COLLEGE OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES Latin American Studies Center

Dr. Tala Guzmn-Gonzlez 11:00-1:00 Department of Spanish and Portuguese 3123 Jimnez Hall Phone: ext. 5-6457

Office hours: Mondays and by appointment tguzman@umd.edu

Course Description and Objectives

LASC 234 is an interdisciplinary introduction to Spanish and Portuguese America. The course materials cover a variety of topics and disciplinary approaches concerning the diverse social, cultural, historical, regional, and expressive characteristics of Latin America and Latin Americans. The primary learning objectives are fourfold: 1. to develop and demonstrate the multiple and interdisciplinary concepts, terminology, and tools found in scholarly and popular approaches to Latin America. 2. to develop and demonstrate critical thinking and analysis in evaluating a variety of texts and sources drawn from the field of Latin American Studies. 3. to develop and demonstrate knowledge of the historical, geopolitical, social, cultural, ethnic and racial complexity of Latin American societies, individually and as a whole. 4. to develop and demonstrate familiarity with a variety of instructional resources and information technologies in Latin American Studies. Course Organizations After an introductory module about Latin America and its study, the course materials are organized around four multiweek modules: I. Caste, Race, and Color

II. Religion, Faith, and Belief Systems III. Gender and Sexuality IV. Patterns and Problems of Migration The course meets twice a week for seventy-minutes. The class format will vary between lecture, in-class source and document critique, discussion, video screenings, and podcasts. All students are expected to participate fully in all aspects of the course. Format of course: Short lectures, in-class discussions/debates, hands-on activities and exercises, group presentations.

Latin American Studies Certificate Program

LASC 234 is the first of the two-part core curriculum for the Latin American Studies Certificate Program. Together, LASC 234 and 235 present a variety of disciplinary tools with which Latin American civilization is studied in the setting of North American higher education. For additional information about the LASC Certificate Program, visit: http://www.lasc.umd.edu/InfoStudents/undergraduate_studies.html

Crosslisting and Degree Requirements

LASC 234 is currently crosslisted with SPAN 234 and PORT 234. The course may also be counted towards degree requirements in the Department of History and other majors. LASC 234 currently fulfills CORE requirements for CORE Humanities (HO) and Diversity (D). Starting in Fall 2012, LASC 234 will fulfill the History and Social Sciences and Plural Societies General Education Requirements.

Course Requirements
Please read the requirements carefully. 1. Working groups: At the beginning of the semester you will be assigned a working group. This will be your group for in-class discussions, short presentations and the final project. You will have to complete two group evaluations throughout the semester.

2. News article presentation: Every student will present a news article about an issue related to Latin America. Articles will be posted on ELMS and students should comment (one short paragraph) on at least two (2) articles. You are welcome to comment on more. Hopefully this will offer further opportunities for discussion and debates. Dates for the presentations will be assigned the first week of class. 3. Map Quiz: A pass/fail Map Quiz will be given in at the beginning of class on Thursday, September 15. You will be asked to identify ten geographic locations, borders, regions, and features of contemporary Latin America. Seven or more correct identifications will be considered a pass. You will have up to three opportunities to pass the map quiz 4. Library information session: On Tuesday, September 13, the class will meet in McKeldin Library for a hands-on session with Ms. Pat Herron, Librarian for English, Spanish, Latin American & Latina/o Studies, about University Libraries resources in Latin American Studies. A Search and Citation exercise based upon this session will be due at the beginning of class on Thursday, September 22. Instructions will be posted in ELMS. 5. Pop-quizzes. There will be several pop-quizzes throughout the semester based on the readings assigned to class that day. 6. Midterm: The Midterm will be held on Tuesday, October 18. The examination will cover Module I and II. The examination will include identifications, short answer questions and an essay question. 7. Final project: The Documentary/short film project will be due December 6-9, depending on the day you present. The documentary/short film will be based on any of the modules discussed in class. Specific instructions about the project will be posted on ELMS during the first weeks of class. 8. Final Exam: The Final Examination will be given on Monday, December 19 at 10:30-12:30. The two-hour final will be cumulative, although emphasis will be given to Modules II, III and IV. Documentary project You will work with your group in creating an 8-10 minute documentary or short film on a topic related to one of the modules in this course. There are several steps to complete this project and groups must complete all assignments to earn credit.

(a) One page proposal with an annotated bibliography: Minimum of 5 entries (books, journal articles, newspaper articles, documentaries, etc). Due date: Tuesday, October 4. Information about annotated bibliographies can be found at: http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/annotate.html (b) Progress report: What have you done so far? First report due date: Tuesday, November 8. Second report due date: Thursday, December 1. Reports must be send via email. Instructions about progress reports will be available on ELMS. A rubric and instructions for the project will be posted on ELMS. Resources for Documentary project available at UMD: From the Library Non-Print Media Services: http://www.lib.umd.edu/nonprint/equipment/ From the Adele Stamp Union Center: http://stampunion.umd.edu/projector/camera/Disclaimer.aspx

Extra Assignment There are three OPTIONAL assignments that you can complete in order to earn extra credit in the course. This will be useful for those students at a borderline grade. You may complete only ONE of the assignments and submit work by the provided deadline. Deadlines will vary and instructions for each assignment will be posted on ELMS. Essays should be no longer than 2 pages, double-spaced. 1. Reaction paper on a LASC sponsored activity 2. Reaction paper on one documentary chapters of Black in Latin America (other than the one seen in class). 3. Reaction paper on a readings posted on ELMS.

Grading
Final grades will be determined by the following percentages:

5% 5% 10% 20% 20% 20% 20% Map Quiz

Map Quiz Search and Citation Exercise Assignments/Quizzes/Presentati ons Midterm Examination Final Examination Documentary project Participation 5%

Search and Citation Exercise 5% Assignments/Quizzes/Group Presentations 10% During the semester, you will be required to complete various written assignments, presentations (e.g. news article presentation and group presentations) and quizzes (that may be announced or not). Preparedness and participation 20 % You are expected to have completed all readings and assignments and be prepared to engage in class discussion. Class activities, handouts of terms and concepts and reading or film discussion guides will be posted on ELMS. Attendance is not sufficient to obtain a good participation grade. Oral participation is absolutely crucial for your over-all performance in the class. Please, bear in mind that dominating the conversation does not mean that you are contributing to the quality of the class discussion. Class participation will be graded according to the following criteria: (A) Arrives fully prepared at every class; engages and listens to peers; plays an active role and contributes to a meaningful discussion of the readings/lectures; comments advance level and depth of dialogue. (B) Arrives mostly, if not fully prepared; makes a good faith effort to interact with peers; participates constructively in discussions; makes relevant comments based on assigned material.

(C) Limited interaction with peers. Preparation and level of preparation are both inconsistent. When prepared participates constructively in discussions. (D-F) Virtually no interaction with peers. Rarely or never prepared, rarely or never participates in class discussions, comments are vague and not related to material or discussion; lack of interest in class and materials.

Midterm Exam Final Exam 20 %

20%

Exams will evaluate your comprehension of key terms and the care with which you have completed readings and understood class materials and discussions. They will also require you to display analytical thinking. Exams may follow the following format: a) identification questions b) short answers questions and or analysis of text fragments, and c) the essay. More about the format and expectations will be discussed on days previous to the exams. Make-up Exams: There will be no make-ups without proof of a serious emergency. According to University policy, an instructor is not under obligation to give a student a make-up examination/assignment unless the absence was caused by illness, religious observance or participation in University activities at the request of University authorities. Final Group Documentary Project and Presentation 20% There will be several assignments that you will have to complete in order to earn full credit for the documentary assignment. Specific instructions and due dates for the project will be provided by the instructor early in the semester and posted on ELMS.

Late papers will be accepted only with the professor's permission. With the exception of legitimate excuses, late papers may be penalized up to one full grade for every day late.

Class Policies
Excused Absences, Religious Observances, and Accommodations for Inclement Weather All course expectations and requirements will comply with the University's Policy for Medically Necessitated Absences as well as the USM's Policy on Religious Observances. These policies include excusal from for student illness (self or dependent), religious observances, participation in University activities at the request of university authorities, and compelling circumstances beyond the students' control. In requesting an excused absence, students may be required to provide appropriate documentation. Consult the appropriate policy for additional details. Inclement weather and official University closures may require modification of course expectations and requirements. Details of any change will be posted to the ELMS website as appropriate. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Students with a documented disability should speak with the professor at the beginning of the semester to discuss arrangements for the appropriate academic accommodations. Academic Integrity Academic honesty is a foundation for learning, as outlined in the Code for Academic Integrity. The Code prohibits students from cheating on exams, the intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise, the facilitation of academic dishonesty, and plagiarism. The suspicion of academic dishonesty may result in referral to the Student Honor Council. Questions and doubts about any the expectations for any course assignment or examination should be directed to the professor. The Honor Pledge All students will be asked to write by hand and sign the Honor Pledge on all written assignments and examinations, unless otherwise instructed. Electronic Devices in the Classroom

A wide variety of electronic devices (e.g., laptop computers, PDAs, smart phones, among others) play an important role in highereducation classroom instruction. Note-taking, the retrieval of assigned texts and media, consultation with the syllabus, online discussion and debate, and other learning activities conducted via electronic devices are acceptable parts of in-class learning and engagement. Unacceptable use of electronic devices is understood as follows: Unless specifically authorized, all online social networking, texting, instant messaging, tweeting, and voice communication with anyone outside of the classroom during regularly-scheduled class are inappropriate. If you have an electronic communication device, these capabilities should be disabled during class hours.

And Finally This syllabus may be subject to change. The online syllabus, available via the course ELMS site, will always be the most up-to-date. Students will be notified in advance of important changes that could affect grading, assignments, and other course components.

Instructional Materials Required Readings

Books Amado, Jorge. Gabriela, Clove, and Cinnamon. New York: Vintage, [1958] 1992. [ISBN: 978-0-307-27665-0] Puig, Manuel. Kiss of the Spider Woman. New York: Vintage, 1991. [ISBN: 978-0-6-79724490] NOTE: Some students may prefer the original Spanish-language title, El beso de la mujer araa [ISBN: 978-06-79755456] Winn, Peter. Americas: The Changing Face of Latin America and the Caribbean. Third edition. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006. [ISBN: 978-0-5-2024501-3] Articles and Book Chapters Adams, Jacqueline, "When Art Loses Its Sting: The Evolution of Protest Art in Authoritarian Contexts." Sociological Perspectives 48, no. 4 (Winter 2005): 531-558. Denevan, William M., "The Pristine Myth: The Landscape of the Americas in 1492." Annals of the Association of American Geographers vol. 82, no. 3 (September 1992): 369-385. Holloway, Thomas, "Latin America: What's in a Name?" Introductory essay in A Companion to Latin American History. Waltham, MA: Wiley/Blackwell, 2008. Documentary Videos, Podcasts, and Feature-Length Motion Pictures Americas (1992) [F1408.A64 1993 pts. 1-10] Black in Latin America (PBS, 2010) [http://www.pbs.org/wnet/black-inlatin-america/] Brazil in Black and White (PBS Wide Angle, 2007) [http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/brazil-in-black-andwhite/introduction/965/] "Casta Paintings: Inventing Race Through Art Mexican Art: Genre Reveals 18th-Century Attitudes on Racial Mixing" (NPR The Tavis

Smiley Show, 2004) [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=3043790] Kiss of the Spider Woman (1986) [PN1997.K58 1995] El Norte/The North (1982) [PN1997.N668 2008] "Pentecostalists in Central America" (BBC Crossing Continents, 2010) [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00725nm] Recommended readings: There will be recommended readings available for students interested in further reading materials on the issues discussed in class. The professor will likely address these readings in the class discussions. Questions from these readings as well as those from the required readings may come up in exams as part of bonus questions. Availability of Assigned Instructional Materials Assigned materials can be obtained in a variety of ways, described below: All assigned texts and nonprint media will be available through the University Libraries, the University Book Center, and/or the e-book vendor of your choice. Some texts may also be available through online digitization projects including Google Books. Some documentaries and motion pictures may be available via online services such as Netflix and iTunes. The course ELMS site will have links to all articles, book chapters, and online materials placed on reserves. If the link in ELMS is not available or non-operational, full-text journal articles can be accessed, read, and downloaded free-of-charge through the University Libraries' ResearchPort. The Reserves Desk at McKeldin Library will hold at least one copy of the Winn textbook and the two assigned novels on two-hour reserves. Other copies may be available for check-out from other libraries of the University System of Maryland. There is no expectation that any student purchase all of the assigned materials. What is required is close familiarity with the content of the assignments.

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Recommended readings: There will be recommended readings available for students interested in further reading materials on the issues discussed in class. The professor will likely address these readings in the class discussions. Questions from these readings as well as those from the required readings may come up in exams as part of bonus questions.

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Course Reserves
All required and recommended books have also been placed on reserves at the Circulation Desk of McKeldin Library. Additional print reserves, such as articles and documents, may be accessed via ELMS: 1. 2. 3. 4. Go to http://elms.umd.edu Log in with your Directory ID and password Click LASC234 [or your crosslist] under "My Courses." Reserves will be found under "Documents" or "Course Reserves"

Noncirculating physical copies of nonprint reserves will be available through Nonprint Media Services. These materials must be viewed in the library. By the start of the Fall semester, Nonprint Media Services was working towards a web-based delivery of nonprint media. Updates to follow.

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Course Schedule
INTRODUCTION Sept. 1 Sept. 6 Course Overview WHY STUDY LATIN AMERICA? In-class discussion: (1) Winn, Americas, "A View from the South" and (2) Thomas Holloway "Whats in a Name" [ELMS] Recommended reading: Ching et al. Identity construct #5: Latin America [ELMS] Physical and Human Geographies In-class discussion: (1) William M. Denevan, The Pristine Myth: The Landscape of the Americas in 1492 [ELMS] Recommended reading: Walter Mignolo, The Movable Center [ELMS] PLACES AND PEOPLE Library Information Session McKeldin Library Rm. 6107 In-class critique: (1) Christopher Columbus' First Letter (2) Letter of Pero Vaz de Caminha [ELMS] Sept. 20 MAP QUIZ In-class critique: (1)Jos Mart's "Our America" [ELMS] (2) Nicols Guilln's "Problems of Underdevelopment" (1970) [ELMS] Assignments due

Sept. 8

Sept. 13

Sept. 15

Sept. 22

In-class discussion: (1) Winn, Americas, "Legacies of Empire" [ELMS] MODULE I: CASTE, RACE, AND COLOR In-class discussion: (1) American Anthropological Association Statement on "Race" [ELMS] Screening: Black in Latin America Part 1: Haiti & the Dominican Republic: An Island Divided? Recommended reading: Ching et al. Identity construct #1: Race [ELMS]

Search and Citation Exercise

Sept. 27

Sept. 29

Lecture: Pintura de Castas Listen: Tavis Smiley Show segment on Los Angeles County Museum of Arts exhibition on Casta Paintings

Oct. 4

In-class discussion: (1) Discussion: Black in Latin America Part 1: Haiti & the Dominican Republic: An Island Divided? (2) Edward Telles "Discrimination and Affirmative Action in Brazil

Oct. 6

Screening and in-class discussion: Brazil in Black and White Recommended reading: Gilberto Freyre The Masters and the Slaves [selections on ELMS] 14

Documentary proposal

Oct. 11

Introduction to Jorge Amado and Bahia Read for discussion: Jorge Amado Gabriela, Clove and Cinammon Read for discussion: Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon

Oct. 13

Oct. 18
Oct. 20

Midterm
MODULE II: RELIGION, FAITH, SYSTEMS In-class discussion:
AND

BELIEF

Winn, Americas, "The Power and the Glory Screening: Oct. 25 Americas: Miracles are Not Enough In-class critique: Readings on Liberation Theology (1) Excerpts Gustavo Gutierrez A Theology of Liberation (1971) and (2) Cardinal Ratzinger on liberation theology. [ELMS]. Podcast: "Pentecostalists in Central America" Screening: TV Commercial for Goinia (Brazil) Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus Reunio de Libertao Com a Orao Forte [YouTube] Afro-Latin American Religions Screening: National Geographic. "Umbanda Religion." [4:06] http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=qyrS7TQnoAo and Excerpts: Umbanda: The Problem Solver (1991). MODULE III: GENDER AND SEXUALITY In-class discussion:

Oct. 27

Nov. 1

Nov. 3

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Winn, Americas, "In Women's Hands" Screening: Americas: In Women's Hands: The Changing Roles of Women Recommended reading: Ching. Identity construct #5: Gender. [ELMS] Excerpts from Marjorie Agosn, Scraps of Life (1987) [reprinted in Rosenberg, Americas: An Anthology] [ELMS] Screening: Threads of Hope (1992) In-class discussion: Adams, Jacqueline. "When Art Loses Its Sting: The Evolution of Protest Art in Authoritarian Contexts." Viewing and Discussion: Excerpts from Kiss of the Spider Woman (1995) Manuel Puig: The Submissive Woman's Role (2008) Reading and discussion: Kiss of the Spider Woman Reading and discussion: Kiss of the Spider Woman Thanksgiving Holiday: No class. MODULE IV: PATTERNS AND PROBLEMS OF MIGRATION Winn, Americas, "Continent on the Move" Discussion of Sin Nombre [film] Winn, Americas, "North of the Border" Discussion of El Norte [film] LASC 234 Film Festival: Documentary and short film presentation LASC 234 Film Festival: Documentary and short film presentation LASC 234 Film Festival: Documentary and short film presentations FINAL EXAMINATION: 10:30-12:30 2nd Group Assessme nt

Nov. 8

1st Group Assessme nt

Nov. 10

Nov. 15

Nov. 17 Nov. 22 Nov. 24 Nov. 29

Dec. 1 Dec. 6 Dec. 8 Dec. 9 DEC. 19

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