course may focus on a specific historical period in order to understand the distinct relationship among literature, history and cultural production.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051. Letter grade only.

LIT 120: Topics in the Literature of Difference [4]
In-depth study of representative literary works in a single genre: novel, poetry, drama, et.al.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051. May be repeated for credit.

LIT 125: Literary Genres [4]
Explores how individual literary genres articulate larger cultural, aesthetic, and social issues. In addition, we analyze literary genres alongside other media in which those issues are also articulated, exploring differences and similarities in their treatment of those matters.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051. Letter grade only.

LIT 130: Topics in American Literature [4]
In-depth study of a period, theme, et.al. in American literature.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051. May be repeated for credit.

LIT 131: American Literature of the Expanding Nation [4]
We focus on the narratives by which America constructed its "manifest destiny." Some writers or works that may be covered: Bradford, Bradstreet, Edwards, early Native American texts and colonial captivity narratives, and early exploration narratives. Also, we look at writers who justified and critiqued westward expansion.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051. Letter grade only.

LIT 132: American Protest Literature [4]
Readings and discussion focus on literary genres that have voiced dissent, protest, and social displacements. While race and gender play a significant role in the course, protests against subjugation and/or oppression based on labor issues, religious preference, class, and age also are covered.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051. Letter grade only.

LIT 133: New Voices in American Fiction and Poetry [4]
Provides an exploration of contemporary practices in the field of American literature. Students study themes and forms in the fields of poetry, prose and fiction as they have been developed and interrogated by America's young and new writers.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051. Letter grade only.

LIT 134: Literature and History of the Great Depression [4]
Focusing on the turbulent decade of the 1930s, we use the lens of history and literature to explore how events from 1929 - 1941 helped shape modern America. Particular attention is paid to the impact of these years upon California and the West.
Prerequisite: Junior standing and LIT 020, LIT 021, HIST 016 or HIST 017. Letter grade only.

LIT 135: Literature and History of the 1960s [4]
Examines American politics, culture, and society in the 1960s. Topics include civil rights, feminism, the Vietnam War, the Beat and other counterculture movements, and the sexual revolution.
Prerequisite: Junior standing and LIT 030, LIT 031, HIST 016 or HIST 017. Letter grade only.

LIT 136: Literature and Culture of African Americans [4]
American literature from the slavery period through the Harlem Renaissance and into the present. We emphasize African American writers in the context of cultural history that influenced and often repressed their literary production, with special emphasis on specific discursive practices and the rise and fall of various literary movements.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051. Letter grade only.

LIT 140: Topics in British Literature [4]
In-depth study of a period, theme et.al. in British literature.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051. May be repeated for credit twice with different topics.

LIT 141: British Literature of the Expanding Empire [4]
A look at British colonial literature, from early travel narratives such as Behn's Oroonoko to Forster, Orwell and current writers. Emphasis is on understanding the processes which literature helped to construct the idea of an empire. Attention is paid to relationships between postcolonial narratives and emerging character of colonized nations.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051.

LIT 143: New Voices in British Fiction and Poetry [4]
Exploration of contemporary practices in the field of British literature. Students study themes and forms in the fields of poetry, prose and fiction as they have been developed and interrogated by young and new writers in Britain and Ireland.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051.

LIT 145: Plays and Poetry of Shakespeare [4]
Introduction and analysis of Shakespeare’s major plays and works of poetry.
Prerequisite: Junior standing.

LIT 146: Shakespeare: Early Works [4]
Selected work from Shakespeare's early period up to the middle works, between 1599 and 1604.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051.

LIT 147: Shakespeare: Later Works [4]
Selected work from Shakespeare's middle works, between 1599 and 1604, until the end of his career.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051.

LIT 150: Topics in Hispanic Literature [4]
In depth study of Spanish literature of a single country, one or more countries in a comparative context, a period et.al.
Prerequisite: LIT 050 or LIT 051 or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit.

LIT 151: Golden Age Spanish Literature [4]
Study through theater, novel and poetry of Renaissance and Baroque Peninsular literature (1492-1680): poetry of Garcilaso, Lope de Vega and the Spanish Baroque Theater; Cervantes and the origins of the modern novel; Conceptism and Culteranism; and relevant Portuguese figures (e.g., Gil Vicente and Camoes). Course is conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: LIT 050 or LIT 051 or consent of instructor.

LIT 152: The Transatlantic Baroque [4]
Course centers around Transatlantic exploration of Golden Age Spain and colonial Latin America. Special attention and analysis is paid to commerce and cultural contact, travel writing, center and periphery, literary representation, arts, music, and other relevant cultural forms of the times. Course and readings are conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: LIT 050 or LIT 051 or consent of instructor.

LIT 153: Spanish Literature Since the 20th Century [4]
From Generations of 1898 through 1927, the Civil War, Francoist and Post-Francoist literature, to contemporary voices. elected readings on Spanish nationalisms: from Rizal to Teixidor. Course critically examines the constructions of Spain and “Spanishness”, seeking to build a more complex understanding of its cultures. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: LIT 050 or LIT 051 or consent of instructor.

LIT 155: Latin American Colonial Literature [4]
Selected readings on chronicles, poetry and theater from Columbus travel narratives to Fernandez de Lizardi’s El periquillo sarniento. Emphasis on understanding the various processes by which literature helped to construct the idea of identity and independence. Theoretical frame based on cultural studies: the relationship between knowledge and power, the text and its context. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: LIT 050 or LIT 051 or consent of instructor.

LIT 156: Latin American Literature Since the Independence [4]
Primary concentration is on Romantic poetry; Indigenist, Anti-slavery and Indianist novel: Marti, Ruben Dario and Modernismo; Rodo and the essayist of the early XX century; the novel of the Mexican Revolution; and the Latin American 'Boom' and 'Post Boom'. Some selected readings on Brazilian literature after Dom Pedro Primeiro are included. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: LIT 050 or LIT 051 or consent of instructor.

LIT 157: Caribbean Literatures and Cultures [4]
Explores the cultures and literatures of the Hispanic Caribbean, including those of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. We also explore multiple cultural substrata (e.g. Spanish, African, Anglo-American, Native) as well as their current presence in the Caribbean islands. Course and readings are conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: LIT 050 or LIT 051 or consent of instructor.

LIT 158: Transatlantic Modernismo [4]
Study through poetry, novel, essay and chronicle of principal characteristics of Spanish-American and Peninsular Modernismo. We examine the issue of the influence of Latin American writers in Spain (e.g. Ruben Dario, Gomez Carrillo), and the evolution of poets or prose writers out Antonio Machado) or into a unique, independent voice (e.g. Juan Ramon Jimenez, Valle-Inclan, Unamuno). Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: LIT 050 or LIT 051 or consent of instructor.

LIT 159: Diasporas and Exiles in the Hispanic World [4]
Concentration on literary works of political exiles from oppressive regimes (e.g., Spain's Franco, Portugal's Salazar) and 70's and 80's South American dictatorships. Focus on diasporas produced by economical constraints in the U.S., Latin America and Spain. Strong interdisciplinary approach in examining of cases and ideas. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: LIT 050 or LIT 051 or consent of instructor.

LIT 160: Hispanic Women Writers [4]
Explores the development of writing by women in the Hispanic world, including the formation of a feminine aesthetics, the reception of works by women writers, canons and exclusions, and connections with writings by women from other cultures. Course and readings are conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: LIT 051.

LIT 162: Bilingualism and Borders in Hispanic Literatures [4]
Explores cultural and linguistic contacts in borderland areas throughout the Hispanic world, from medieval times to the present. We focus on the artistic, social, and historical effects of coexistence around borders, with special attention to issues of bilingualism and cultural hybridism. Course and readings are conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: LIT 051.

LIT 164: Hispanic Drama and Performing Arts [4]
Both textual and non-textual dramatic works from all around the Hispanic world are covered. Special attention is paid to Golden Age theatre, didactic and ritual dramas in the Americas, contemporary dance, Latin American theater, and the rise and development of Chicano theater. Course and most readings are conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: LIT 051. Discussion included.

LIT 165: Great Writers [4]
In-depth examination of the works of a single writer, read in the original language of that writer.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051.

LIT 168: Chicano Literature [4]
Representative overview of Chicano literature, from its colonial and pre-colonial origins to the present. Through the analysis of works from different genres, students are exposed to the main themes, techniques, styles, etc. of some of the most influential Chicano writers to date.
Prerequisite: LIT 021, LIT 031 or LIT 051.

LIT 169: US Latino Literature [4]
Representative overview of U.S. Latino literature, from its colonial and precolonial origins to the present. A socio- historical framework is first outlined in order to situate the different periods in the history of this literature. Main groups studied include Chicanos, Puerto Ricans, Cuban-Americans and Central Americans.
Prerequisite: LIT 021, LIT 031 or LIT 051.

LIT 170: Topic in Language and Linguistics [4]
Topics may include linguistic theories, history of the English language.
Prerequisite: LIT 020, LIT 021, LIT 030, LIT 031, LIT 040, LIT 041, LIT 050 or LIT 051. May be repeated for credit twice with different topics.

LIT 171: Teaching Literature and Culture [4]
An exploration of historical and contemporary issues related to the teaching of literature and culture. Discussions include teaching practices, pedagogy and assignments. Students are required to submit a semester project. Strongly recommended for teaching credential candidates.
Prerequisite: LIT 021. LIT 100 recommended.

LIT 180: American Nature Writing and Literature of the Environment [4]
Study of the wilderness and environment in major texts. Attention paid to Biblical and British influences and "founding" nature writers such as Thoreau; Muir and Mary Austin, as well as more recent environmental thinkers, Gary Snyder, Edward Abbey, Leslie Marmon Silko.
Prerequisite: Junior standing.

LIT 181: Literature of California [4]
Exploration of the developing identity of California, with emphasis on how that identity is reflected in and shaped by its literature. Covers early Native and California life, the Gold Rush, the major waves of immigration, and contemporary issues, all within a political, cultural and intellectual framework. Term paper required.
Prerequisite: Any lower division LIT course.

LIT 183: Literature and the Other Arts [4]
Study of the relationship of literature to other arts, including visual and performance. May be focused on a detailed study of one period or artistic development.
Prerequisite: Junior standing.

LIT 185: Literature and Power [4]
Subjects of discussion based on selected texts that deal with the use and abuse of power. We address all literary genres and concentrate in XIX through XXI century writings. Strong theoretical frame based on Foucault and Post-structuralism, Colonial and Postcolonial studies.
Prerequisite: LIT 021.

LIT 186: Novel of the Latin American Dictator [4]
This course examines the representation of the Latin American dictator and the mediation of the mysteries of power as seen in several novels published during the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st.
Prerequisite: LIT 050 or LIT 051. Letter grade only.

LIT 190: Senior Thesis [4]
Capstone course for majors. Completion of a senior thesis. Extensive writing required.
Prerequisite: Senior standing. Letter grade only.

LIT 195: Upper Division Undergraduate Research [1 - 5]
Supervised research.
Permission of instructor required. Letter grade only. May be repeated for credit.

LIT 196: Internship in Literature and Cultures [4]
Oversight and structure for a student's internship in a field related to Literatures and Cultures. Students are required to write an original research paper based on the internship.
Prerequisite: Junior standing. Permission of instructor required. Pass/No Pass grading only. May be repeated for credit once.

LIT 198: Upper Division Directed Group Study [1 - 5]
Permission of instructor required. Pass/No Pass grading only. May be repeated for credit.

LIT 199: Upper Division Individual Study [1 - 5]
Permission of instructor required. Pass/No Pass grading only. May be repeated for credit.

1 All requirements are for informational purposes only. Please consult the current UC Merced catalog, or your advisor for official requirements.

Page content current with 2009-2011 UC Merced General Catalog