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Cleveland
State University Introduction to Latin America |
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Introduction to Latin America HIST 165 Fall 2007
José O. Solá, Ph. D. Cleveland State University Office: Rhodes Tower 1903 Phone: 216-523-7189 or 687-3920 E-mail: j.sola@csuohio.edu Office Hours: M, W, F 12:30 pm -1:30 pm by appointment History Department Homepage: www.csuohio.edu/history Course Description: The purpose of this course is to introduce students to major forces and events that have shaped current day Latin America and the Caribbean. As such, it covers an enormous breadth of time and space--too enormous to cover without focusing on a handful of significant themes. Using representative countries from the region (North, Central, Caribbean, and South America), we will explore topics like nationhood and nationalism; dictatorship, democracy and revolution; capitalism and underdevelopment; the struggle of oligarchs, industrialists, peasants, workers, intellectuals, foreign interests, the military, the urban poor- in essence, men and women.
The course begins by studying the Pre-Conquest period and ends by considering Latin America's most recent past. It focuses on issues relating to the formation of viable nations, the integration of Latin America into the capitalist world economy, and the social and cultural consequences of this effort, sometimes called "modernization". We will focus primarily on countries that allow for critical and comparative examination of the processes mentioned, and the countries that I know best. These include Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. However, we will also discuss aspects of the history of most of the Latin American countries.
Understanding the present history of Latin America requires that you approach this course with broad and open minds--minds not afraid to consider how historic class structures have affected the emergence of Latin American nation-states, the emergence and destruction of democracies, the rise and demise of dictatorships, and the emergence of insurrections and revolutions. Latin America is vast region, and its historical development has been extremely complicated and diverse. Given the limits of time available to us, I have chosen to emphasize "introductions" to a number of regions and countries, again, in a comparative context.
Other areas will be discussed, but not in the depth they merit. Students who are interested in countries or issues not covered can ask me about the reading materials available on every country and issue. I hope you find this course challenging and stimulating. Be aware that this course requires that students do extensive reading.
Advice to students: I strongly advise each of you not to be misled into thinking that this course will be comparatively less taxing since it is offered at the one-hundred level. To the contrary, you will be exposed to and expected to reflect on a considerable amount of material and numerous issues.
Attendance: Class attendance will not be taken. However, arriving late to class disrupts the concentration of your fellow students and the flow of the lecture. Plan to arrive early. If you leave the classroom please do not come back as this disrupts the class. Finally, if you plan on reading or studying for other courses, reading the newspaper or sleeping in class please do not trouble yourself by showing up to this class. Also, cellular phones or beepers must be turned off because they disrupt the lecture and concentration of other students.
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. Generally speaking, my lectures will provide one or more theoretical and conceptual structures into which the readings can be placed.
Books and other reading materials: John C. Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America 2nd Ed. (Norton, 2006). John C. Chasteen and James A. Wood, Problems in Modern Latin American History (SR Books, 2005). Mark Burkholder and Lyman Johnson, Colonial Latin America 5th Ed. (Oxford University Press, 2004)
DAYS TO REMBER Labor day September 3 No Class Last day to drop September 7 Columbus day October 8 No Class Last day to Withdraw November 2 Veterans Day November 12 No Class
REQUIREMENTS:
A. Exams. You are required to do THREE class exercises: TWO Midterms and Final exam. IMPORTANT: NO quiz or exam will be given after its due date. See the lecture schedule to find out the dates of the exams.
B. Class Blog. I will maintain a blog for the class where you will find summaries of the lectures, important information about the readings, questions to think for class discussions, links to web sites or other instructional materials. STUDENTS MUST SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG.
Students taking the course for an S/U grade must complete all course requirements to obtain a C average or above in the class. An overall average of a D or an F will result in a U.
CHEATING: I expect that all work will be done well and with intellectual integrity. Plagiarism or cheating on any work will result in an F in the course and further appropriate action as necessary.
GRADING: The distribution of points is as follows: Mid Term (2)………………..................200 points Final Exam…….…………………...100 points Total.................……………………. 300 points Note to Students: The reading schedule is a working document which means that there will be times when the materials schedule for one week will be covered and discuss the following week. How fast we advance through the materials depends on the nature of class discussion.
TOPIC SCHEDULE and ASSIGNMENTS
Week One (Aug. 27, 29, 31) Introduction, Current Situation Readings: Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, Introduction
Americans and Iberians Readings: Burkholder & Johnson, Colonial Latin America, ch. 1
Week Two (Sep. 5, 7) Labor Day Sep. 3 Conquest Of America Readings: Burkholder & Johnson, Colonial Latin America, ch. 2
Week Three (Sep. 10, 12, 14)
A New People and Their World Readings: Chasteen & Wood, Problems in Modern Latin American History, pp. 3-16, ch. 3; Burkholder & Johnson, Colonial Latin America, ch. 4, 6, 3
Week Four (Sep. 17, 19, 21)
New World Empires Readings: Burkholder & Johnson, Colonial Latin America, ch. 5, 7, 8
Week Five (Sep. 24, 26, 28) EXAM ONE FRIDAY SEP. 28 Reforms and Shifting Fortunes Readings: Burkholder & Johnson, Colonial Latin America, ch. 9; Chasteen & Wood, Problems in Modern Latin American History, pp. 16-21.
Week Six (Oct. 1, 3, 5) Independence?: Elitist Movements versus popular revolts Readings: Burkholder & Johnson, Colonial Latin America, ch. 10; Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, ch. 4; Chasteen & Wood, Problems in Modern Latin American History, ch. 2
Week Seven (Oct. 10, 12) Columbus Day Holyday October 8 National Consolidation: Civilization versus Barbarism Readings: Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, ch. 5; Chasteen & Wood, Problems in Modern Latin American History, ch. 4
Week Eight (Oct. 15, 17, 19) Liberalism and Progress Readings: Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, ch. 6; Chasteen & Wood, Problems in Modern Latin American History, ch. 5
Week Nine (Oct. 22, 24, 26) Neocolonialism and Economic Modernization Readings: Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, ch. 7; Chasteen & Wood, Problems in Modern Latin American History, ch. 7
Modernization and Society Readings: Chasteen & Wood, Problems in Modern Latin American History, ch. 6, pp. 206-214
Week Ten (Oct. 29, 31, Nov. 2) SECOND MIDTERM FRIDAY NOV. 2 Latin America and the rise of US Hegemony Readings: Chasteen & Wood, Problems in Modern Latin American History, pp.175-180
Week Eleven (Nov. 5, 7, 9) The Mexican Revolution Readings: Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, pp. 217-229
Nationalism and Populism Readings: Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, pp. 229-246; Chasteen & Wood, Problems in Modern Latin American History, ch. 8, pp.214-222, ch. 10
Week Twelve (Nov. 14, 16) Veterans Day November 12 No class Populism and Cold War Readings: Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, pp.249-264; Chasteen & Wood, Problems in Modern Latin American History, ch. 12 Week Thirteen (Nov. 19, 21) Socialist Revolutions Readings: Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, pp. 264-273; Chasteen & Wood, Problems in Modern Latin American History, ch. 11
Week Fourteen (Nov. 26, 28, 30) Socialist Revolution (cont.), Counter-Revolutions and Democratization Readings: Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, pp. 274-277, ch.10
Week Fifteen (Dec. 3, 5, 7) Neo-liberalism and Neo-populism Readings: Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire, 11; Chasteen & Wood, Problems in Modern Latin American History, 13.
December 14 FINAL EXAM at 8:30-10:30 am
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