History397ModernLatinAmerica

Spring2017

ProfessorJeffreyRubin

Monday,Wednesday,&Friday1:25PM–2:15PMCASB06B(Fri)

10LenoxStreet(MonandWed)

OfficeHours:Wednesdays,3:00–4:30Thursdays,2:00–3:30

OfficeAddress:

10LenoxStreet,Room3353-1675jwr@bu.edu

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CourseDescription

Thiscoursewillexaminepolitics,economy,andcultureinLatinAmericainthe19th,20thand21stcenturies.Wewillbeginbyconsideringnovels,narrativenon-fiction,andfilmtosituateourselvesinLatinAmericatodayandraisekeyquestionsaboutthepast.Wewillthendiscussissuesofcivilizationandbarbarism,slavery,indigenouslife,gender,andliberalismthatshapedlifeandpoliticsinthe19thcentury.Inthe20thcentury,whichwillconstitutemostofthecourse,wewillstartwiththeMexicanRevolutionandconcludebyexamininginnovativegrassrootsexperimentsofthe1990sand2000s,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.)

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Allotherreadingswillbefoundonthecoursewebsite,whichyoucanaccessthroughBlackboard.

Itisessentialthatreadingsbeavailabletostudents.Ifthereisaproblemobtainingaparticularreading(if,forinstance,thereadingonthewebsiteisincomplete),letmeknowimmediatelybyemailsoIcandosomethingaboutit.CourseRequirements

StudentsareencouragedtoreadtheLatinAmericaDailyBriefingregularly(http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com).ThisbriefingconsistsofshortsummariesofthemostimportantnewsarticlesaboutLatinAmericaappearinginLatinAmericanandUSnewspaperseachday.Byreadingthese,youwillgetasenseofwhatishappeninginLatinAmericaduringthesemesterofthecourseandhowhistoricalandcurrenteventswestudyrelatetowhatishappeningthroughouttheregion.

Studentswillberequiredtodothreekindsofwritingforthecourse.Atthe

endofeachofthefirstthreepartsofthecourse,youwillwritea3-4pagepaperexploringthemesandeventswediscussedinthatpart.Eachofthesepaperswillcountfor15%ofthecoursegrade.

ForPart4ofthecourse,aseriesofshort,cumulativewritingassignments

willbeduebeforeeachclassbetweenApril13andApril30.Theseassignmentswillcountfor20%ofthecoursegrade,andtheywillconstitutethefinalassignmentforthecourse.Thiswillbeanintenseseriesofreadingsandshortwritingassignments.Therewillbenofinalpaperorexam.

Inaddition,eachstudentwillwrite3responsepapers,2pageseach,double

spaced,fordaysonwhichwehaveclassdiscussion.TheseassignmentswillbeginonFebruary12andendonApril11.Eachstudentwillbeassignedthreeclassesforwhichtowrite.Alistofassigneddateswillbedistributedduringthesecondweekofclass.Responsepaperswillbegraded√,√+,and√-.Thesegradeswillbeconvertedintoalettergradeattheendofthecourse.Responsepapersmustbereceivedby11PMonthenightbeforetherelevantclassdiscussion.Lateresponsepaperswillnotbeaccepted.(Responsepaperswillcountfor15%ofthecoursegrade).

Theassignmentsforthethree3–4pagepaperswilltakethefollowingform,

thoughImaymakechangesasweneartheendofeachpartofthecourse,toreflecttheworkwehavedoneinclass:

Ina3-4pagepaperdueFebruary6,attheendofourexplorationofLatin

AmericaToday,youwillidentifyanddiscussatheme/issue/questionthatinterestsyouinthereadingsandfilmswehavecoveredsofarinthecourse.Yourdiscussion

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willincludeonenovel,onepieceofnarrative-non-fiction,onefilm,andonearticleorsetofarticlesmentionedintheLatinAmericaDailyBriefing

Ina3-4pagepaperdueFebruary22,attheendofourdiscussionofsocial

issuesinthe19thcentury,youwillusethereadingswehavediscussedinclasstodiscusstwoinstanceswheresignificantreformeitheroccurredorwasfoughtfor(orenvisionedinsomeway).Inaddition,youwillidentifyandexplaintwoinstanceswherereformwasnotenvisionedorwasdefeatedandshutdown.

Ina3-4pagespaperdueApril1,youwilladdressthisquestion:Whatwere

themainchallengesfacedbyLatinAmericannationsbetween1911and1973?Inyourpaper,youwilldiscussthreecountries,significanttasks/challenges/crisestheyfaced,andtheirexperiencesinfacingthem,includinghowtheywereexperiencedsimilarlyordifferentlyindifferentcountries.

Overall,approximately1/3oftheclassesforthiscoursewillbelecturesandabout2/3willbediscussion.Studentswillbeexpectedtoparticipateregularlyandactivelyinclassdiscussion.Wewillbeengagedinacollectivelearningprocess,andparticipationindiscussionisrequired.Thediscussionsinthisclassaregenerallylivelyandinteresting,andtheyarebestwhenmanydifferentpeoplecommentandawidevarietyofviewpointsareexpressed.Classparticipationwillcountfor20%ofthecoursegrade.Iwillbeavailablethroughoutthesemestertodiscussstrategiesforeffectiveclassparticipation,especiallywithstudentswhoarenotaccustomedtospeakinginclass.

Attendanceinclassisrequired.Ifyoumissmorethanthreeclassesduring

thesemester,thenyourgradewillbeloweredonegradeforeverytwoclassesyoumiss(afterthethree).

Everystudent’sexamsandpapersshouldconsistofhisorherownanalysis

andwriting.CasesofsuspectedcheatingorplagiarismwillbedealtwithinaccordwiththeAcademicConductCode.

Films

Severalfilmswillbeshownaspartofthecourse,particularlyinthelastfew

weeksofthesemester.Thesearearequiredpartofthecourseandwillbeincludedinexamsandpaperassignments.Someofthefilmsareavailableonline.Forthosefilmsnotavailableonline,thelocationsandtimesforgroupshowingsatGeddesLanguageCenterwillbesentbyemail.

FilmsnotavailableonlinewillbeonreserveintheGeddesLanguageCenter

foraweekbeforeclass,sothatstudentscanviewthemindividuallyoringroups.However,youmaynotbeabletoviewthefilmsclosetothetimesoftheshowings.Itismuchbettertoarrangetocometothegroupshowing.

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OfficeHours

IamavailableduringofficehourstospeaktostudentsaboutanyaspectofthecourseorbroaderLatinAmericaninterests.Ifyouarehavingdifficultywiththecourseinanyway,youshouldbesuretocomeseemeassoonaspossible.Youshouldalsocomeseemeifsomethingintriguesorpuzzlesyou,ifyouwouldliketoknowmoreaboutatopicortalkaboutitfurther,ifyouareinterestedincontinuingyourstudyofLatinAmerica,etc.Icanbeparticularlyhelpfulwithwaystoimproveyourabilitytoreadandunderstandthematerial,prepareforandcarryoutwrittenassignments,thinkaboutlectures,and,especially,speakinclass.

Myofficeislocatedat10LenoxStreet,whichisnotfarfromtheStudentUnion.IfyoustandonCommonwealthAvewithyourbacktotheStudentUnionandlookacrossthebridgeoverthePike,youwillseeabigwhitehousewithlotsofdarkgreentrim.Thatis10LenoxStreet.Afteryouenter,taketherighthandstaircasetothe2ndfloor.Myofficeisthefirstdoorontheleft,#3.IfIammeetingwithanotherstudent,pleaseknock,soIwillknowyouarewaiting.

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IntroductionJan19:CourseOverview

Part1:LatinAmericaTodayJan22:ContemporaryNovels(DISCUSSIONGROUPS)

ReadONEofthefollowingfortoday:

Shantytown,byCésarAira(Argentina)TalkingtoOurselves,byAndrésNeuman(Argentina)WaysofGoingHome,byAlejandroZambra(Chile)TheSoundofThingsFalling,byJuanGabrielVásquez(Colombia)

Jan24:ContemporaryNovels(PRESENTATIONANDDISCUSSION)Jan26:NarrativeNon-Fiction(DISCUSSION)

SubcomandanteMarcos,“TodayWeSayEnoughisEnough,”“WhoShould

AskforForgivenessandWhoCanGrantIt?”AnnLouiseBardach,“Mexico’sPoetRebel,”VanityFair,July1994JonLeeAnderson,“NicolásMaduro’sAcceleratingRevolution,”TheNew

Yorker,December11,2017https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/12/11/nicolas-maduros-accelerating-revolution

“BertaCáceres,IndigenousActivist,isKilledinHonduras”https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/04/world/americas/berta-caceres-indigenous-activist-is-killed-in-honduras.html?_r=0

“IsidroBaldenegro,MexicanEnvironmentalActivist,isShottoDeath”https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/world/americas/mexico-environmental-activist-shot-sierra-madre.html?ref=americas&_r=0

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Jan29:NarrativeNon-Fiction(DISCUSSION)

FranciscoGoldman,“CamilaVallejo,TheWorld’sMostGlamorousRevolutionary,”http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/08/magazine/camila-vallejo-the-worlds-most-glamorous-revolutionary.html

AnaAlderstein,“AStitchinTime,http://www.npr.org/2015/07/24/425875251/a-stitch-in-time(radiobroadcast,17minutes,clickonleft,above“embed,”tohearit)

ElisabethJayFriedmanandConstanzaTabbush,“#NiUnaMenos:NotOneWomanLess,NotOneMoreDeath!”http://nacla.org/news/2016/11/01/niunamenos-not-one-woman-less-not-one-more-death

LuisGómez,“#Yosoy132,”https://nacla.org/article/yosoy132

Jan31:Film(DISCUSSION)

FILM:TheOfficialStory

Jan30(GroupshowingatGeddes,6PM–8PM,Room537A.ThefilmisalsoavailableatGeddesforindividualviewingatothertimes,SP8.013,originaltitleLahistorialoficial)

Feb2:Film(DISCUSSION)

FILM:YTuMamáTambién

Feb1(ThisfilmisavailableonNetflixandAmazon.ItisalsoavailableatGeddesforindividualviewing,SP8.259)

Feb5:Film(VIEWING)

Filminclass:MeettheBrazFamily**3-4pagepaperforPart1dueFeb6by9PM.

Feb7:WhatisatStakeinLatinAmerica?(DISCUSSION)

DiscussionofpaperthemesandMeettheBrazFamily

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Part2:The19thCentury:Civilization,Barbarism,andNation-BuildingFeb9:HistoricalContext:WarsofIndependenceandConsolidatingNations

(LECTURE)

JohnChasteen,“Independence”(91–112),inBorninBloodandFire

Feb12:CivilizationandBarbarism(DISCUSSION)

DomingoSarmiento,“FrontierBarbarism,”inDavidWeberandJaneRausch,

eds.,WhereCulturesMeetNils,Jacobsen,“CivilizationandItsBarbarism:TheInevitabilityofJuan

Bustamante’sFailure,”inJudithEwellandWilliamBeezely,eds.,TheHumanTraditioninLatinAmerica

ChristineHunefeldt,“AtHomeandintheStreets,”inLiberalismintheBedroom

Feb14:EconomicGrowthandPeasantResistance(DISCUSSION)

FlorenciaMallon,“ThePeasantVillageandtheLimitsofPower,”(pp.67-79)and“TheWarofthePacificandtheProblemofInternalPacification,”inTheDefenseofCommunityinPeru’sCentralHighlands

BESURETOREADTOTHEENDOF“THEWAROFTHEPACIFIC”ANDKNOW

WHATHAPPENEDINCOMASANDWHY!Feb16:LiberalisminMexicoandArgentina(LECTURE)

JohnChasteen,“PostcolonialBlues”(119–143),inBorninBloodandFire

Feb20(TuesdayClass):WomeninthePublicSphere(DISCUSSION)JamesScobie,“TheCityandtheFactory,”inArgentina,pp.160-176ONLYDonnaGuy,“PublicHealth,Gender,andPrivateMorality:PaidLaborandtheFormationoftheBodyPoliticinBuenosAires,”GenderandHistory2:3

ChristineHunefeldt,“RedefiningFemaleDomains,”inLiberalismintheBedroom

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Feb21:Slavery(LECTURE)

“SlaveLifeatMorroVelhoMine,”“ScenesfromtheSlaveTrade,”“CrueltytoSlaves,”“SlaveryandSociety,”“AbolitionDecree,1888,”“LawsRegulatingBeggarsinMinasGerais,1900,”inRobertLevineandJohnCrocitti,eds.,TheBrazilReader

Michael Coniff and Thomas Davis, “Emancipation in Brazil,” in Africans in the Americas

**3-4pagepaperforPart2dueFeb22by9PM.

Feb23:WhoisIncluded?WhoisExcluded?(DISCUSSION) Discussionofpapertopic.

Part3:The20thCentury:ThePeopleComingontheSceneFeb26:TheMexicanRevolution(LECTURE)

GilbertJosephandJürgenBuchenau,Mexico’sOnceandFutureRevolution,pp.

30-85Feb28:TheMexicanRevolutionandPostrevolutionaryMexico(LECTURE

ANDDISCUSSION)

NoraHamilton,“CárdenasandtheNewAlliance,”inTheLimitsofStateAutonomy

Mar2:State-BuildingandPoliticsinPost-RevolutionaryMexico

(DISCUSSION)(NoraHamilton,“CárdenasandtheNewAlliance,”inTheLimitsofState

Autonomy)MaryKayVaughan,“TheConstructionofthePatrioticFestivalin

Tecamachalco,Puebla,1900-1946,inWilliamBeezleyet.al.,eds.,RitualsofRule,RitualsofResistance

MarjorieBecker,“TorchingLaPurísima,DancingattheAltar,”inGilbertJosephandDanielNugent,eds.,EverydayFormsofStateFormation

(OPTIONAL,providescontext,usefulforpaper:KeenandHaynes,

“Cárdenas”)

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Mar12:PeronisminArgentina(LECTURE)DanielJames,‘Introduction,”“PeronismandtheWorkingClass,”inResistance

andIntegration(Optional,providescontext,usefulforpaper:KeenandHaynes,“The

InfamousDecade”and“ThePeronEra”)Mar14:SocialMythsandPopularCultureinArgentina(DEBATE)

JulieTaylor,“Introduction,”“TheBiography,”and“TheMyth,”inEvaPerón:

TheMythofaWomanEvaPerón,“AGreatSentiment,”fromLaRazóndeMiVidaNationalInvestigationsCommission,“TheRoleofEvaPerón,”inHelen

Delpar,ed.,TheBorzoiReaderinLatinAmericanHistoryMar16:Music,Blackness,andCulturalShiftinBrazil(DISCUSSION)

FILM:BlackOrpheus(1959version),March15(GroupshowingatGeddes,6PM

–8PM,Room537A.ThefilmisalsoavailableatGeddesforindividualviewingatothertimes,PG8.002,originaltitleOrfeunegro)HermanoVianna,“TheEncounter,”“TheMystery,”and“SambaofMyNative

Land,”inTheMysteryofSamba:PopularMusicandNationalIdentityinBrazil

Mar19:EconomicDevelopmentinBrazilandLatinAmerica(LECTURE)

“HowBigBusinessGotBrazilHookedonJunkFood,”NYTimes,September

17,2107https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/09/16/health/brazil-obesity-nestle.html?_r=0

KeenandHaynes,“Vargas,”“ReformandReaction”

MARCH20,REQUIREDLECTURE:JasondeLeon,forApril30discussionon

ViolenceandSecurityMar21:PoliticsandtheNationalSecurityStateinBrazil(LECTURE)

KeenandHaynes,“Brazil’sColonialFascism”

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March23:LifeinBrazil’sFavelas(DISCUSSION)

FILM:Bus174http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xnabys_bus-174-documentary-1-2_shortfilmshttp://www.dailymotion.com/video/xnaiu9_bus-174-documentary-2-2_shortfilmsCarolinaMariadeJesus,ChildoftheDark(entire)

Mar26:Chile:SocialistReformandMilitaryCoup(LECTURE)

PeterWinn,inWeaversofRevolution,pp.3-7,32-52,53-69,79-119,134-136,

209-226,246-252Mar28:Torture,Disappearance,Terror(DISCUSSION)

FILM:ChileObstinateMemoryhttps://www.nfb.ca/film/chile_obstinate_memory/

JacoboTimerman,“UndertheDictator,”TheNewYorker,November2,1987PeterKornbluh,“DestabilizingDemocracy,”inThePinochetFile

Mar30:TheCubanRevolution(LECTURE)

SelectionsfromTheCubaReader:Roosevelt,Castro,Guevara,Matthews,Puebla,Rodriguez,Benjaminet.al.,Lewiset.al,Landau,Paz,Sanchez

**3-4pagepaperforPart3dueApril1by9PM.

Part4:LatinAmericasince2000:TheSecondComingofthePeopleontheScene

April2:Democracy(LECTURE&DISCUSSION)

(noreading)

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April4:Democracy(DISCUSSION)FILM:OurBrandisCrisis,April3(2005,NOTtheSandraBullockversion!)(GroupshowingatGeddes,6PM–8PM,Room537A.ThefilmisalsoavailableatGeddes–orifnotthere,Krasker25859.DV –forindividualviewing)

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.

April6:Noclass:PassoverApril9:SocialMovementsandPoliticalInnovationinBrazilI(DISCUSSION)

JohnHammond,"LawandDisorder:TheBrazilianLandlessFarmworkers'Movement,"BulletinofLatinAmericanResearch

RebeccaAbers,“FromClientelismtoCooperation:LocalGovernment,ParticipatoryPolicy,andCivicOrganizinginPortoAlegreBrazil,”inPoliticsandSociety26:4

April11:SocialMovementsandPoliticalInnovationinBrazilII(DISCUSSION)

FILM:FavelaRisinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU__cwZR6Oo

JeffreyRubin,“WhenCulturalActivistsSpeakaBusinessLanguage,”inEnduring

Reform,pp.199-208,211-216,219-221(w/continueddiscussionofHammondandAbers)

April13:NeoliberalismandGlobalization(LECTURE)

WilliamFinnegan,“LeasingtheRain,”TheNewYorker,April8,2002

OR LawrenceWright,“LithiumDreams,”TheNewYorker,March22,2010

April16:NoClass:Patriot’sDay

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April13:Business(DISCUSSION)

CarlosForment,“RecuperatedFactoriesinContemporaryBuenosAiresfromthePerspectiveofWorkersandBusinessmen,”inEnduringReform

JeffreyRubinandSergioGregorioBaierle,“DemocracybyInvitation:ThePrivateSector’sAnswertoParticipatoryBudgetinginPortoAlegre,Brazil”(113-115,125-142)inEnduringReform

April20:ReligionI(DISCUSSION)

RobertBrenneman,“WrestlingtheDevil:ConversionandExitfromCentralAmericanGangs,”inLivedReligionandLivedCitizenship

JavierArellano-Yanguas,“ReligionandResistancetoExtractioninRuralPeru:IstheChurchFollowinginthePeople?”inLivedReligionandLivedCitizenship

April23:ReligionII(DISCUSSION)

LauraRoush,“SantaMuerte,Protection,andDesemparo:AViewfromaMexicoCityAltar,”inRubin,Smilde,andJunge,eds.,LivedReligionandLivedCitizenship

April25:Mining(DISCUSSION)

AnthonyBebbington,“TheNewExtraction:RewritingthePoliticalEcologyof

theAndes?,”NACLAReportontheAmericas,Fall2009NACLAReportontheAmericas,Fall2012https://www.nmbu.no/sites/default/files/pdfattachments/bebbington_the_new_extraction.pdf

RafaelHoetmer,“ThisisNoLongeraDemocracy:ThoughtsontheLocalReferendumsonMiningonPeru’sNorthernFrontier,”inAlvarez,Rubin,&Thayer,et.al.,BeyondCivilSociety

April27:Feminisms(DISCUSSION)

JeffreyRubinandEmmaSokoloff-Rubin,SustainingActivism:ABrazilianWomen’sMovementandaFather-DaughterCollaboraion,Chapter2,“TransformingSouthernBrazil;”Chapter4,“GamblingonChange;”Chapter6,“HoldingParadox;”Chapter8,“IntimateProtest;”Chapter9,“DemandingSpeechandEnduringSilence”

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Apr30:ViolenceandSecurity(DISCUSSION)

NancyScheper-Hughes,“DeathSquadsandVigilantePoliticsinDemocratic

NortheastBrazil,”inAuyero,Bourgois,andScheper-Hughes,eds.,ViolenceattheUrbanMargins

OscarMartínez,“OntheRoad:Oaxaca,”and“HereTheyRape,ThereTheyKill:Chiapas,”inTheBeast

AlexisOkeowo,“ThePeople’sPolice,”TheNewYorker,Nov27,2017,https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/27/a-mexican-town-wages-its-own-war-on-drugs

(WewillalsodiscusstheJasondeLeonlecture,March20)BESURETOREADSCHEPER-HUGHESCAREFULLYANDKNOWWHATIT

SAYSTHROUGHTOTHEEND! May2:ProtestSince2000andAlternativesforPeace(LECTURE)

FinalPapersDueMonday,May7at8PM