FALL 2007
CORE COURSES
HIST 360 - Colonial Latin American History
Ondina González
MWF 11:45am – 12:35pm
MAX: 30
Fulfills LACS Major/Minor Requirement
DESCRIPTION: This course provides an introduction to the history of colonial Latin America from before the conquest in the late fifteenth century to just before the movements for independence in the early nineteenth century. The focus will be primarily on the Native American and European backgrounds of the colonies, the conquest and its effects, the development of different aspects of the empire (e.g. economic, social, political), and the rise of the independence movements.
LAS 101 - Introduction to Latin American Studies
Ricardo Gutiérrez-Mouat
TUTH 11:30am - 12:45pm
MAX: 70
Fulfills LACS Major/Minor Requirement
DESCRIPTION: Did the Aztecs really believe that conquering Spaniards were gods on horseback? Was Che Guevara portrayed accurately in the film “The Motorcycle Diaries”? And why would anyone compose a Broadway musical about Evita Perón? We will tackle all of these questions—and more—in LAS 101. The course is an introduction to Latin America as a region, and to the Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) Program at Emory. Readings and lectures cover a variety of disciplines and perspectives, including history, anthropology, political science, economics, literature, and cultural studies. The course offers an overview of Latin America’s past, present and future—but focuses primarily on the contemporary period, highlighting important developments in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico and Cuba.
TEXTS :
Peter Winn, Americas
Other readings TBA
GRADES: Quizzes and short assignments 15%; Midterm Exam 40%; Final Exam 45%
SPAN 300WR - Reading in Spanish: Texts and Contexts
Various Faculty
MWF Multiple Sessions
MAX: 12 per session
Fulfills LACS Major/Minor Requirement
DESCRIPTION: A course in Hispanic cultural literacy and critical skills that also develops students' reading ability, vocabulary, and ability to express ideas in writing. The course is designed to give students a broad understanding of Hispanic culture that will prepare them for upper level course work. The primary reading text is Carlos Fuentes' El espejo enterrado. As students read this text, they will learn about the history, geography, values, art, and literature of the Hispanic world, and they will also learn how to critique particular perspectives of these various facets of culture. Supplementary texts are also used.
TEXTS :
Carlos Fuentes. El espejo enterrado. 1992
PREREQUISITES: SPANISH 212 or 215, OFFICIAL SPANISH PLACEMENT from the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, or permission of the Director of the Language Program.
LAS COURSES
LAS 190 - The Brazilian Forest: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Environmental Issues
(Same as PORT 190)
Ana Santos-Olmsted
MWF 2:00pm - 2:50pm
MAX: LAS 5; PORT 13
DESCRIPTION: This course will examine how various peoples and institutions have reacted to and portrayed the Amazon region. In particular, it will focus on the contrasting visions of the Rain Forest as a tropical paradise and an area of intense polemic and controversies for both its inhabitants and outsiders. A variety of fictional writings, non fiction narratives, and articles written by scholars and the press, as well as videos and movies that provide a concept and a set of cultural values related to the Amazonian ecosystem will be discussed throughout the semester.
LAS 190 - Creole: Master Key to the Caribbean
(Same as IDS 190)
Robert Goddard
TTh, 8:30am - 9:45am
MAX: LAS 10; IDS 8
DESCRIPTION: Celebrated by many for exemplifying cultural richness, linguistic diversity, and racial pluralism, and blamed by others for consolidating ethnic hierarchies, the Creole concept has been called the master key of Caribbean history and identity. This class will introduce the major writings of creole theorists from the French, Spanish and English Caribbean, with a comparative look at similar concepts from mainland Latin America, and will pose the intriguing question of why a similar New World identity never developed in North America.
TEXTS: TBA
PARTICULARS: Student evaluation will be based on a number of short papers and oral presentations.
LAS 270 - Introduction to the Art and Architecture of Ancient Mesoamerica (Same as ARTHIST 225)
Laura Brannen
MWF 9:35am - 10:25am
MAX: LAS 5; ARTHIST 30
DESCRIPTION: This introductory course covers the arts of the indigenous cultures of ancient Mexico and upper Central America from 1500 B.C. – A.D. 1550. Media include architecture, featherwork, textiles, ceramics, sculpture, jade, and metal. Cultures include: West Mexican, Olmec, Teotihuacan, Veracruz, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec, with an emphasis on the Maya and the Aztec. Original works of art in the Michael C. Carlos Museum will be featured.
TEXTS:
Mary Ellen Miller. Art of Mesoamerica from Olmec to Aztec, 4 th edition
Mary Ellen Miller. Maya Art and Architecture
Richard F. Townsend. The Aztecs
PARTICULARS: No prerequisites; two short papers; three hourly exams
LAS 270 - The Making of Modern Latin America: Reading Problems and Debates in Modern Latin American History through Their Representations
(Same as HIST 211)
Uri Rosenheck
MWF 12:50pm – 1:40pm
MAX: LAS 10; HIST 30
DESCRIPTION: Visual objects can teach us much about the society that
created them, and are excellent sources to the study of past societies. This course is designed to introduce the history and problems of modern Latin America through the use of its vibrant cultural scene. Starting with the creation
of the new republics in the beginning of the 19 th century, and ending in the
re-democratization at the end of the 20 th century, we will look into key issues and debates in Latin American history. These include, among others, the creation of nation states and the formation of national identity, the "problem" of the Indian in the Andes, the Mexican and the Cuban revolutions, Latin America – U.S. relations, protest under dictatorships, human rights advocacy, and pacification and re-democratization after the "dirty wars." We will use mainly, but not exclusively,
non-textual sources, such as, photographs, posters, murals, tapestries, cartoons, caricatures, and of course - films.
TEXTS: Each week the readings will cover historical background and methodological issues. The course textbook is E. Bradford Burns and Julie A. Charlip, Latin America: an Interpretive History, 8 th edition, Pearson Prentic Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2007. All other readings are on electronic reserve through the Woodruff Library and the course Blackboard website.
PARTICULARS: During the course you will write short responses to the reading every second week; take a map quiz; turn in a personal analysis of a primary source to your choice from the list at the end of the syllabus; finally, both the midterm and the final exam will have the same format: a home portion (a long essay response to a question), and in-class short essay identifications.
LAS 270 - History and Text: Conflict and the Search for Identities in Modern Latin America
(Same as HIST 241)
Alicia L. Monroe
TUTH 2:30pm - 3:45pm
MAX: LAS 5; HIST 15
DESCRIPTION: Intense investment in national identities emerged in post-independence Spanish and Portuguese America, despite pervasive economic inequality and violent, authoritarian regimes. What factors explain the contradictions between officially, inclusive, nationalist sloganeering and raging political, ethnic, and class conflict? How did the inhabitants of the newly independent countries of nineteenth century Latin America see themselves and how did they fashion what it meant to be Argentine, Brazilian, or Mexican for example?
This course explores fictional and non-fictional texts to examine how national identities emerged from colonial legacies. Class participants will analyze texts to see what issues created conflict and what issues fostered unification and national consolidation. We will use a variety of published primary and secondary sources including letters, diaries, poetry, novels, and etcetera to generate discussion and analysis.
TEXTS:
Samuel Baily.One family, two worlds: an Italian family's correspondence across the Atlantic, 1901-1922, New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press,1988
Miguel Barnet, ed., Biography of a Runaway Slave, Willimantic, CT: Curbstone Press, 1994
Elisabeth Burgos-Debray, ed. I Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Women inGuatemala, London: Verso, 1984
Carolina Maria de Jesus. Child of the Dark: the Diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus, New York: Dutton, 1962
Octavio Paz. Labyrinth of Solitude, New York: Grove Press, 1985
Mauricio Rosencof. Letters that Never Came, Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 2004
Esmeralda Santiago. When I Was Puerto Rican, 1st ed., New York: Vintage Books, 1994
Domingo S. Sarmiento. Facundo: Civilization and Barbarism, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2003
LAS 270 – From Conquistadors to Cricket: A Synoptic view of Caribbean History since 1500
(Same as HIST 285, IDS 385)
Robert Goddard
TTh 4:00pm - 5:15pm
MAX: LAS 10; HIST 5; ILA 5
DESCRIPTION: Can communism outlive Castro in Cuba? Will the French tricolor forever fly over Martinique and Guadeloupe? This contrast between militant anti-imperialism and colonial dependency is one of many that will be examined in this course, in which students will be introduced to the history behind an astonishing array of Caribbean nationalisms, from constitutional democracy in some territories to dictatorship in others. The course will not only explore the regional differences, from geography to constitutional history, but also some of the broad similarities, including a common experience of coerced labor, plantation agriculture and racialized structures of cultural and political difference.
TEXTS: TBA
PARTICULARS: Student evaluation will be based on a number of short papers and oral presentations.
LAS 385 - The History of Cuba: 1500 - Present
(Same as HIST 385)
Ondina González
MWF 9:35am - 10:25am
MAX: LAS 10; HIST 20
DESCRIPTION: This course is an examination of Cuban history from the arrival of the Spaniards to the present. Special attention will be given to Cuba's role within the colonial empire, slavery and its long-term social impact, the events leading up to the 1959 revolution, and the current social and political environment.
TEXTS: There is no textbook for this course; instead students will read a variety of monographs and testimonial literature. Additionally, the longer readings will be supplemented by various articles and by selected chapters in The Cuba Reader.
PARTICULARS: In addition to doing all the reading assignments, students are expected to write several short papers on specific readings, to lead class discussion at least once in the semester, to participate actively in class discussions, and to complete a take-home final exam.
LAS 385 - Latin American Politics
(Same as POLS 331)
Juan del Aguila
MWF 9:35am - 10:25am
MAX: LAS 10; POLS 35
DESCRIPTION: This course offers a broad interpretation of Latin American politics and government from developmental and cultural perspectives. Significant issues shaping contemporary politics will also be discussed, namely democratization, neoliberal economic models, human rights and the tension between militarism and democratic legitimacy.
TEXTS:
Charles Blake. Politics in Latin America (2005)
Thomas Skidmore and Peter Smith. Modern Latin America, 6th edition (2005)
PARTICULARS:
Examinations - midterm and final
Papers - one 15-17 page research paper
Grading - midterm 30%, final 40%, paper 30%
Prerequisites-Some background in comparative politics or Latin American Studies is useful.
LAS 490S - Marginality, Memory and Identity
(Same as HIST 489S, JS 490S)
Nathan Wachtel
W 4:00pm - 6:00pm
MAX: LAS 3; JS 3; HIST 3
DESCRIPTION: This seminar will concentrate on two case studies of peoples who found themselves culturally and politically marginalized. —These groups, the Uru Indians of Bolivia and the Crypto-Jews of Latin America (also sometimes referred to as marranos and conversos), were both dominated during the course of the sixteenth century but managed to endure until today. In addition to examining the strategies used by these two groups to survive, we will analyze how their collective memory served as an essential component of their unique identities. Moreover, both cases permit the scholar to investigate the relationship between anthropological fieldwork and historical investigation. By linking the early modern period to contemporary ethnographic work, this course also allows reflection about the role of history in anthropology and anthropology in history.
LAS 490RS - Democracy in Latin America
(Same as POLS 490S)
Juan del Aguila
TH 1:00pm - 4:00pm
MAX: LAS 4; POLS 8
DESCRIPTION: Analysis and critical evaluation of democracy in Latin America, focusing on institutional development, political culture, elections and political leadership. Course examines the extent to which recent transformations may endure, or become vulnerable to authoritarian reversals.
TEXTS:
Peter Smith. Democracy in Latin America (2005)
Howard Wiarda. Dilemmas of Democracy in Latin America (2005)
PARTICULARS:
Examinations: take-home final exam
Papers: one 20-25 page research paper
Grading: final exam 40%, research paper 40%; class presentations 20%
Other: Students expected to make several presentations to the class based on literature to be read. Individual presentations will be followed by analysis and discussion among class members and the instructor. Course will be run like a graduate seminar, and thus require substantial reading on a weekly basis. Extensive participation is expected because this is not a standard upper division lecture course, but rather one where an extensive review of the literature will provide much of the substance. Prerequisites: Some prior work in Comparative Politics or Latin American and Caribbean STudies would be helpful.
LAS 490S - Drawing the Line: The Mexico-U.S. Frontera and Its Stories
(Same as SPAN 460S)
Vialla Hartfield-Méndez
MWF 10:40am -11:30am
MAX: LAS 3; SPAN 12
DESCRIPTION: This course explores the history of the Mexico-U.S. border from colonial notions of boundaries in New Spain through the Mexican-American War and the Mexican Revolution to the twentieth-century concept of "borderlands" and the present cultural and political tangle of migration, fence building, globalization, and multiple borderland spaces, not all of them located at the official dividing line. Through reading (or viewing) and discussing various kinds of texts (crónicas, treaties and other government documents, fiction, poetry, music, visuals arts and film), students will gain a critical understanding of the ideological, political and cultural constructions of la frontera.
TEXTS AND FILMS: By Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Francisco I Madero, Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Gloria Anzaldúa, Carlos Fuentes, Rubén Martínez, Daniel Sada, José Manuel Valenzuela Arce, Humberto Crosthwaite, John Sayles, Larry Baza, Rosario Sanmiguel, Alejandro González Iñárritu.
Other sources: Treaties such as the Tratado de Guadalupe, dispatches from Henry Lane Wilson, cartography, official correspondence and other political documents, photography, visual art, and corridos.
PARTICULARS: Attendance and class participation (20%), written reading / viewing responses (20%), two research/writing projects (50%), and a final portfolio (10%).
LAS 490SWR - Piracy in the Caribbean
(Same as HIST 489SWR)
Ondina González
TH 2:30pm - 4:30pm
MAX: LAS 4; HIST 8
DESCRIPTION: After reading secondary sources on the social, political, and economic environment that helped create and sustain piracy in the Caribbean during the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, as a class we will work with a variety of primary resources in order to help students develop research skills.
TEXTS: In addition to a variety of articles and book chapters, we will use primary resources that might include putative first-hand accounts of piracy, court records, and contemporary depictions of piracy in literature and art.
PARTICULARS: Student-written papers based on specific reading assignments and shared with classmates will largely form the basis for class discussions. Students are expected to participate actively in those discussions as well as lead class at least once in the semester, produce a 16-24 page final paper based on original research, and present that research to the class.
LAS 495A– Honors Thesis I
LACS Faculty
No set meeting time
Fulfills Emory College Honors Program requirement
DESCRIPTION: First semester of Honors Program thesis writing for those students participating in the College Honors Program
PREREQUISITES: Enrollment limited to program majors who qualify to participate in the Honors Program.
LAS 495BWR – Honors Thesis II
LACS Faculty
No set meeting time
Fulfills Emory College Honors Program requirement
DESCRIPTION: Second semester of Honors Program thesis writing for those students participating in the College Honors Program.
PREREQUISISTES: Must have completed LAS 495A.
LAS 497R – Independent Research in Latin American and Caribbean Studies
LACS Faculty
No set meeting time
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