Latin American and Latino Studies

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Latin American and Latino Studies - Winter 1999

[LALS-001-01][LALS-100A-01][LALS-129F-01][LALS-194N-01]

LALS 001: Introduction to Latin American and Latino Studies

Instructor: Susanne Jonas
Office: Merrill 110
Phone: 9-3232, 9-2855-message
E-mail: sjonas@ucsc.edu
Office Hours: Wed. 1-4, Th. 11-12 or by appointment

Course Description: This course provides an introduction to the study of Latin America and Latinos in the US,
from an interdisciplinary social science perspective. Although we introduce Latin America historically,
our main emphases will be contemporary. We will also focus on cross-border realities and issues facing
Latino populations in the U.S. We will place a very strong emphasis on learning directly from Latin Americans and
Latinos in order to give you a greater understanding of their intellectual, political, and cultural traditions;
therefore, many of ourreadings are by Latin American and Latino writers and actor/participants.

You will have the opportunity to hear lectures by some of UC Santa Cruz's leading Latin Americanists and
Latino scholars. This course is designed to prepare you to pursue your interests in Latino and
Latin American issues generally, and in LALS at UCSC.

Course Readings:
Required readings are:
1) Course Reader (available in class); 2) Mark Rosenberg, et al. (eds.) Americas (at Bay Tree);
and 3) maps (at Bay Tree).

James Cockcroft, Neighbors in Turmoil, and (also by Cockcroft), Latin America, and Thomas Skidmore
and Peter Smith,Modern Latin America, will be on reserve at McHenry Library for use in preparing
country case studies.

Course Requirements and Evaluations:
1) a written case study of a country you will "adopt";
2) a midterm
examination;
3) a final examination;
4) smaller written assignments (maps,
news summaries, personal identity statement);
5) regular class attendance and keeping up with course
readings;
6) attendance at discussion sections (which are required,
and at which you should be prepared to discuss the readings and to
raise your other questions). There will also be opportunities to
raise questions and discuss issues in class.

NOTE: 1) Class (as well as section) attendance is mandatory;all absences should be excused.
2) If for some reason you should need to take an "Incomplete" in this class, you must negotiate it
ahead of time with the Instructor including the deadlineor turning in the work and the forms.

TOPICS AND SESSIONS
Precise dates and session details to be adjusted for Winter 1999.

I. Introduction and Overview; Latinos and Latin Americans Across Borders

Course Introduction (1/8)

II. Political Economy of Latin America

The Conquest and Latin America's Integration into the World Economy (1/13)
Readings: Galeano & Country Profiles in Reader, Sec. I

The Colonial Experience (Guest Lecture: David Sweet) (1/15)
Readings: Bray, Stein & Stein, "Colonial Economy," in Reader, Sec. II
Assignments:
1) Maps (due in section)
2) Start browsing through Cockcroft or Skidmore and Smith (on reserve), choose a country to "adopt"

The Colonial and Neo-Colonial Legacy: Agro-Export Model, Land Tenure (1/20)
Readings: Stein & Stein, "Economic Basis" in Reader
Chap. 2 in Rosenberg

Plantation Economy : Film "Sugar Cane Alley" (1/22)
Readings: Beckford in Reader

Industrialization and Import-Substitution; Theories of Development
(Modernization and Dependency) (1/27, 1/29)
Readings: Isbister, Dos Santos, Valenzuela & Valenzuela, in Reader
Chap. 3 (especially 3.4, 3.5, 3.7) and 4.1 in Rosenberg

Sustainable Development vs. Neoliberalism (2/3)
Film: "The Burning Season"
Readings: Mendes, Berger
Written Assignment: relate these concepts to your "adopted" country in a formally written essay
due the week of 1/27 (specific guidelines to be given)

Structural Adjustment & the Debt Crisis (Guest Lecture: Manuel Pastor) (2/5)
Readings: Pastor, Walton, \f2New York Times\f1 1990 & 1994

III. Social Structures and Social Movements: Class, Race, Gender

Social Class Structure (2/10)

Readings: Portes, Lomnitz, Torres-Rivas in Reader, Sec. III
Chap. 5 in Rosenberg

Ethnicity and the Legacies of Conquest: 1992 and Beyond (2/12)
Readings: Declaration of Quito, Galeano, Rojas, Mench\*'u in Reader
Chap. 6 in Rosenberg
ssignment: MIDTERM WILL BE HANDED OUT ON 2/12 (to be completed partly in class)

FEBRUARY 17: EXCHANGE DAY

Assignment: TURN IN MIDTERM ON 2/19 AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS

Gender and Women's Participation in Social Movements (2/19)
Readings: Domitila, Safa, Navarro in Reader
Chap. 7 in Rosenberg

IV. Chicano/Latino History, Immigration, the Border, and Chicanas/Latinas in the U.S.

History of Chicanos in the Southwest (Guest Lecture: Pedro Castillo) (2/24)
Readings: Acuna, Martinez in Reader, Sec. IV
Chap. 12 in Rosenberg

Latin American Immigration to the US (2/26)
Readings: Cockcroft, CIRRS, Wilson, Ross, Malone, Bacon in Reader
Film: "El Norte" (some evening, week of 2/24 or 3/3)

Chicanas/Latinas in the U.S. (3/3)
Reading: "Women's Voices" selections in Reader
Chap. 9 in Rosenberg

V. Politics: State and Revolution

State and Society; Mexican Revolution (Guest Lecture: Jonathan Fox) (3/5)
Readings: Huntington, Jonas/Stein, Cockcroft, Poniatowska in Reader, Sec. IV
Chap. 4 in Rosenberg

Cuban Revolution and Revolutions in Central America (3/10)
Readings: Blackburn, Fagen, Jonas, Berryman in Reader
Chap. 11 in Rosenberg
Assignment: news summary for section

VI. International Factors: US Policy, Free Trade & NAFTA

US Policy Responses to Latin American Revolution (3/12)
Readings: LeoGrande, Kirkpatrick and Fuentes in Reader, Sec. V
Chap. 10 in Rosenberg

NAFTA, Chiapas and the Future of Latin America (3/17)
Readings: Morici, Pastor, Shaiken, Aguilar Zinser, Tabio, "Zapatistas Speak,"
Mora, Galeano, Fuentes in Reader
Assignment: GET TAKE-HOME FINAL ON 3/17 (DUE 3/24)

Latin American & Latino Studies 100A-Politics and Society: Concepts and Methods

Professor: Jonathan Fox

This course reviews key social science concepts and methods in Latin
American and Latino Studies, focusing on politics and power relations.
When someone says "studies show..." -- how do we really know whether they
show what they say? The course reviews diverse analytical strategies in
order to better understand different ways of framing and addressing
research questions. We will assess explanatory arguments and develop
research skills, drawing from a wide range of social science disciplines.

The course begins by introducing different ways of approaching a single
research question ö in this case, the politics of Latino access to high
school education. We'll look at studies that tackle this issue with diverse
frameworks: qualitative and quantitative, macro and micro, theoretical and
empirical. The second section of the course looks at how to "unpack"
research questions, such as how to identify analystsâ assumptions,
assessing the role of indicators, the reasoning behind quantitative
methods, and several different approaches to comparative case study
methods. The final section of the course focuses on different ways to apply
selected concepts in Latin American and Latino Studies, highlighting
ethnicity and political participation, environmental justice, gender and
the construction of civil society.

Required coursework includes: three short written exercises (4-5 pages),
regular lecture attendance, class participation and a takehome final exam
based on the readings and lectures. Required readings will be based on a
course reader with selected articles along with two required texts: F.
Chris Garcia, ed., Pursuing Power: Latinos and the Political System (Notre
Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1997) and Laura Pulido,
Environmentalism and Economic Justice: Two Chicano Struggles in the
Southwest (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1996).

This course is designed primarily for LALS majors, but it is open to other
students who have some relevant background (by permission of the professor).

LALS 129F: Mexican Folklorico Dance

(two credits)

Professor: Olga Nájera-Ramírez
Office: Social Sciences I, Room 406
Phone: 4677
Email: olga@ucsc.edu
Office hours: Wed. 1-3 P.M & by appt.

Description

This class provides instruction in the aesthetic, cultural, and historical dimensions of Mexican Folklorico dance. Students will be taught choreograhped dances from various regions of Mexico and will also learn dance techniques (técnica) and stage make-up application. Additional workshops and lectures are offered to supplement the class. This course is open to all students; no previous experienced is required.

Format

This class is designed to offer 2 units of credit to student members of Grupo Folklorico Los Mejicas de UCSC but members are not required to enroll in the course. Classes are held in the Eastfield Activities Room on the following dates and times.

Monday: 7-9 PM

Friday: 6-8 PM

Sunday: 5-7 PM

Requirements:

1. Students enrolled in this course must attend and actively participate in at least 75% of the sessions in order to pass the course. Roll will be taken at each class meeting.

2. Attire--comfortable clothing is a must (shorts, sweats) as are taped dance shoes. Tennis shoes or sandals are not appropriate for rehearsals.Avoid wearing jewelery (long earrings, watches, rings). Long hair should be put in a ponytail or swept up in a bun. Please do not chew gum during practice or performances.

LALS 194N: Las Izquierdas en América Latina-Ayer, Hoy y Mañana

Instructor: Susanne Jonas
Horas de Oficina (Merrill 110): mier. 1-4, jueves 11-12
Telefono: Ext. 9-3232; 9-2855 para mensajes
E-Mail: sjonas@ucsc.edu

Este seminario en español (que puede ser usado por estudiantes de LALS para su
"requisito de salida") se enfocará sobre la historia y las herencias de los movimientos
populares y revolucionarios durante las décadas de los '60, '70, y '80, sus transformaciones
durante las décadas de los '80 y '90, y las perspectivas para los movimientos de izquierda en
América Latina en vísperas del siglo XXI. Dado que este seminario se realiza en español, se
basa principalmente en los escritos de análisis de autores latinoamericanos y los testimonios
de participantes, activistas y líderes de los movimientos de izquierda. Aúnque la organizacíon
del seminario será algo histórica/cronológica (comenzando con los años '50 y '60), el enfoque
principal enfatizará las evaluaciones y reevaluaciones más contemporaneas &emdash; acerca de los
movimientos del pasado y presente; también vamos a discutir las nuevas perspectivas para el
futuro. Finalmente, en esta época de la integración hemisférica, en que vivimos en "las Américas,"
habrá unasección sobre estrategias pro-justicia social de parte de los movimientos e alianzas
trans-fronterizas &emdash; entre latinos en los EE.UU. y latinoamericanos.
(GE Code E).

Bases para evaluación de estudiantes: Dado que es un seminario, la asistencia a todas
las sesiones es mandatoria; cualquier ausencia necesita justificacion previa. Además, la
participatión y las presentaciones de parte de los estudiantes serán muy importantes.
El trabajo por escrito incluyerá un "take-home midterm" (estilo ensayo) y un estudio/
ensayo de investigación sobre un tema escogido por cada estudiante y aprobado
por la instructora (y presentado al grupo). Todo el trabajo escrito, tanto como las
sesiones del seminario, se realizarán en español.

Lecturas y Recursos: Habrá un texto básico &emdash; La Utopia Desarmada, de Jorge Castañeda,
y un Reader cubriendo una amplia gama de artículos. (Los dos se venderán en la clase.)
Además, habran libros, artículos, etc. en la sección de Reserves de la biblioteca.

Además de los recursos escritos, habrán charlas de parte de participantes lationoamerican, películas
y videos, etc.

SESIONES: (Habrán ajustes para invierno de 1999)

- #1 (sesión #1) (7 de enero);
- introducción al seminario
- #2 (14 de enero):
- la izquierda tradicional (principalmente comunista)
- la revolución cubana y su impacto en América Latina
- el surgimiento de movimientos guerrilleros 'foquistas' durante los '60 y '70

Lecturas: JC, cap. I-III
Reader, Sec. A

- #3-4 (21 y 28 de enero):
- la experiencia chilena (1970-73) y el impacto / los debates sobre la causes de
su derrota
- movimientos guerrilleros urbanos en Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina (durante los
años '70)
- "el camino centroamericano" durante los '70-'80: la revolución Sandinista en
Nicaragua, las insurgencias en El Salvador y Guatemala durante los '70 y '80.

Lecturas: JC, Cap. IV
Reader, Sec. B

NB: 28 de enero: charla de Carlos Fernando Chamorro, uno de los pensadores/
activistas más destacados de Nicaragua, y editor durante más de una década de barricada,
el periódico Sandinista

- #5 (4 de febrero):
- experiencias del Cono Sur y los Andes: re-formación de partidos de izquierda
(PT de Brazil, Frente Amplio de Uruguay, etc.), que han combinado estrategias electorales con
estrategias de movilización de masas
- cuestiones de reformismo, democracia, elecciones y socio-democracia (p.e., en
Chile y el Cono Sur); las revaloraciones de la "democracia" como parte de la agenda de
las izquierdas
- movimientos guerrilleros en Perú y Colombia

Lecturas: JC, Cap. V
Reader, Sec. C

- #6 (11 de febrero)
- nuevos corrientos y nuevos movimientos sociales de las bases ("grassroots") y
su impacto en la ideologia y práctica de las izquierdas latinoamericana (feminismo,
movimientos indígenas y ambientales, la Teología de la Liberación)

Lecturas: JC, Cap. VI-VII
Reader, Sec. D

NB: 11 de febrero, distribución del "Midterm"
18 de febrero, entrega del "Midterm"

- #7-8 (18 y 25 de febrero):
- impacto del la "caida del socialismo europeo" y el fin de la Guerra Fria para las
izquierdas latinoamericanas
- negociaciones de paz en Centroamérica
- la revolución cubana, revisitada

Lecturas: JC, Cap. VIII, XI, XII (IX y X son opcionales)
Reader, Sec. E

- #9 (4 de marzo):
- Chiapas y México: insurrección de los Zapatistas en Chiapas, la Convención
Nacional Democrática; la experiencia del PRD y el nuevo Cardenismo

Lecturas: Reader, Sec. F

- #10 (11 de marzo):
- nuevas realidades en las Américas y nuevos movimientos trans-fronterizas:
el Foro de Sao Paulo; las alianzas entre obreros mexicanos y estadounidenses contra un NAFTA
neoliberal y por los derechos de los migrantes latinoamericanos en EE.UU.
- la resurrección del Ché Guevara
- perspectivas para las izquierdas en las Américas durante el siglo XXI

Lecturas: JC, Cap. XIII-XIV
Reader, Sec. G

Revised 7/27/04.