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 » MIT OpenCourseWare » Foreign Languages and Literatures » Introduction to Latin American Studies, Spring 2002

Calendar

CLASS # TOPICS CLASS ACTIVITY READINGS ASSIGNMENTS
1 Introduction Introductions and review of syllabus.
2

Historical Inheritances and Current Realities

Latin America as a "living museum." Review of data on the region.
  • Márquez, Gabriel García. "Big Mama's Funeral."
  • Winn, Peter. "A View from the South " and "Legacies of Empire." Chap. 1 and 2 in Americas: The Changing Face of Latin America and the Caribbean. Pp. 2-83.
3 Same as above Class discussion of Big Mama's Funeral. Same as above
4 The Legacies of Conquest and Slavery Lecture: The Conquest of Mexico
  • Winn, Peter. "A Question of Color." Chap. 8 in Americas: The Changing Face...
  •  Isabel Allende, House of the Spirits. Begin reading. (Pay attention to the names of the women.)
 Map Test.
5 Same as above

Guest Lecture by Professor Melissa Nobles (Political Science, MIT): "Money Whitens: Race, Color, and Class in Brazil."

 Same as above
6 Development and Underdevelopment in Latin America Lecture: Theories of Development.
  • Klaren, Peter F. "Lost Promise: Explaining Latin American Underdevelopment."
  • Frank, André Gunder. "The Development of Underdevelopment."
  • Santos, Teodoro dos. "The Structure of Dependence."
  • Haber, Steven. "Assessing the Obstacles to Industrialization: The Mexican Economy, 1830-1940."
  • Allende, Isabel. House of the Spirits. Continue reading. (Make sure to read the story about the chinchillas.)
7 Same as above Structural adjustment and market-oriented reform (30 minutes). Same as above Extemporaneous class presentations (50 minutes)
8 Development, Underdevelopment, and Politics in Chile

Lecture: Chilean history to 1970.
  • Allende, Isabel. The House of the Spirits. Finish reading.
  • Valenzuela, Arturo. "Chile: Origins, Consolidation, and Breakdown of a Democratic Regime."
  • Film: The House of the Spirits (Hollywood's version of Isabel Allende's novel)
9 Same as above Class discussion of The House of the Spirits. Same as above First paper (4 pages) due by two days after class #9
10 Military Rule in Chile (and elsewhere) Lecture: The fall of Salvador Allende.
  • Valenzuela, Arturo. "Chile: Origins, Consolidation, and Breakdown of a Democratic Regime."
  • Spooner, Mary Helen. Soldiers in a Narrow Land: The Pinochet Regime in Chile.
  • Film: The Battle for Chile (Parts I and II) by Patricio Guzmán. [Please note that this film is quite long!]
11 Same as above

Lecture: Bureaucratic-authoritarianism in Latin America.

 Same as above
12 Re-democratization in Chile (and elsewhere)

Lecture: The breakdown of the Old Regime and Transition to Democracy.
  • Valenzuela, Arturo. "Chile: Origins, Consolidation, and Breakdown of a Democratic Regime."
  • Spooner, Mary Helen. Soldiers in a Narrow Land: The Pinochet Regime in Chile.
  • Lembel, Pedro. "Soccer and Devotion in the Barrios of Santiago."
  • Karl, Terry, and Philippe C. Schmitter. "What Democracy is…and is Not."
13 Same as above Lecture: What is democracy? Is Chile democratic? Same as above First paper rewrite due by two days after class #13
14 Civil-military Relations in Latin America Lecture: Establishing Civilian Control Over the Military.
  • Huntington, Samuel P. "The Torturer Problem" and "The Praetorian Problem."
  • Mendez, Juan E. "Accountability for Past Abuses."
  • Moulian, Tomas. "Report on Chile: The Arrest and the Aftermath."
  • Additional articles on Pinochet case, as appropriate.
15 Same as above Same as above

Class Debate: prosecute & punish or forgive & forget?

Second paper (4 pages) due by 4 days after class #15
16

Religion and Religious Experience

 Lecture: Traditional Catholicism, Liberation Theology, Evangelical Protestantism, and African Spiritism.
  • Winn, Peter. "The Power and the Glory." Chap. 10 in Americas: The Changing Face...
  • Levine, Daniel H., and Scott Mainwaring. "Religion and Popular Protest in Latin America."
  • Burdick, John. "Rethinking the Study of Social Movements: The Case of Christian Base Communities in Urban Brazil."
  • Film: Americas Video #8: Miracles Are Not Enough.
17 The Revolutionary Option

Guest Lecture: Prof. James Howe (Department of Anthropology, MIT):
Rebellion in Latin America.
  • Winn, Peter. "Children of the Sun." Chap. 7 in Americas: The Changing Face...
  • Winn, Peter. "Making Revolution." Chap. 13 in Americas: The Changing Face...
  • Cragan, Margaret, and Peter Smith. "The State of Revolution in the Americas."
  • Hoskin, Gary, and Gabriel Murillo Castano. "Can Colombia Cope?"
  • Film: Americas Video: Revolution.
18 Same as above Lecture: The Causes and Consequences of Revolution in Latin America. Same as above Second paper rewrite due two days after class #18.
19 Revolution, Violence, and the Rule of Law in Colombia

Lecture: The rule of law in Latin America: Guilty until proven rich.
  • Winn, Peter. Americas: The Changing Face of Latin America and the Caribbean. Pp. 471-485.
  • Hartlyn, Jonathan. "Colombia: The Politics of Violence and Accommodation."
  • Berquist, Charles. "Waging War and Negotiating Peace: The Contemporary Crisis in Historical Perspective."
20 Same as above Same as above Class Breakout groups on Colombian situation.
21 The Rule of Law in Brazil See the film Central Station.
  • Holston, James, and Teresa P. R. Caldeira. "Democracy, Law, and Violence: The Disjunctions of Brazilian  Citizenship."
  • Holston, James. "The Misrule of Law: Land and Usurpation in Brazil."
  • Film: Central Station.
22 Same as above Same as above

Group class presentations: How should land disputes in Brazil be resolved?
23 The Old Regime and the Second Mexican Revolution Lecture: The Revolution of 1910 and the Old Regime.
  • Camp, Roderic Ai. Politics in Mexico: The Decline of Authoritarianism. Pp. 21-52, 179-205.
  • Krauze, Enrique. Mexico: Biography of Power: A History of Modern Mexico, 1810-1996. Pp. 549-557, 543-45.
  • Lawson, Chappell. "Mexico's Unfinished Transition: Democratization and Authoritarian Enclaves in Mexico."
  • Film: La ley de Herodes. (In Spanish, no subtitles)
24 Same as above Lecture: Democratization and the rule of law in Mexico. Same as above Third paper (4 pages) due by 2 days after class #24
25 Wrap-up, review, and questions on final exam

Class discussion of Big Mama's Funeral.
  • Márquez, Gabriel García. "Big Mama's Funeral."
  • Winn, Peter. Epilogue: "Latin America and the Caribbean at 2000: A New Millenium?" In Americas: The Changing Face...Pp. 601-608
26 Same as above

Wrap-up, Review, and Questions of the Final Exam.

 Same as above Five days after last class: Final Examination Week
 
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