1 HIST 5153-History of Latin America CRN 16263 University of Central Oklahoma, Fall Term 2011 Tuesday and Thursday, 7:30-8:45 pm, Room LAR 225 Instructor: Oscar de la Torre Cueva E-mail: [email protected] History Department Telephone Number: (405) 974-2000 ext. 5416 Office 204 A, Geography and History Department, LA Building, 2nd floor Office Hours: MWF 2 to 4pm, T 9 to 10am, and by appointment Course Description: Catalog description: This course examines selected problems in Latin American history from the fifteenth century to the present. Prerequisite(s): enrollment in MA program. Latin American history is a fascinating and unknown subject for most North Americans. The tyranny of the Spanish colonial regime, the colourful peoples that populate the region, or the revolutionary political movements that sought to transform Latin American societies are well established images. However, in this course the students will be introduced to a series of themes that will substantially enrich their knowledge of the region: the interplay between internal and external historical forces; the characteristics and contradictions of race and ethnic relations in the region; the persistent gender, class, and race inequality, and the difficult consolidation of political democracy. Goals: - Identifying the main events, periods, and themes in American history. - Acquiring basic knowledge about how Latin American society, economy, and politics evolved from independence to the present. - Understanding what makes Latin America a heterogeneous but coherent region. - Knowing the perspectives of different historical actors, from the common people to national presidents, to understand the choices that they made in significant moments. - Articulating historical arguments and supporting them with appropriate evidence. Transformative Learning Objectives: - Leadership: This course will analyze the consequences of decisions taken by traditional leaders (presidents, businessmen, army officers) and by non-elite leaders (students, housewives, unemployed workers, union activists, ex-slaves, civil rights organizers, etc.). - Problem Solving: By providing substantial room to discuss recent issues and events, this course seeks to stimulate critical thinking and a creative approach to the analysis of America’s history. - Global and Cultural Competencies. Students will analyze how global events (the spread of radical ideas in the late 1800s, the Big Depression, etc.) have shaped Latin American history, and vice-versa.2 Requirements: 1. Attendance is mandatory. Let the instructor know in advance if you are not attending any session, via e-mail or telephone. 2. Class and Blackboard participation. 3. Due to the format of the class (upper level undergrads plus grad students in the same class hours), sometimes there will not be enough time to discuss all the books in depth. Therefore, the students will pick *one* question per week (out of a pool of them posted on Blackboard) and respond to it (two or three paragraphs will be enough). These responses will not be graded, but they are mandatory. 4. Doing the required exams and/or assignments. 5. Enjoying the process of learning. Evaluation: - Four book reviews (2-3 pp.) – 30 % They will be 2-4 pages long and will respond to questions provided by the instructor 2-3 weeks in advance. - One longer paper (12-16 pp.) – 30 % This paper will discuss the main points emerging from the assigned books. Alternatively, the students may select a prominent theme in Latin American historiography, and relate or compare it to their MA research topic. - Participation in class debates – 30 % - Map Quiz – 10 % - Every week the students will choose one question posted by the instructor on Courseweb and will respond to it (two paragraphs will be enough). These responses will not be graded, but they are mandatory. Grade categories: - A 90-100% - B 80-89% - C 70-79% - D 60-69% - F <60% Note on Disabilities: The University of Central Oklahoma complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students with disabilities who need special accommodations must make their requests by contacting the Assistant Director of Disability Support Services (405) 974-2516. The DSS Office is located in the Nigh University Center, Room 309. Students should also notify the instructor of special accommodation needs by the end of the first week of class. Required Readings: 1. Irene Silverblatt, Moon, Sun, and Witches: Gender Ideologies and Class in Inca and Colonial Peru (Princeton, NJ: Princeton U.P., 1987) 2. Peter Guardino, The Time of Liberty: Popular Political Culture in Oaxaca, 1750-1850 (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2005)3 3. James Sanders, Contentious Republicans: Popular Politics, Race, and Class in Nineteenth-Century Colombia (Durham: Duke UP, 2004) 4. Alejandro de la Fuente, A Nation for All: Race, Inequality, and Politics in Twentieth-Century Cuba (Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 2001) 5. Robert M. Levine, Father of the Poor? Vargas and His Era (New York: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1998) 6. Peter Winn, Weavers of Revolution: The Yarur Workers and Chile’s Road to Socialism (New York: Oxford University Press, 1986) 7. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Blood on the Border: A Memoir of the Contra War (Cambridge, MA: South End Press, 2005) 8. John Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America (Third Edition) (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2011) –Second edition is also acceptable. Blackboard: The use of Blackboard is fundamental to succeed in this course. Students are therefore expected to know how to use their BB accounts. Log in to UConnect > “My Courses” tab > “My courses” section. Click on the title of the class, and you’ll be there. If you have doubts or problems with BB, contact the Information Technology Help Desk: online, by e-mail ([email protected]), by phone [(405) – 974 – 2255], or in person: Math & Computer Science building, NE entrance. Schedule of classes: Week 1: August 23 (Tuesday) and 25 (Thursday) Natives and Strangers in Latin America, c.1500 - Read Chasteen, Chap. 1 - Silverblatt, 1-108. Week 2: August 30 (T) and September 1 (R) Europeans Arrive: The Colonial Period - Read: Chasteen,