The purpose of this topic course is to provide students with a better understanding of the music, culture, and society of the Latin world, and to explore music as a means of cultural expression. Students will learn about the heritage, values, practices, challenges, and conflicts that comprise Latin culture and society. The course analyzes the role music plays in human life, including a variety of social and political contexts. Students will examine the idea that music is very much a part of everyday life in any society. We will learn how music serves as a bridge and as a resource to engage in communication and understanding. We will explore the evolution of music as an integral part of the history of a region or group, and we will analyze how it has been used as a way of establishing a dialogue and as a way to affect change in society.