DESCRIPTION:

            This is a one-term introductory survey of Latin American history intended to provide a general overview of the evolution of Latin American civilization. As such it covers an enormous breadth of time and space – too enormous to cover without a focus on a handful of significant themes.

Those key themes I will develop in this course include:

 A. The Impact of Geography. More attention than normal will be devoted to the geography of Latin America and especially to its ramifications:

1. demographic differentiation;
2. developmental limitations; and
3. political conflicts.

  B. The power of the past in shaping contemporary situations.

1. The conflict of cultures. This will be treated as being as essential part of Latin American history since the conflict between Columbus and the Caribbean Indians. Across time, this theme will be explored in the context of Indian-white and black-white relations. Particular attention will be devoted to the specific definition of race found in Latin America and the effects of the use of 'social race'.

2. The cultural effects of conflict. The course will seek to demonstrate the cultural vitality which has emerged from the clash of cultures. Examples will include the use of music(especially Brazilian and Argentine), literature (Chile), and film. The thrust of this treatment will be the examination of a culture which draws on various traditions, Western, Indian, and African, to produce a culture which is more than the sum of its parts.

3. The continuity of traditional institutions. This is examined through the conflict between continuity versus change through the treatment of key topics.

a. Social structure. Topics will include the role of entrenched elites, the late development of middle classes, and the difficulty of social mobility.

b. Political structure. The main theme will be the conflict between continuity, reform, and revolution and the difficulty of effecting change within the context of external international conflicts.

c. Religion. This will provide an explanation of the contemporary state of religion in Latin America: at one level, the conflict between Catholicism and socialism, spiritism and Protestantism and, at another level, the schism within the Catholic Church between traditionalists and those advocating liberation theology. The historical background of these conflicts will be a focus of examination.

C. The search for identity. Latin Americans have been involved in the process of consciously constructing a useable identity since the independence period in the 1830s. The building blocks have included different races with different traditions and values; different ethnicities; and, ultimately, the enormous cultural gaps constructed around class.

D. The search for the "Other." The course will focus explicitedly on critical analysis, especially on perspective. How do we place ourselves in the minds of others whether indigenous peoples fighting for survival or their 'oppressors.'

OBJECTIVES:

    A. To leave you with a familiarity with the dominant themes, events, and developments of Latin American history.

    B. To introduce you to Latin American culture and to leave you with an appreciation for a complex, powerfully vibrant and extremely diverse culture.

    C. To emphasize the relevancy of developments in the past to those of the contemporary world by showing how contemporary situations are often reflections of and shaped by the past.

    D. To leave you with an understanding of critical historical issues such as causation and interpretation.

    E. To leave you with an understanding of the nature of history as a discipline as well as with some of the many methodological approaches used by historians.

    F. To permit you to work with primary sources in translation in order to better understand the work of the historian.

It is also my ultimate hope that you will end up sharing my love of a dynamic culture and a hospitable and congenial people.

OFFICE HOURS:

OFFICE: Rhodes Tower 1637, Telephone: 687-3925

The easiest way to contact me is by e-mail: d.ramos@csuohio.edu (I will try to respond within 24 hours.)

OFFICE HOURS: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 11:05-11:45 and Monday and Wednesday 1:35 to 2:00 pm; and by appointment. I urge you to find time to speak to me.

REQUIRED READINGS:

    My lectures are structured to parallel the readings without, hopefully, unduly repeating information contained in them. It is essential, therefore, that you attend the lectures and complete the required reading assignments. To the degree possible you will be examining works produced by Latin Americans whether its a novel, or photographs, music or documents as a means of getting closer to Latin culture and history.

Generally speaking my lectures will provide one or more theoretical and conceptual structures into which the readings can be placed. Both lectures and readings are needed to satisfactorily master the material.

 You will be asked to read the following works:

    * John Charles Chasteen. Born in Blood and Fire. 2nd ed. New York: W.W.Norton & Company, 2005.

    * Richard Boyer and Geoffrey Spurling (eds). Colonial lives : Documents on Latin American History, 1550-1850. New York : Oxford University Press, 2000

    * Isabel Allende. The House of Spirits. any edition.

* Erick D. Langer with Elena Muñoz (eds). Contemporary Indigenous Movements in Latin America. Wilmington, Del.: SR Books, 2003.

Additional documents will be made available through the homepage for this course.

REQUIREMENTS:

      There will be no research paper. Requirements will be limited to exercises and essay quizzes on the readings and/or other materials, mid-terms and final. Essay questions for the mid-term and final will be distributed approximately one week before the test OR the tests may be take-homes..

A. Assumptions and Expectations: Please read the Expectations statement and e-mail me your agreement to its terms prior to January 30. Failure to do so will result in the loss of 10 points. There are no exceptions to the deadline.

B. Major quizzes will generally be announced and will cover the reading due that week. Quizzes are worth 20 pts. each.

D. To facilitate learning there will be occasional short quizzes. These will be announced in class and each will be worth a maximum of 5 points.

E. There will be 2 mid-term examinations. Each will be worth 50 pts. The exact format will be discussed in class although at least a portion will be take-home in nature. The final format will also be decided in class.

F. The Final Examination will be worth 50 pts and will be similar in format to the Mid-terms. One question will be broadly cumulative. The final is scheduled for May 11. 1:00 - 3:00

NOTE: Quizzes and the mid-term may be resubmitted (see below)for a maximum improvement of two letter grades with the final maximum being a C. All re-written/re-thought work must be submitted within one week from the firstday the papers are returned to the class and rethinks/rewrites must be accompanied by the original; i will not read the re-submits unless accompanied by the original.

Make-up examinations will be available only with approved excuses.

EXTRA CREDIT: If you wish to earn extra credit, you may watch a film produced in Latin America (in either Spanish orPortuguese) and submit a maximum two-page review of the film. You may earn up to 7 points. Instructions for Review.

ATTENDANCE:

It is not my intention to take attendance. I assume that you enrolled in this class with the intention of learning. However, because being present is such an important aspect of the course, I reserve the right to impose such a policy after discussion with the class and proper notification in class and in the What's New section of this webpage.

HOLIDAYS

Spring Break: March 9-16

GRADING:

The distribution of points is as follows:

Quizzes.........................20 points each

Short in-class quizzes..... 5 points each

Map Quiz ....................10 points

Mid-terms.....................50 points each

Final............................ 50 points

The mid-term and quizzes can be re-thought and re-submitted for a new grade. This is available to those whose grade is unsatisfactory - a D, F or No Grade. Grades can be improved to a maximum of a C. The re-think is due to me within one week of being returned to the class and must be accompanied by the original. There will be no exceptions. The short in-class quizzes may not be rewritten.

General education requirements:
Arts and Humanities
1.  Courses must be offered at the 100/200 level in an arts and humanities discipline including but not limited to English, History, Philosophy, Art History, Music History, Religious Studies, or Modern Languages.  Courses offered in other disciplines may be approved if they meet the other conditions indicated below.
2.  Courses must provide students with background knowledge and analytical skills that will allow them to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of how human beings interpret, translate, and represent diverse experiences of the world through language, literature, the historical record, philosophical systems, images, sounds, and performances.
2. Apply that understanding to the study of the human condition, cultural heritage, cultural artifacts, creativity, and history.

**Additional criteria for courses focused on Asia, Latin America, Africa and/or the Middle East:

• The primary focus of the course must be on a society or societies in Asia, Latin America, Africa and/or the Middle East.  Courses that compare these societies to those of North America and/or Europe may be approved only if the majority of the course material concerns the first group of societies and the principal purpose of the course is to improve students’ understanding of those societies.
  1. Content must be presented from the perspective(s) of the societies being studied, not simply European and/or American perceptions of those societies.

Writing
To qualify in the skill area of writing a course must:

1. Designate that at least 15% of the student’s grade in the course is based on an evaluation of writing. 
2. Include writing assignments that directly relate to the course goals.
3. Include instruction in writing-to-learn and/or writing-to-communicate.  While writing-to-learn emphasizes the student’s experience, writing-to-communicate highlights the reader’s experience.  Both are necessary to produce a thoughtful text that observes academic writing’s conventions. 
4. Require that students write a total of 2,000 words (8 pages, double-spaced, in 12-point font, with 1” margins) in multiple assignments.
5. Assign writing throughout the semester.

Critical Thinking
To qualify in the skill area of critical thinking a course must:

1. Designate that at least 15% of the student’s grade in the course is based on an evaluation of critical thinking.
2. Require students to attain skills beyond lower-level knowledge, thereby requiring:

a. higher-order thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation); OR

b. skills that involve the use of content knowledge (e.g. finding information to solve a problem); OR

c. the recognition of the importance and usefulness of knowledge and skills gained in the course (e.g. recognize the ability to and importance of working with others to solve intellectual problems).

ASSIGNMENTS:

Questions or Comments: contact me at d.ramos@csuohio.edu