97W
NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
Farquhar Center for Undergraduate Studies
COURSE OUTLINE
I. COURSE NUMBER AND TITLE: HIST 2140-6E1
Modern Latin America
II. PROFESSOR: Dr. Barbara Brodman
Office: Parker 301
Phone: (954) 262-8205
III. COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The 20th and 21st Centuries: Using Latin America and the
Caribbean as a focal point, the course provides an inter-disciplinary overview of contemporary American systems and
societies and their place in a rapidly changing, increasingly
interdependent world. Topics discussed will include the causes and
goals of revolution in Latin America, Latin American debt and
development, U.S.-Latin American relations, and a new hemispheric
order for the 21st century.
IV. COURSE OBJECTIVES AND EXIT COMPETENCIES
By the end of this course, students should be able to
demonstrate a knowledge of:
1. the roots of contemporary Latin American systems
and patterns of development in a pre-20th century legacy,
2. causes and goals of revolution in the 20th century,
3. causes and consequences of the 1980s debt crisis,
4. U.S. foreign policy in the Americas,
5. options for the future.
V. REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Texts:
1. Akwe:kon Journal (Summer 1994): Chiapas: Challenging
History.
2. Ernesto Che Guevara. The Motorcycle Diaries: A Journey
Around South America.
3. Joe Kane. Savages.
Handouts:
Burns, E. Bradford. Latin America: A Concise Interpretive
History. Prentice Hall, 1990 (Chs. 6-10)
VI. CALENDAR OF READING AND WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS:
Week 1: Contemporary Latin American systems and patterns of
development as products of a pre-twentieth century
legacy/Development and Democracy Frustrated
T 3/11 Introduction to course; Lecture: The pre-20th
century legacy; reading: Burns, Chapter 8
(handout); video: the Garden of Forking Paths:
Dilemmas of National Development
Week 2: T 3/18
International Symposium on Women and Migration in Film
Speaker: Dr. Ute Hermanns, Freie Universitat Berlin
Topic: Women and Migration in Brazilian Film
Parker 212 6-10 pm (note room change)
Attendance is required and will count as a quiz
Week 3: Causes and goals of revolution in the twentieth century:
Mexico as a casestudy
T 3/25 Readings: Chiapas and "The Four Horsemen ride
again" (handout); lecture: the Mexican
Revolution & beyond; video: Continent on the
Move: Migration & Urbanization
Week 4: The Revolutionary Option
T 4/1 Lecture: The Revolutionary Option, 1950-2000;
reading: Guevara; video: Fire in the Mind:
Revolutions and Revolutionaries; Map Quiz
Week 5: T 4/8 MID-TERM EXAMINATION
Video: Romero; reading: Burns, Chapter 9
(handout)
Week 6: The Latin American Debt Crisis of the 1980s and After
T 4/15 Lecture: Latin American Debt, Democracy, and
Free Trade; video: Capital Sins: Authoritarianism
and Democratization; reading: Burns, Chapter 10
(handout)
U.S. foreign policy in the Americas and options for the
future
Lecture: U.S.-Latin American Relations
Week 7: T 4/28 Kane: Savages; Video: The Huaorani;
VERTICAL FILES DUE
Week 8: T 4/29 Discussion of current events; final exam review;
FINAL EXAM
VII. DESCRIPTION OF WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
VERTICAL FILE GUIDELINES
Find five (5) current events articles that may be used to reinforce
assigned readings, lectures, and class discussions. Articles may
be taken from print or on-line sources but must reflect five
distinct sources and topics.
Critically analyze each article as it relates to what you have
learned in the course. You may want to use the Discussion
Questions you received at the beginning of the course as a
framework for your analyses.
You will be graded on your ability to effectively utilize course
material in an analysis of current events. Your articles must,
therefore, be current.
Each analysis should be between 250-500 words in length
(1-2 pages). Analyses that are too short or too long will receive
lower grades.
Vertical files are due at the beginning of class on the date
indicated in the Reading Schedule and Topic Outline. See Class
Policies for policy concerning late files.
VIII. CLASS POLICIES AND GRADING CRITERIA:
Each student's grade will be assessed on the basis of:
1) Examinations (45%)
There will be two major examinations. The midterm
examination will be a combination of multiple choice and essay
questions (25%). The final examination will be multiple choice
only (20%).
2) In-class reading quizzes (15%)
During the term, in-class quizzes should be expected
every day. These will be either short multiple choice questions or
questions that require only a sentence or two to answer.
3) Map quiz (10%)
Students are required to learn all of the countries and
capitals of Latin America and key topographical items as listed in
the attached Map Quiz Guidelines.
4) Annotated Vertical Files (20%)
See attached Vertical File Guidelines.
5) Class participation (10%)
Students are expected to come to all classes prepared to
discuss the material assigned. They will be graded on the basis of
the quality of their responses to questions and the questions they
ask. Students are expected to attend all scheduled video
presentations.
*** In accordance with the Farquhar Center's Writing Across
the Curriculum Policy, at least 35% of a student's grade will be
determined by written assignment.
CLASS POLICIES
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E-mail me at brodman@polaris.acast.nova.edu
Last updated on February 22, 1997 by Dr. Barbara Brodman.