Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Seminar on the Americas LACS 321: Spring, 2009

Instructor:
Dr. Nancy Mandlove

 

Olin 115 F, Ext. 4505

 

mandlovenb@wofford.edu

Home

Texts: Selected Articles
John Charles Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America
Ariel Dorfman, Death and the Maiden
Cristina García, Dreaming in Cuban
Manlio Argueta, One Day of Life

Latin American Network Information Center (University of Texas) http://lanic.utexas.edu/subject/countries.html

Latin American Studies (wide variety of links to articles on all countries) http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/

Detailed maps http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas.html

Excellent resource for final projects: www.coha.org

Library of Congress country studies (Good resources for detailed history of individual countries. Check dates-some are outdated for current situations.)
Available for Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, DR, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru Uruguay, Venezuela

http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html
 
Primary course topics: Chile, Women in Latin America, Human Rights, Revolution, the United States and Latin America, Migration and Urbanization, Mexico and the U.S., Hispanics/Latinos in the U.S.

Date Class Preparation Lab Assignments
M 2/2

Introduction to Course and Topics
Countries and Geography
Overview
Map Western Hemisphere physical

Map Americas

Map South America (det.)

  

Labs 1, 2, 3
Films: "Missing," "House of the Spirits," "Death and the Maiden"

Due: 2/11; 2/18; 2/25
W 2/4 Introduction to Course and Topics
Issues and Concerns

Find and print maps on internet. Prepare to discuss maps and geography. Concentrate on Chile, Mexico, U.S.-Mexico border, Central America, Cuba

 
F 2/6 Historical background for semester's topics BBF, "Neocolonialism," 181-214  

Unit 1: Women and Chile

M 2/9 Changing Role of Women/Chile
Americas 5: "In Women's Hands"

 Americas Study Guide, 7: 75-80 (handout)

 
W 2/11

Changing Role of Women/Chile
Americas 5: "In Women's Hands"
Lab 1 due

Americas Study Guide, 7: 75-80 (handout)

Labs 1, 2, 3
Films: "Missing," "House of the Spirits," "Death and the Maiden"

Due: 2/11; 2/18; 2/25

F 2/13

 

Chile Today: Pinochet, Economy, Place in the World, Michelle Bachelet

"Is Chile a Neoliberal Success?," Dollars and Sense
"Chile: A Lopsided Miracle,: Business Week
"Pinochet's Uncomfortable Legacy," Business Week
  
M 2/16

Women and Chile
Women's rights issues in Latin America
Machismo and Marianismo

 Research internet: women's rights issues (suggested sites)
UTlanic women
Statistics (in Spanish)
Women's Rights
Women - Latin America
Women's Rights Eroding in L.A.

 
W 2/18


Truth and Reconciliation: Chile (Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador)

Dorfman Interview
Lab 2 due

Ariel Dorfman, Death and the Maiden

Labs 1, 2, 3
Films: "Missing," "House of the Spirits," "Death and the Maiden"

Due: 2/11; 2/18; 2/25
 

For further reading regarding the Pinochet era in Chile, the following websites contain good information on a variety of topics and nclude links to documents declassified in 1999 and later.

PBS News-McNeill/Leherer
BBC News

    
F
2/20

Discussion and organization: Final Projects:
The Present and Future of U.S. - Latin American Relations

(Written group report for Lab 6, 3/19)

Project Groups
Mexico: Matt, Cameron, Megan
Cuba: Rachel, Becky, Julia, Sarah
Venezuela: Hollis, Johnny, Tess, Jim Allen
Bolivia: Alex, Megan K, Katie

 

 

 

Unit 2: Revolution and Cuba

M 2/23 Pre-Revolutionary Cuba and the Cuban Revolution.

Read: Christina García, Dreaming in Cuban

BBC Timeline for Cuba

U.S. Embassy Policy Paper, 1958

U.S. Embassy Paper on Political Conditions in Cuba, Feb., 1959

  
W 2/25 Revolution
Lab 3 due

BBF, "Revolution," 245-273

Read: Christina García, Dreaming in Cuban


Labs 4, 5: Videos: Fidel Castro, Oscar Romero.
Due 3/4, 3/11
F 2/27

Bay of Pigs

Cuban Missile Crisis
National Security Archives: declassified documents

Review
U.S. Embassy Policy Paper, 1958

U.S. Embassy Paper on Political Conditions in Cuba, Feb., 1959

Read: Christina García, Dreaming in Cuban


M 3/2

Discuss Dreaming in Cuban

Cuba Today
Read: Christina García, Dreaming in Cuban (finish)

  
W 3/4

Review for Test

Lab 4 due

 Labs 4, 5: Videos: Fidel Castro, Oscar Romero.
Due 3/4, 3/11
F 3/6

TEST 1

Prepare for test  
M 3/9

The U.S. and Latin America: Overview--Past and Present

 Peter Hakim, "Democracy and U.S. Credibility," New York Times
2 Handouts--U.S. Intervention
" New Wave of Anti-Americanism," NACLA, 38.6, 2005		  
W 3/11

U.S. Intervention in Latin America: general discussion

Lab 5 Due

Handouts: U.S. Intervention

 

Lab 6: Group Reports (written)--country, issues, relationship with U.S.

Due 3/18

Unit 3: The United States and Latin America

F 3/13


Cold War - Central America

 Manlio Argueta, One Day of Life  
M 3/16 Central America: Revolution and Intervention Manlio Argueta, One Day of Life  
W 3/18

Group Reports: U.S. relations with Cuba

Lab 6 Due

Report: Revolution, Intro. and "Thinking Back on Cuba's Future," pp. 11-17

 Lab 7: "Americas"
Due 3/25
F 3/20



Group Reports: U.S. relations with Bolivia, Venezuela

 

Report: Revolution, "Revolutionary Imagination in Cuba and Venezuela," pp. 18-22 and "Echoes of Revolution in Bolivia," pp. 21-27

 

"Is Venezuela the New Cuba," NACLA, 39.1, 2005

  
M 3/23
Group Reports: U.S. relations with Mexico
 Report: Revolution, "Mexico"s Unspent Revolutionary Legacies," pp. 28-32  

W 3/25

Issues and Final Projects

Issues: new leftist presidents and the U.S.

Lab 7 Due

 "Empire, Hegemony and Globalization in the Americas," NACLA, 39.2, 2005

"How the U.S. 'lost' Latin America"
"U.S. Unconcerned by left-wing leaders"

"Latin America's New Left Axis"

 
W 3/25

NOTE: for Lab 8

Foreign Film Series: "Voces inocentes"
Olin Theater, 3:30 and 7:30

  

Lab 8: Report on "Voces inocentes"

Due 4/8
F 3/27

 

Test 2

 

  
  SPRING VACATION    
  UNIT 4: UNITED STATES AND MEXICO    
M 4/6

The Mexican Revolution

Summary-Mexican Revolution

Brief history-Mexican Revolution


  
W 4/8

Legacy of the Mexican Revolution

Lab 8 Due


Lab 9: Group report--outline and proposal for final project

Due 4/20
F 4/10


Migration and Urbanization
Americas 3

Americas Study Guide 5: Continent on the Move: Migration and Urbanization

  
M 4/13 Migration and Urbanization
Americas 3
   

The U.S. - Mexico Border

W 4/15

A sense of history and place: the U.S.-Mexico border

Interactive timeline-History of the Border

Time magazine on-line, "TwoCountries, One City"

Time magazine on-line, "Amexica: A Whole New World"

  
F
4/17

NAFTA and Globalization

 NACLA, xxx, 4,Jan/Feb, 1997
"Globalization and Resistance: the Remaking of Mexico, 14-27
NAFTA, xxxv, 4, Jan/Feb, 2002
"Mexico's Haves and Have-Nots: NAFTA Sharpens the Divide, 32-35
NACLA, xxxiii, 3, Nov/Dec, 1999
"Borderless Economy, Barricaded Border," 14-21
  
M 4/20 Migration: Not all journeys the same
Lab 9 Due

"Migration and Coffee in Mexico and Central America," Luis Hernández, Dec. 13, 2004

Interactive Map Showing Immigration Data Since 1880

 Lab 10: Immigration Survey
Due 4/27
W 4/22 Migration: Not all journeys the same

"Inside the Life of the Migrants Next Door," Time Magazine on-line

  
F
4/24		 Immigration Policies: Perspectives and Debates

Pick 3 articles from these two sites:
http://americas.irc-online.org/am/2959

http://cis.org (see section on "Common Topics in Immigration")

  
M 4/27 Hispanics in the U.S.
Discussion of Survey results
Lab 10 Due (Immigration survey)
    
W 4/29 Review
    

F
5/1

 TEST 3    

Group Project Work

M 5/4 In-class group project work
    
W 5/6 In-class group project work    
F 5/8

In-class group project work

    

Exam Week:
Project Presentations
Issues: United States and Latin America: Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela

What role should the U.S. play in hemispheric affairs?

Grading

3 tests 45%
Intervention project 10%
Final project 20%
Lab reports 15%
Class participation 10%