Communicating Latinidad

Course Description

COURSE OVERVIEW. Examines how ideas about Latino identity and community, referred to collectively as Latinidad, are shaped through communication in public, institutional and/or interpersonal settings. Considers how people of Latin American heritage are represented in media, politics and everyday discourse, as well as how they speak, advocate and organize on their own terms. Addresses how language, history and cultural references are used to signal belonging, draw boundaries and/or negotiate differences. Course content and discussion may engage topics related to nationality, race, gender, migration and/or public controversy for purposes of analysis. RELEVANCE AND APPLICATION. Supports career pathways in media, public service, advocacy, education, law, nonprofit work and other community-facing professions by examining communication processes grounded in communities and lived experiences. Develops competencies for workplace effectiveness, civic participation and collaborative problem-solving by building recognition of how communication norms can vary across individuals, cultures and contexts. Supports academic preparation in rhetoric, media studies, U.S. Latino studies and social research. Strengthens cultural insight critical for leadership and collaboration in multilingual or multicultural environments. DEEPENING UNDERSTANDINGS. Expands recognition of Latinidad as varied rather than monolithic, shaped by history, region, generation, class, race and political context. Clarifies how categories such as "Hispanic," "Latino/a" or "Latinx" emerge, shift and are debated over time. Highlights how communication both reflects and challenges social hierarchies, encouraging reflection on how voices are amplified, stereotyped or overlooked across public life. Frames identity as negotiated and relational, not assumed or imposed. TOPICS AND THEMES. May include study of Latino social movements and protest rhetoric; institutional and governmental discourse about immigration or citizenship; representations of Latinidad in news, entertainment or advertising; analysis of terminology and labeling practices; narratives of space, border, diaspora or belonging; exploration of gender, race, indigeneity, class, sexuality, religion and/or Afro-Latinx identity within Latina/o/x communication. Course material may reference politically or culturally sensitive topics when relevant to understanding communication processes, approached within an environment of scholarly inquiry and respectful dialogue. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: LMAS 423/COMM 423.

Code

COMM 423

Credits

3

Subject

COMM