history 397 modern latin america spring 2019 · feb 1: film (discussion) film: the official story...
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History397ModernLatinAmerica
Spring2019
ProfessorJeffreyRubin
Monday,Wednesday,&Friday1:25PM–2:15PMCAS228
OfficeHours:
Wednesdays,3:00–4:30Thursdays,2:00–3:30
OfficeAddress:
226BayStateRoad,[email protected]
CourseDescription
ThiscoursewillexaminestrugglesforequalityandinclusioninMexico,Argentina,Peru,Chile,Brazil,Venezuela,andBoliviafromthe19thtothe21stcenturies.Wewillbeginbyconsideringnovels,narrativenon-fiction,andfilmto
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situateourselvesinLatinAmericatodayandraisekeyquestionsaboutthepast.Wewillthendiscussissuesofcivilizationandbarbarism,slavery,indigenouslife,gender,andliberalismthatshapedlifeandpoliticsinthe19thcentury.
Inthe20thcentury,whichwillconstitutemostofthecourse,wewillstartwith
theMexicanRevolutionandconcludebyexamininginnovativegrassrootsexperimentsofthe1990sand2000s,includinglandtake-overmovements,Afro-Reggaemusicgroups,andwomen’sorganizations.Inbetween,wewillexaminepoliticalandculturalprocessesthatshaped20thcenturypoliticsandsociallife,includingtheformationoftheMexicanstate,theriseofEvaPeroninArgentina,economicgrowthandshantytownlifeinBrazil,andmilitaryruleandneo-liberaleconomicsinChile.
Throughfocusedcomparisonofseveralthemesandcountriesovertime,wewillseekanunderstandingofbothunderlyingpatternsandnewdirections.Wewilladdressthepersistenceofformsofinequality,authoritarianism,andexclusioninLatinAmerica,theexperiencesandvisionsofdifferentgroupsandclasses,thelivesofspectacularindividualsandexperiments,andthesuccessesandlimitsofdemocracyandeconomicgrowthinrecentdecades.Readings
Thefollowingbooks(3)arerequiredreadingandareavailableforpurchaseatBarnesandNoble:
ONEofthefollowing:Shantytown,byCésarAira(Argentina)TalkingtoOurselves,byAndrésNeuman(Argentina)WaysofGoingHome,byAlejandroZambra(Chile)TheSoundofThingsFalling,byJuanGabrielVásquez(Colombia)Plus:CarolinaMariadeJesus,ChildoftheDarkPeterWinn,WeaversofRevolution
ThesebookswillalsobeonreserveatMugarLibrary.(Buttherewillonlybe
oneortwocopiesofeachbookonreserve.)Linksareprovidedinthesyllabusforreadingsavailabledirectlyonline.All
otherreadingswillbefoundinPDForWorddocumentsonthecoursewebsite(Blackboard).
Itisessentialthatreadingsbeavailabletostudents.Ifthereisaproblemobtainingaparticularreading(if,forinstance,thereadingonthewebsiteis
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incomplete),letmeknowimmediatelybyemailsoIcandosomethingaboutit.Thesamegoesforfilms.CourseRequirementsNews
StudentsareencouragedtoreadtheLatinAmericaDailyBriefingregularlyhttp://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/ThisbriefingconsistsofshortsummariesofthemostimportantnewsarticlesaboutLatinAmericaappearinginLatinAmericanandUSnewspaperseachday.Byreadingthese,youwillgetasenseofwhatishappeninginLatinAmericaduringthesemesterofthecourseandhowhistoricalandcurrenteventswestudyrelatetowhatishappeningthroughouttheregion.
Youcanarrangetoreceivetheblogintheformofadailyemailbysigningup
forthedailynewsbriefingintheupperrighthandcornerofthewebsite.
WritingStudentswillberequiredtodothreekindsofwritingforthecourse.Atthe
endofeachofthefirsttwopartsofthecourse,youwillwritea3-4pagepaperexploringthemesandeventswediscussedinthatpart.Eachofthesepaperswillcountfor15%ofthecoursegrade.
ForPart3ofthecourse,whichconsistsof12classes,eachstudentwillsetup
aLessonsLearneddocumentinGoogleDocsandwrite1–2paragraphsdiscussingideasyouhavehadormaterialyouhavelearnedaftereachclass.(Youwillneedtowritea“lessonslearned”entryforatleast9ofthe12classesinPart3).IwillcommentontheseentriesasPart3progresses.TheLessonsLearneddocumentwillcountfor20%ofthecoursegrade.
ForPart4ofthecourse,eachstudentwillwritea5pagefinalpaperona
countryofyourchoosinginLatinAmerica,discussingwhathasbeenhappeninginthatcountrysince2000inlightofthelessonslearnedinPart3anddrawingonreadingsinPart4toilluminatecurrentevents.Thefinalpaperwillcountfor30%ofthecoursegrade.
WewillnothaveclassonApril29orMay1.Thefinalclasswillbeheldon
FridayApril26.Wewillhavetwo2-houreveningclassmeetings,oneonTuesdayApril23andtheotheronThursdayApril25.Eachstudentmustattendoneoftheeveningclasses.Duringtheseeveningclasses,studentswillpresentthecountriestheyarefocusingonfortheirfinalpapersandtheirideasforrelatingthemtoLessonsLearnedandcurrentevents.FinalpaperswillbedueonSunday,May5.
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Theassignmentsforthethree3–4pagepaperswilltakethefollowingform,
thoughImaymakechangesasweneartheendofeachpartofthecourse,toreflecttheworkwehavedoneinclass:
Ina3-4pagepaperdueFebruary5,attheendofourexplorationof
LatinAmericaToday,youwillidentifyanddiscussatheme/issue/questionthatinterestsyouinthereadingsandfilmswehavecoveredsofarinthecourse.Yourdiscussionwillincludeonenovel,onepieceofnarrative-non-fiction,onefilm,andonearticleorsetofarticlesmentionedintheLatinAmericaDailyBriefing
Ina3-4pagepaperdueFebruary21,attheendofourdiscussionof
socialissuesinthe19thcentury,youwillusethereadingswehavediscussedinclasstodiscusstwoinstanceswheresignificantreformeitheroccurredorwasfoughtfor(orenvisionedinsomeway).Inaddition,youwillidentifyandexplaintwoinstanceswherereformwasnotenvisionedorwasdefeatedandshutdown.
ClassFormatandClassParticipation
Overall,approximately1/3oftheclassesforthiscoursewillbelecturesandabout2/3willbediscussion.Studentswillbeexpectedtoparticipateregularlyandactivelyinclassdiscussion.Thediscussionsinthisclassaregenerallylivelyandinteresting,andtheyarebestwhenmanydifferentpeoplecommentandawidevarietyofviewpointsareexpressed.Classparticipationwillcountfor20%ofthecoursegrade.Iwillbeavailablethroughoutthesemestertodiscussstrategiesforeffectiveclassparticipation,especiallywithstudentswhoarenotaccustomedtospeakinginclass.
Attendanceinclassisrequired.Ifyoumissmorethanthreeclassesduringthe
semester,thenyourgradewillbeloweredonegradeforeverytwoclassesyoumiss(afterthethree).
Everystudent’sexamsandpapersshouldconsistofhisorherownanalysis
andwriting.CasesofsuspectedcheatingorplagiarismwillbedealtwithinaccordwiththeAcademicConductCode.
Films
Severalfilmswillbeshownaspartofthecourse,particularlyinthelastfew
weeksofthesemester.Thesearearequiredpartofthecourseandwillbeincludedinexamsandpaperassignments.Someofthefilmsareavailableonline.Forthose
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filmsnotavailableonline,thelocationsandtimesforgroupshowingsatGeddesLanguageCenterwillbesentbyemail.
FilmsnotavailableonlinewillbeonreserveintheGeddesLanguageCenter
foraweekbeforeclass,sothatstudentscanviewthemindividuallyoringroups.However,youmaynotbeabletoviewthefilmsclosetothetimesoftheshowings.Itismuchbettertoarrangetocometothegroupshowing.
OfficeHours
IamavailableduringofficehourstospeaktostudentsaboutanyaspectofthecourseorbroaderLatinAmericaninterests.Ifyouarehavingdifficultywiththecourseinanyway,youshouldbesuretocomeseemeassoonaspossible.Youshouldalsocomeseemeifsomethingintriguesorpuzzlesyou,ifyouwouldliketoknowmoreaboutatopicortalkaboutitfurther,ifyouareinterestedincontinuingyourstudyofLatinAmerica,etc.Icanbeparticularlyhelpfulwithwaystoimproveyourabilitytoreadandunderstandthematerial,prepareforandcarryoutwrittenassignments,thinkaboutlectures,and,especially,speakinclass.
IntroductionJan23:CourseOverviewPart1:LatinAmericaToday
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Jan25:NarrativeNon-Fiction(DISCUSSION)
ReadorListentoAll:
SubcomandanteMarcos,“TodayWeSayEnoughisEnough,”“WhoShouldAsk
forForgivenessandWhoCanGrantIt?”AnnLouiseBardach,“Mexico’sPoetRebel,”VanityFair,July1994AnaAlderstein,“AStitchinTime,”NPR,July24,2015(radiobroadcast,17
minutes,clickonleft,above“embed,”tohearit)“BertaCáceres,IndigenousActivist,isKilledinHonduras”NewYorkTimes,
March3,2016“IsidroBaldenegro,MexicanEnvironmentalActivist,isShottoDeath”New
YorkTimes,January18,2017Tom Phillips, “Jair Bolsonaro’s Inauguration,” The Guardian, January 1, 2019
Readone:
ElisabethJayFriedmanandConstanzaTabbush,“#NiUnaMenos:NotOne
WomanLess,NotOneMoreDeath!”NACLAReportontheAmericas,November1,2016
LuisGómez,“#Yosoy132”NACLAReportontheAmericas,October26,2012
Skim:JonLeeAnderson,“NicolásMaduro’sAcceleratingRevolution,”TheNew
Yorker,December11,2017
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Jan28:ContemporaryNovels(DISCUSSIONGROUPS)
ReadONEofthefollowingfortodayandcometoclasspreparedtodiscussit:
Shantytown,byCésarAira(Argentina)TalkingtoOurselves,byAndrésNeuman(Argentina)WaysofGoingHome,byAlejandroZambra(Chile)TheSoundofThingsFalling,byJuanGabrielVásquez(Colombia)
Jan30:ContemporaryNovels(PRESENTATIONANDDISCUSSION)Feb1:Film(DISCUSSION)
FILM:TheOfficialStory
AvailableatGeddesforindividualviewing,SP8.013,originaltitleLahistoriaoficial.AvailableatKasker,10418.DV.AvailableforrentalonAmazonPrimeVideo.AvailablethroughKanopyuntil1/31/19.(I’mnotsureifitwillbeavailableonthe31stornot.)
Feb4:Film(DISCUSSION)
FILM:YTuMamáTambién
AvailableonNetflix.ForrentalonAmazon.AvailableatGeddesforindividualviewing,SP8.259,andatKrasker,23367.DV
**3-4pagepaperforPart1dueFeb5by9PM.
Part2:The19thCentury:Civilization,Barbarism,andNation-Building
Feb6:HistoricalContext:WarsofIndependenceandConsolidatingNations
(LECTURE)
JohnChasteen,“Independence”(91–112),inBorninBloodandFire
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Feb8:CivilizationandBarbarism(DISCUSSION)
DomingoSarmiento,“FrontierBarbarism,”inDavidWeberandJaneRausch,
eds.,WhereCulturesMeetNils,Jacobsen,“CivilizationandItsBarbarism:TheInevitabilityofJuan
Bustamante’sFailure,”inJudithEwellandWilliamBeezely,eds.,TheHumanTraditioninLatinAmerica
ChristineHunefeldt,“AtHomeandintheStreets,”inLiberalismintheBedroom
Feb11:EconomicGrowthandPeasantResistance(DISCUSSION)
FlorenciaMallon,“ThePeasantVillageandtheLimitsofPower,”(pp.67-79)and“TheWarofthePacificandtheProblemofInternalPacification,”inTheDefenseofCommunityinPeru’sCentralHighlands
BESURETOREADTOTHEENDOF“THEWAROFTHEPACIFIC”ANDKNOW
WHATHAPPENEDINCOMASANDWHY!Feb13:LiberalisminMexicoandArgentina(LECTURE)
JohnChasteen,“PostcolonialBlues”(119–143)and“Progress”(149-158,
166-17),inBorninBloodandFire
Feb15:WomeninthePublicSphere(DISCUSSION)JamesScobie,“TheCityandtheFactory,”inArgentina,pp.160-176ONLYJune Hahner, “Pioneers for Women’s Rights,” in Emancipating the Female Sex
Feb19(TuesdayClass):WomeninthePublicSphere(DISCUSSION)(WewillcontinuediscussionofScobieandHahnertoday.)DonnaGuy,“PublicHealth,Gender,andPrivateMorality:PaidLaborandtheFormationoftheBodyPoliticinBuenosAires,”GenderandHistory2:3
ChristineHunefeldt,“RedefiningFemaleDomains,”inLiberalismintheBedroom
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Feb20:Slavery(LECTURE)
“SlaveLifeatMorroVelhoMine,”“ScenesfromtheSlaveTrade,”“Crueltyto
Slaves,”“SlaveryandSociety,”“AbolitionDecree,1888,”“LawsRegulatingBeggarsinMinasGerais,1900,”inRobertLevineandJohnCrocitti,eds.,TheBrazilReader
Michael Coniff and Thomas Davis, “Emancipation in Brazil,” in Africans in the Americas
**3-4pagepaperforPart2dueFeb21by9PM.
Part3:The20thCentury:ThePeopleComingontheScene**RemembertosetupaLessonsLearneddocumentinGoogleDocsandtowritean
entryaftereachclassinPart3.(Instructionswillbesentbyemail.)Feb22:TheMexicanRevolution(LECTURE)
GilbertJosephandJürgenBuchenau,Mexico’sOnceandFutureRevolution,pp.
30-85Feb25:TheMexicanRevolutionandPostrevolutionaryMexico(LECTUREAND
DISCUSSION)
NoraHamilton,“CárdenasandtheNewAlliance,”inTheLimitsofStateAutonomy
Feb27:State-BuildingandPoliticsinPost-RevolutionaryMexico
(DISCUSSION)(WewillcontinuediscussionofHamiltontoday.)MaryKayVaughan,“TheConstructionofthePatrioticFestivalin
Tecamachalco,Puebla,1900-1946,inWilliamBeezleyet.al.,eds.,RitualsofRule,RitualsofResistance
MarjorieBecker,“TorchingLaPurísima,DancingattheAltar,”inGilbertJosephandDanielNugent,eds.,EverydayFormsofStateFormation
(OPTIONAL,providescontext:KeenandHaynes,“Cárdenas”)
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Mar1:Mexicointhe1970s(DISCUSSION)
FILM:Roma(availableonNetflix)
Mar4:PeronisminArgentina(LECTURE)
DanielJames,‘Introduction,”“PeronismandtheWorkingClass,”inResistance
andIntegration
(OPTIONAL,providescontext:KeenandHaynes,“TheInfamousDecade”and“ThePeronEra”)
Mar6:SocialMythsandPopularCultureinArgentina(DEBATE)
JulieTaylor,“Introduction,”“TheBiography,”and“TheMyth,”inEvaPerón:
TheMythofaWomanEvaPerón,“AGreatSentiment,”fromLaRazóndeMiVidaNationalInvestigationsCommission,“TheRoleofEvaPerón,”inHelenDelpar,
ed.,TheBorzoiReaderinLatinAmericanHistory
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Mar8:Music,Blackness,andCulturalShiftinBrazil(DISCUSSION)
FILM:BlackOrpheus(1959version),AvailableforrentalonAmazon,orat
GeddesPG8.002,Krasker29591.DV,originaltitleOrfeunegroHermanoVianna,“TheEncounter,”“TheMystery,”and“SambaofMyNative
Land,”inTheMysteryofSamba:PopularMusicandNationalIdentityinBrazil
BarbaraWeinstein,“Introduction,”TheColorofModernityMar18:EconomicDevelopmentinBrazilandLatinAmerica(LECTURE)
“HowBigBusinessGotBrazilHookedonJunkFood,”NYTimes,September
17,2107JakeSpring,“SoyBoomDevoursBrazil’sTropicalSavanna,”Reuters,August
28,2108KeenandHaynes,“Vargas,”“ReformandReaction”
Mar20:PoliticsandtheNationalSecurityStateinBrazil(LECTURE)
KeenandHaynes,“Brazil’sColonialFascism”
March22:LifeinBrazil’sFavelas(DISCUSSION)
FILM:Bus174(Part1)(Part2)CarolinaMariadeJesus,ChildoftheDark(entire)
Mar25:Chile:SocialistReformandMilitaryCoup(LECTURE)
PeterWinn,inWeaversofRevolution,pp.3-7,32-52,53-69,79-119,134-136,
209-226,246-252Mar27:Torture,Disappearance,Terror(DISCUSSION)
FILM:ChileObstinateMemory
JacoboTimerman,“UndertheDictator,”TheNewYorker,November2,1987PeterKornbluh,“DestabilizingDemocracy,”inThePinochetFile
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March29:TheCubanRevolution(LECTURE)
SelectionsfromTheCubaReader:Roosevelt,Castro,Guevara,Matthews,Puebla,Rodriguez,Benjaminet.al.,Lewiset.al,Landau,Paz,Sanchez
Part4:LatinAmericasince2000:TheSecondComingofthePeopleontheScene
April1:Democracy&EconomicDevelopment(DISCUSSION)
FILM:OurBrandisCrisis,(2005,NOTtheSandraBullockversion!)Krasker25859.DVSincethisisnotavailableelsewhere,agroupshowingwillbearranged.
Alejandro Velasco, Barrio Rising: Urban Popular Politics and the Making of
Modern Venezuela, “Introduction (1-17),” “A Weapon as Powerful as the Vote (160-163, 173-179), “Killing Democracy’s Promise (194-197). Available Online.
April3:SocialMovementsandPoliticalInnovationinBrazilI(DISCUSSION)
JohnHammond,"LawandDisorder:TheBrazilianLandlessFarmworkers'Movement,"BulletinofLatinAmericanResearch
RebeccaAbers,“FromClientelismtoCooperation:LocalGovernment,ParticipatoryPolicy,andCivicOrganizinginPortoAlegreBrazil,”inPoliticsandSociety26:4
April5:SocialMovementsandPoliticalInnovationinBrazilII(DISCUSSION)
FILM:FavelaRising
JeffreyRubin,“WhenCulturalActivistsSpeakaBusinessLanguage,”inEnduringReform
April8:NeoliberalismandGlobalization(LECTURE)
PatrickIber,“WorldsApart:Howneoliberalismshapestheglobaleconomyandlimitsthepowerofdemocracies,”TheNewRepublic,April23,2018
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April10:ReligionI(DISCUSSION)
RobertBrenneman,“WrestlingtheDevil:ConversionandExitfromCentralAmericanGangs,”inLivedReligionandLivedCitizenship
OmarEncarnación,“AmidCrisisinBrazil,theEvangelicalBlockEmergesasaPoliticalPower,”TheNation,August16,2017,
CatherineOsborn,“Bolsonaro’sChristianCoalitionRemainsPrecarious,”ForeignPolicy,January1,2019
April12:ReligionII(DISCUSSION)
LauraRoush,“SantaMuerte,Protection,andDesemparo:AViewfromaMexicoCityAltar,”inRubin,Smilde,andJunge,eds.,LivedReligionandLivedCitizenship
**NotethatwewillhaveonlyoneclassduringtheweekofApril15.Youshouldusethistimetobeginreadinguponyourcountryforourcountry-baseddiscussionsduringnextweek’seveningclass.ThismaterialwillformthebasisofyourPart4Paper.YoumustchooseonearticletosubmitfortheclasstoreadanddiscussduringtheeveningclassonApril23or25.
April15:NoClass:Patriot’sDayApril17:Mining(DISCUSSION)
AnthonyBebbington,“TheNewExtraction:RewritingthePoliticalEcologyof
theAndes?,”NACLAReportontheAmericas,Fall2009NACLAReportontheAmericas,Fall2012
RafaelHoetmer,“ThisisNoLongeraDemocracy:ThoughtsontheLocalReferendumsonMiningonPeru’sNorthernFrontier,”inAlvarez,Rubin,&Thayer,et.al.,BeyondCivilSociety
“MininginLatinAmerica:FromConflicttoCooperation,”TheEconomist,February6,2016.
April19:NoClass:Passover
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April22:Women’sRightsandLGBTQRights(DISCUSSION).
JeffreyRubinandEmmaSokoloff-Rubin,SustainingActivism:ABrazilianWomen’sMovementandaFather-DaughterCollaboration,Chapter2,“TransformingSouthernBrazil;”Chapter4,“GamblingonChange;”Chapter6,“HoldingParadox;”Chapter8,“IntimateProtest(107-112);”Chapter9,“DemandingSpeechandEnduringSilence”
Shannon,Sims,“WomenMovefromSamba’sSidelinestotheCenteroftheCircle,”NewYorkTimes,Sept.8,2018
OmarEncarnación,“LatinAmerica’sGayRightsRevolution,”JournalofDemocracy,April2011
April23:EveningClass,21stCenturyCountry-BasedArticlesforPapers
Timetobeannounced.(Eachstudentmustattendoneeveningclassthisweek.)
Apr24:ViolenceandSecurity(DISCUSSION)
NancyScheper-Hughes,“DeathSquadsandVigilantePoliticsinDemocraticNortheastBrazil,”inAuyero,Bourgois,andScheper-Hughes,eds.,ViolenceattheUrbanMargins
WOLA,“AyotzinapaFactSheet”
April25:EveningClass,21stCenturyCountry-BasedArticlesforPapers
Timetobeannounced.(Eachstudentmustattendoneeveningclassthisweek.)
Apr26:ThePinkWaveandtheTurntotheRight(LECTURE)
OmarEncarnación,“TheRiseandFalloftheLatinAmericanLeft,”TheNation,May9,2018