Course Outline Fall 2013
History 225 A: Latin America in the 21st Century
T-T 1:30-2:50 HC 114
Instructor: Dr. Victoria H. Cummins Office: Sherman Hall 117, Campus Box 61616, x2263
Email: vcummins@austincollege.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The developing and underdeveloped countries of Latin America face many common problems and challenges as they enter the 21st century. This course will utilize lecture, film and discussion to explore a series of these issues. Topics addressed will include debt and development, race and identity, women and feminism, religion, and security and sovereignty issues.
GENERAL GOALS FOR THE COURSE:
History 225 is intended to enable each successful student to do the following:
· Acquire knowledge of problems currently facing many Latin American countries
· Discuss assigned readings in a meaningful way
· Develop skill in analyzing documentary films
· Develop skill in analyzing and integrating information from films, lectures and readings
· Develop skill in writing essays on historical material
REQUIRED TEXTS:
1. Stepan, Alfred, ed. Americas: New Interpretive Essays. Oxford Univ. Pr. 0-19-507795-4
2. Rosenberg, Mark, ed. Americas: An Anthology. Oxford Univ. Pr. 0-19-507792-x
3. Menchú, Rigoberta, I, Rigoberta Menchú . 2nd Edition, Verso 0-978-1844674-183
4. Carolina Maria de Jesús. Child of the Dark. Signet Classics 0-451-52910-3.
REQUIRED ARTICLE READING
(FULL TEXT AVAILABLE FROM ACADEMIC SEARCH COMPLETE)
1. Gasparini, Leonardo and Cruces, Guillermo, “Poverty and Inequality in Latin America: A Story of Two decades,” Journal of International Affairs Vol. 66 Issue 2 (Spring/ Summer 2013): 51-63.
2. Paley, Dawn. “Off the Map in Mexico.” Nation May 23, 2011, 20-24.
3. Moreno, Blanche Petrich, “The Long Arm of the War on Drugs,” Nation August 13, 2012, 17-22.
4. Robinson, James A. “Colombia: Another 100 Years of Solitude?” Current History vol. 112 Issue 751 (February 2013): 43-48.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: The final grade will be based on your performance on three examinations, attendance and participation in class discussions. Work will be weighted as follows:
First Examination 20%
Second and Third (Final) Examinations 30% each
Attendance and Class Participation 20%
The final grade will be assigned on the following scale: 97.5-100=A+; 92.5-97.4=A; 90.0-92.4=A-; 87.5-89.9=B+; 82.5-87.4=B; 80.0-82.4=B-; 77.5-79.9=C+; 72.5-77.4=C; 70.0-72.4=C-; 67.5-69.9=D+; 62.5-67.4=D; 60.0-62.4=D-; less than 60.0=F. For S/D/U grading, students must complete all work with a minimum passing grade and have an average > 70.0 to receive an S.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Daily attendance is required and the roll will be taken. After the first absence, your daily attendance grade will drop 5 points per additional unexcused absence. Excessive absences (more than 5) may result in the student being dropped from the course for non-attendance. A student who misses five or more classes for official school-sponsored activities will not be penalized for these absences. However, s/he will be allowed no other absences without penalty. In general, a student who plans on missing more than five classes for any reason should not take this course this semester. Class participation is expected in discussions of assigned readings and films. Missing discussions, or failing to participate in them effectively, will lower your class participation grade.
2. You must abide by the general guidelines for Academic Integrity in the completion of all work for this course.
3. Incompletes will be given only in cases when circumstances beyond the student's control prevent him/her from completing the course requirements.
4. Examinations will cover lectures, assigned readings, discussion material, and films. Tests may combine objective and essay-type questions. Only students with verifiable excuses will be allowed to take make-up examinations. The final may be cumulative.
5. Austin College seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for all individuals with disabilities and will comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines. It is the responsibility of the student to register with and provide verification of academic accommodation needs to the Director of the Academic Skills Center as soon as possible. For further information regarding disability services or to register for assistance, please contact the Academic Skills Center. The student also must contact the faculty member in a timely manner to arrange for reasonable academic accommodations. Students who qualify for accommodations in testing and/or other areas should present their paperwork to the instructor as soon as possible and no later than Tuesday September 12, 2013, in order to give sufficient time for arrangements to be made for the first examination.
6. Turn off all electronic devices at the start of class. You may neither send nor receive phone calls, text messages, etc. during class. There will be no use of laptops/ tablets/ ipads in class without the prior specific permission of the instructor.
7. Do not eat in class.
8. Each student is fully responsible for changes of schedule, assignment, and all course content material noted each day whether or not they attended. For that reason, it is the student’s responsibility to bring to the immediate attention of the instructor as soon as possible any matter, event, circumstance, or consideration that might have a direct or indirect bearing on performance or class attendance.
Lecture Topics and Reading Assignments
Week/Date Topic
1-T 9/3 Introduction
TH 9/5 I. Developmental Issues:
R: Stepan #2, 30-57; Rosenberg, Intro. 3-16, ch. 3 48-59.
2-T 9/10 DISCUSSION: Stepan #2, Rosenberg, Intro, ch. 3, Child of the Dark, 3-70
R: Child of the Dark, 3-70
9/12 Film: Americas #2 " Capital Sins: Authorization and Democratization"
R: Stepan #3, 57-78
3-9/17 DISCUSSION: Stepan #3; Rosenberg, chs. 4 & 5
R: Rosenberg ch. 4 78-82, 82-90, 98-103, ch. 5 109-116
TH 9/19 DISCUSSION: Gasparini, Leonardo and Cruces, Guillermo, “Poverty and
Inequality in Latin America: A Story of Two decades,” Journal of International
Affairs Vol. 66 Issue 2 (Spring/ Summer 2013): 51-63.
R: Gasparini, Leonardo and Cruces, Guillermo, “Poverty and
Inequality in Latin America: A Story of Two decades,” Journal of International
Affairs Vol. 66 Issue 2 (Spring/ Summer 2013): 51-63.
4-T 9/24 FIRST EXAMINATION
TH 9/26 II. Race, Class and Gender
Film: Americas #4 "Mirrors of the Heart: Race and Identity"
R: Stepan #9 189-215; Child of the Dark, 17-20, 57-68, 89-90
5-T 10/1 Continued
R: Rosenberg, ch. 6 157-163, 167-172
TH 10/3 DISCUSSION: Stepan #9, Rosenberg Ch. 6, Child of the Dark, 17-20,
57-68, 89-90
6-T 10/8 Film "Rigoberta Menchú - Broken Silence"
R: I Rigoberta Menchú, Intro., pp. xi-xxi, chs. I-VIII, XIII-XV
TH 10/10 III. Women and Feminism
R: Stepan # 5, 109-137 and #6 137-151; Rosenberg, ch. 7 173-9, 182-4, 191-207
7- T 10/ 15 DISCUSSION Stepan # 5 & #6, Rosenberg ch. 7
8-T 10/22 17 Film: Americas #5 "In Women's Hands: Changing Roles of Women"
R: Child of the Dark, 71-137
TH 10/24
9-T 10/29 DISCUSSION: I, Rigoberta Menchú chs. XVI-XXXIV, Child of the Dark, 71-137 R: I Rigoberta Menchú, . XVI-XXXIV,
TH 10/31 SECOND EXAMINATION
10-T 11/5 IV. Religion
R: Stepan #7 152-172; Rosenberg, ch. 8, 208-218
TH 11/7 Religion continued
R: I Rigoberta Menchú, chs. IX-XII, XVIII
11-T 11/12 Film: Americas #6 "Miracles are Not Enough: Continuity and Change in Religion"
R: Rosenberg, ch. 8, 224-240
TH 11/14 DISCUSSION: Stepan # 7 and Rosenberg ch.8
12 –T 11/19 DISCUSSION: chapters IX-XII, XVIII from I, Rigoberta Menchú
TH 11/21 V. Sovereignty Problems: Film Americas #8 "Get Up, Stand Up: Problems of Sovereignty"
R: Stepan # 1, 11-29
13 – T 11/26 US Involvement in Latin American Affairs
R: Rosenberg ch 10, 272-285, 288-91
14 T 12/3 Drugs and Sovereignty
R: (FULL TEXT AVAILABLE FROM ACADEMIC SEARCH COMPLETE) Paley, Dawn. “Off the Map in Mexico.” Nation May 23, 2011, 20-24; Moreno, Blanche Petrich, “The Long Arm of the War on Drugs,” Nation August 13, 2012, 17-22; Robinson, James A. “Colombia: Another 100 Years of Solitude?” Current History vol. 112 Issue 751 (February 2013): 43-48.
TH 12/5 DISCUSSION: articles from Nation and Current History, Stepan #1, and Rosenberg Ch. 10; Wrap-Up and Evaluation
THIRD AND FINAL
EXAMINATION – THURSDAY 12/12/13 NOON – 1:30 PM