Syllabus
HAD 669 – Modern Latin American Design
Time: Mondays 2-4:50 pm
Location: Engineering 111
Erica Morawski, Assistant Professor
Office Location: East 306
Office Hours: Mondays 1-2 and by appointment
Email: emorawsk@pratt.edu
Course Description
Through a critical approach, this course explores major themes that define the history of Latin American design. This will allow us to investigate how social, cultural, economic, political and technological contexts have shaped objects, practices, and practitioners, and vice versa, in the Latin American context. Through consideration of design as a deeply political act and practice, this course encouraged students to question the ways in which the concept of Latin American design has bee constructed and negotiated over time.
The course starts with attention to the way in which notions of Latin American and its design legacy were born out of a history of colonialism. In doing so we will pay attention to the ways in which “Latin American” can be both empowering and threaten to obscure heterogeneity and marginalized groups as we cover material that dates from 1500 to the present, with an emphasis on the 20th century. Given the diversity of the nation-states and people that populate Latin America, this course does not attempt to be comprehensive in its coverage of Latin American design, but instead focused on particular designs and designers as potential case studies for different issues and themes. Working with the body of scholarship on Latin American design that has been produced in English, the course will focus primarily on design from Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and the Latinx diaspora in the US.
This graduate seminar will divide class time between discussion and in-class activities and workshops. Students will also complete a group project and a research project of their choosing. Much of our work will happen on our WordPress site, as this course is dedicated to creating open, student-produced knowledge. As such, the course values learning from one another and contributing to enhanced public understanding of Latin American design.
Course Goals
The goals of this course are to:
- Introduce students to a globally-minded modern Latin American design history and to major themes that run throughout.
- Encourage students to understand design as political, bound to specific cultural, social, economic, political, and technological contexts.
- Examine Latin American design history as a product of the act of history writing–one that represents certain values and interests–and questions how this history could be expanded.
- Challenge students to analyze deeply, think creatively, and explore new ideas through the development of analytical and research skills.
- Provide a space for students to take risks, reflect, and grow in terms of their intellectual and creative pursuits.
Student Learning Outcomes
Through this course, students will:
- Cultivate the ability to identify a variety of theories and approaches to understanding design history with an attention to Latin American theory and voices.
- Develop a critical understanding of Latin American design through an attention to contexts, causality, and historical specificity.
- Learn how to perform responsible, high-quality, creative research in the field of design history.
- Cultivate communication and expository skills–develop the ability to express and present ideas intelligently and analytically through multi-modal means.
Course Requirements:
Sources and Course Materials
All readings and assigned materials as well as other course documents will be available through Canvas. Readings will vary in approach, style, discipline, and length. This represents the reality of the scholarship on design history and Latin America and is meant to provide you with models that you can use as inspiration in your own work. Careful reading means not simply reading the material in order to check it off your list, but reading with attention, thinking about the materials, and investigating anything you are unfamiliar with that is covered in the readings. While there is no expectation that you feel you have mastered every reading before class, if you find readings challenging or confusing, make sure to raise these questions in class as this helps everyone work through the course content.
On our site, you can also find a longer bibliography of sources–which you will also contribute to!–relevant to Latin American design, culture, and history.
Time Commitment
To get the most out of this class, plan to spend 9 hours each week, including synchronous meeting time, on this course. This aligns with state and federal guidelines that each credit carries 45 hours of work per semester.
Attendance
Attendance is the first step in your learning. Attendance means attending to the course, which takes many forms, such as reading and responding to correspondence, meeting deadlines, and being a part of the conversation. In other words, attendance is not limited to sitting in a chair during class once a week. That said, showing up and engaging matters—this is where you learn from others in the class and get to share and try out new ideas. Please reach out if you are going to miss class. Starting with your third absence, your grade will drop an entire letter grade (e.g. A- to B-). If you need to be absent multiple times because of accommodations or extenuating circumstances, please communicate with me so we can discuss the situation. If you’re finding it challenging to attend to the course, please contact me so we can discuss this; I’m here to help you succeed.
(N)Etiquette and Community Agreement
In this course, we will all uphold the following behavior:
- Be respectful – Show consideration and courtesy, and respect everyone’s privacy.
- Be responsible – Cite all shared material that isn’t your own.
- Be focused – Stay on topic and be clear; this ensures you are being respectful of everyone’s time.
- Be kind – Remember that there is a person behind each post or comment and we all make mistakes. Allow for understanding and practice empathy.
We will also make space for creating any other community norms we feel are important for the course during the first weeks and we can revisit them at any point in the semester.
Communication
The best way to reach me is through email. Please allow 48 hours for a response Monday through Friday, though I often respond in less than 24 hours. I usually do not review emails over the weekend. Email is great for quick questions but set up a meeting to discuss topics in depth! I’m available to meet through a number of different platforms.
Technology
We use multiple platforms for this class, including WordPress, Canvas, and possibly Zoom. If accessing these platforms, or internet access in general, ever becomes a problem during the semester, please contact me immediately. You may use technology in the classroom for class work only.
Accommodations
I am committed to providing a course experience accessible to all students. I do my best to engage different learning styles. If you already have a registered accommodation with the L/AC, please discuss this with me at the beginning of the semester so we can ensure your success in the course.
Deadlines
Late work will be subject to a grade reduction of 5% per day late, but you must communicate with me in advance that you will not be completing the work on time. Discussion Posts may not be completed late, though you are allowed to miss up to two without affecting your grade. If you have a concern about a deadline, please speak to me as far in advance as possible and we can find a reasonable solution.
Evaluation
Evaluation criteria will be provided for each course component in the detailed instructions. See below for a brief description of the different course components that will be evaluated. Detailed instructions for each assignment are on Canvas.
| Discussion Posts (140 points) | Throughout the semester there will be 9 opportunities to complete a response to the readings, guided by a prompt I will provide. You may choose to not complete 2 discussion posts without a negative impact on your grade. Active and thoughtful engagement with this course component is key to the vibrancy of class conversation and learning for everyone in the course. A Discussion Post is only considered complete if you also reply to at least one classmate’s post from the same week. |
| Bibliography (30 points) | Throughout the semester we will work on building a bibliography of Latin American design, which will help us build our research and WordPress skills. At different points you will add citations to the bibliography and add annotations to citations. |
| Latin American Theory (100 points) | Working in groups, you will tackle theoretical texts, reading them deeply and carefully in order to teach the rest of the class. Groups will also be responsible for creating and publishing an encyclopedia entry relevant to the texts on WordPress. |
| Encyclopedia Entry (40 points) | You will individually add to our encyclopedia on WordPress through this course component, which asks you to create an encyclopedia entry on a topic of your choosing. |
| Research Project (140 points) | The purpose of the research project is to take a deep dive into a topic of your choosing. Your research will take the form of a (potentially) media rich essay that will be published on our WordPress site. While you are encouraged to engage in producing public and open scholarship, there are options if you wish to remain anonymous or don’t want your work shared. Your finished project will be based on careful research and citation of sources to make claims and produce analysis, all supported through scaffolding that will help ensure adequate progress on the project throughout the semester. |
Assessment & Grading
All assignment instructions contain criteria for evaluation.
| Grade | Grade Distribution | Evaluation | Quality Points per Credit | |
| A | 95 – 100 | Excellent | 4.0 | |
| A- | 92 – 94 | Excellent | 3.7 | |
| B+ | 88 – 91 | Very Good | 3.3 | |
| B | 85 – 87 | Good | 3.0 | |
| B- | 82 – 84 | Good | 2.7 | |
| C+ | 78 – 81 | Above Average | 2.3 | |
| C | 77 – 75 | Average | 2.0 | |
| C- | 72 – 74 | Below Average | 1.7 | |
| D+ | 68 – 71 | Less than Acceptable | 1.3 | |
| D | 65 – 67 | Less than Acceptable | 1.0 | |
| F | Below 65 | Failure | 0.0 | |
| WF | Failure Due to Lack of Attendance | 0.0 | ||
Standards for grades
A = sustained level of superior performance demonstrated in all areas of Course Requirements
B = consistent level of performance that is above average in a majority of the Course Requirements
C = performance that is generally average and Course Requirements are achieved
D = below average performance and achievement of the Course Requirements
F = accomplishment of the Course Requirements is not sufficient to receive a passing grade
Course Calendar & Schedule
Although I do my best to adhere to what I have planned, if deemed necessary or appropriate I may change the syllabus or schedule. All changes will be announced as far in advance as possible.
Policies
The following abbreviated set of policies is especially relevant to this class. Full details on policies and procedures can be found on the Pratt website or in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, Main Building, Lower Level.
Community Standards
All Pratt students, faculty, and staff members are expected to value and uphold the community standards essential to the pursuit of academic excellence and social responsibility. These include expectations for social conduct, academic integrity, non-discrimination, and other policies described in the link above, and apply to all Pratt-sponsored activities, on or off campus.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity at Pratt means using your own and original ideas in creating academic work. It also means that if you use the ideas or influence of others in your work, you must acknowledge them.
At Pratt,
- We do our own work,
- We are creative, and
- We give credit where it is due.
When students submit any work for academic credit, they make an implicit claim that the work is wholly their own, completed without the assistance of any unauthorized person. These works include, but are not limited to exams, quizzes, presentations, papers, projects, studio work, and other assignments and assessments. In addition, no student shall prevent another student from making their work. Students may study, collaborate, and work together on assignments at the discretion of the instructor.
Examples of infractions include but are not limited to:
- Plagiarism, defined as using the exact language or a close paraphrase of someone else’s ideas without citation.
- Violations of fair use, including the unauthorized and uncited use of another’s artworks, images, designs, etc.
- The supplying or receiving of completed work including papers, projects, outlines, artworks, designs, prototypes, models, or research for submission by any person other than the author.
The Academic Integrity Standing Committee (AISC) is charged with educating faculty, staff, and students about academic integrity practices. Whenever possible, we strive to resolve alleged infractions at the most local level possible, such as between student and professor, or within a department or school. When necessary, members of this committee will form an Academic Integrity Hearing Board to hear cases regarding cheating, plagiarism, and other infractions described below; these infractions can be grounds for citation, sanction, or dismissal. Detailed procedures are explained in the full version of the Academic Integrity Policy.
Attendance Policy
Consistent attendance is essential for the completion of any course or program. Attending class does not earn students any specific portion of their grade, but is the pre-condition for passing the course, while missing class may seriously harm a student’s grade. Pratt Institute respects students’ requirements to observe days of cultural significance, including religious holy days, and recognizes that some students might need to miss class to do so. In this, or other similar, circumstance, students are responsible for consulting with faculty ahead of time about how and when they can make up work they will miss. Reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities will continue to be provided, as appropriate. For full details, see Pratt’s Attendance Policy.
The expectations for this class are as follows:
Attendance is the first step in your learning. Attendance means attending to the course, which takes many forms, such as reading and responding to correspondence, meeting deadlines, being a part of the conversation. In other words, attendance is not limited to sitting in a chair during class once a week. That said, showing up and engaging matters—this is where you learn from others in the class and get to share and try out new ideas. Please reach out if you are going to miss class. Starting with your third absences, your grade will drop an entire letter grade (e.g. A- to B-). If you need to be absent multiple times because of accommodations or extenuating circumstances, please communicate with me so we can discuss the situation. If you’re finding it challenging to attend to the course, please contact me so we can discuss this; I’m here to help you succeed.
Academic Support
Multiple academic support resources are available to students across campus:
- For assistance with time management and/or studio, subject, and software tutoring, contact the Student Success Center at success@pratt.edu
- For assistance with writing assignments, contact the Writing and Tutorial Center at wtc@pratt.edu. The Pratt Libraries can also help with research and citations.
- Academic advisors are also a great resource; students can find their advisor’s contact information or schedule an appointment through Starfish.
Accessibility
The Learning/Access Center (L/AC) coordinates access for students with disabilities. Students who identify as having any type of disability are entitled and encouraged to enroll with the L/AC in order to determine and implement reasonable accommodations. Contact the Learning/Access Center at lac@pratt.edu or 718.802.3123 for information or to schedule an appointment.
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Policy
Pratt Institute is committed to fostering an environment that is safe, secure and free from sex discrimination and sexual harassment, sexual violence, dating and domestic violence, and stalking among all forms of sexual misconduct. The Institute takes prompt and appropriate action to address misconduct, end a hostile environment if one has been created, and prevent the recurrence of a hostile environment. To submit a concern, please use the Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Disclosure Form. For full details, see the Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Policy.
If you inform me of an issue of sex discrimination or sexual misconduct, I will keep the information as private as I can. However, as a faculty member, I am a mandatory reporter of sexual misconduct and required to bring it to the attention of the Institute’s Title IX Coordinator, who can also be contacted at titleix@pratt.edu. You can also speak to someone confidentially by contacting our confidential resources in Health Services or the Counseling Center.
Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy
Pratt is committed to fostering a welcoming, safe, non-discriminatory, and harassment-free educational, living, and working environment for its community. To submit a concern, please use the Discrimination and Harassment Disclosure Form, or place an anonymous report in confidence using EthicsPoint. For full details, see the Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy.
Wellbeing
Pratt is dedicated to creating a culture where the entire community can flourish and thrive. Taking time to care for yourself and seeking appropriate support is important to achieving your academic and professional goals. Several resources are available through Starfish, including our Student Advocate and Care Coordinator, who can also be reached at 718.399.4546 or studentadvocate@pratt.edu. If you or anyone you know experiences overwhelming academic stress, persistent difficult feelings, or challenging life events, the Counseling Center can be reached 24/7 by calling 718.687.5356. To schedule a consultation, please call or email therapy@pratt.edu
Starfish
Starfish provides students with contact information for advisors, instructors, department chairs, and support services across the campus. Faculty can also use Starfish to inform students of their progress in class and connect them with resources. Students are contacted by support offices whenever a flag is raised.
Public Safety & Emergency Contacts
The Department of Public Safety provides 24-hour-a-day protection to the campus, including an emergency response guide. Contact Public Safety at security@pratt.edu or 718.636.3540. The Pratt Emergency Alert System is used to send urgent messages to registered mobile devices and emails (faculty, staff, and students have the option to opt-out, which must be renewed each year). You can update your emergency contact information in the Safety section of OnePratt.
