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Course Description A survey of the history of the republics of Latin America since independence that concentrates on the political evolution of these nations and the social and economic institutions of each nation and the region. Special attention will be given to the contrast between the urban and rural cultures and economies, as well as the political and economic relations of the region with the world and the United States.Required Text Thomas E. Skidmore & Peter H. Smith, Modern Latin America, Fourth Ed.
Attendance The class meets three hours each week, not including district holidays. Students enrolled in the course are expected to arrive on time and attend each meeting, as class participation is important for success in the course. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class by handout sheet up until the official deadline for dropping a class, Friday, March 10. If you find it impossible to continue attending this class, you are expected to personally drop the class. If you stop attending the class after the official drop deadline and your name is still on the grade sheet at the end of the semester, an "F" grade may be entered next to your name. Evaluation Student grades are based upon the following criteria:
Examinations There will be a take-home mid-term essay exam, and a take-home final exam. The objective of these exams will be for you to express what you have learned during the course from the lectures, films, and readings. The topics for the exams will be discussed in class in the weeks before they are assigned. Each examination will be worth 100 points. Project Each student will complete an individual project on a topic of their choice, after consultation with your professor. This may include the review of a book or novel on Latin America, or a research project that may or may not include a classroom presentation. The topic and nature of your project must be submitted for approval no later than by the end of the ninth week of the course, March 24. The deadline for the completion of the project is Monday, April 24. The project is worth 100 points of your final score. Important Deadlines
Course Reading Assignments Texts should be read the week they are listed, and in the order that they are listed, for discussion the following week. Week 1 January 18-21. Skidmore & Smith, Prologue and chapter 1, “The Colonial Foundations,” pp. 13-26
Week 2 January 24-28. Skidmore & Smith, chapter 1, “The Colonial Foundations,” pp. 26-41.
Week 3 January 31-February 4. Skidmore & Smith, chapter 2, “The Transformation of Modern Latin America.”
Week 4 February 7-11. Skidmore & Smith, chapter 3, “Argentina,” pp. 68-92.
Week 5 February 14-16. Skidmore & Smith, chapter 3, “Argentina,” pp. 92-113. Mid-term exam assigned
Week 6 February 23-25. Skidmore & Smith, chapter 4, “Chile,” pp. 114-146.
Week 7 February 28-March 3. Skidmore & Smith, chapter 5, “Brazil,” pp. 147-162.
Week 8 March 6-10. Skidmore & Smith, chapter 5, “Brazil,” pp. 162-188. Mid-term exam due—Deadline March 10.
Spring Break March 13-17
Week 9 March 20-24. Skidmore & Smith, chapter 6, “Peru.” Project approval Deadline - Friday, March 24
Week 10 March 27-31. Skidmore & Smith, chapter 7, “Mexico.”
Week 11 April 3-7. Skidmore & Smith, chapter 8, “Cuba.”
Week 12 April 10-14. Skidmore & Smith, chapter 9, “The Caribbean.”
Week 13 April 17-21 Skidmore & Smith, chapter 10, “Central America.” Final exam assigned
Week 14 April 24-28. Skidmore & Smith, chapter 11, “Latin America, The United States, and the World,” pp. 359-380. Project Deadline—Monday, April 24.
Week 15 May 1-5. Skidmore & Smith, chapter 11, “Latin America, The United States, and the World,” pp. 380-399; chapter 12, “Epilogue. What Future for Latin America?”
Week 16 May 8-12. Review
Exam Week May 15-19. No class meetings. Final exam Deadline - Wednesday, May 17.
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