Understanding Cultures: Latin America (UCLA)
Catalog #: CLS-151
Dr. Laura LACASA Yost
Instructor Contact Information
Office: 1027 Cedar Hall
Office Hours: MWF (10), T (1), &
TH by appointment
Phone: 398-5899 (ext. 5984)
E-mail: ANGEL (Communicate Tab)
Section #: CLS-151-CRF01
Meetings: MWF 9:00 – 9:50 a.m.
Course Description (3 credits)
Valentín Valdés Espinosa
(January 2010)
Periodista y Héroe
de Saltillo, México
¡Dedicado a los héroes que luchan
cada día contra la injusticia!
Understanding Cultures: Latin America (UCLA)
Examines human spatial and cultural behavior in
Latin America by exploring political, economic,
religious and social institutions. Theoretical
readings are balanced with case studies to enable
students to explore theoretical perspectives in a
cross-cultural context.
Course Prerequisites
There are no course prerequisites for this course.
Required Course Materials
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NO textbook is required - readings will be completed using online sources
ANGEL: regular access & usage is necessary to complete this course
Video on Demand (VOD): regular access & usage is necessary to complete this
course
Learning Outcomes, Objectives, & Course Competencies
Academic
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Geographically identify Latin American nations
Summarize the major time periods of Latin American history
Highlight significant historical events, developments, & individuals in the
countries examined
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Identify key course themes & sub-themes related to Latin American history
Assess how modern-day issues reflect themes & sub-themes
Critically evaluate modern-day issues using key themes and sub-themes
Thematic
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Skills-Based
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Compare/contrast historic & modern-day developments using key themes &
sub-themes
Evaluate content critically
Develop arguments combining key course themes & analytical thinking
Provide supporting evidence for conclusions
Promote independent learning that goes beyond course-delivered content
Develop student accountability for individual learning
Foster time management through Internet-based components
Social Science Objectives
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The student will understand & think critically regarding how the discipline
conducts science
The student will become acquainted with classic & contemporary theoretical
perspectives within the discipline
The student will become acquainted with classic & contemporary research
within the discipline
The student will understand how the discipline analyzes data & draws
conclusions
The student will learn the ethical guidelines & challenges of the discipline
Kirkwood Diversity Courses
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The student will better understand & articulate their own worldviews & how
others construct meaning through study & discussion of a broad historical,
cultural, and/or geographic framework
The student will integrate diverse elements of cultural experience into their
own experience, creating new & deeper understanding
The student will deepen understanding of a discipline or methodology
The student will engage in an in-depth study of an area of specialization or of
a broadly-based theme(s)
Kirkwood Historical/Cultural Core
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The student will better understand & articulate their own worldviews & how
others construct meaning through study & discussion of a broad historical,
cultural, and/or geographic framework
The student will integrate diverse elements of cultural experience into their
own experience, creating new & deeper understanding
The student will deepen understanding of a discipline or methodology
The student will engage in an in-depth study of an area of specialization or of
a broadly-based theme(s)
Social Science/Career Option Department Writing Policy
The Social Science/Career Option faculty believe strongly that good writing is the result of
extensive practice. As a general rule, there should be a minimum of three pages of writing
per credit hour taught. Students should be informed before the writing of its purpose and
the criteria by which it will be graded; faculty are responsible for giving meaningful &
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precise feedback using criteria discussed in advance. (Exceptions can only be made with
permission of the Dean of Social Science/Career Option Department.)
Social Science/Career Option Department Technology Policy
Courses in the Social Sciences and Career Options Department will help students
appreciate and apply quality information. Key points of understanding include, but are
not limited to, identifying sources of scholarly articles, utilizing library resources, as well
as finding and applying quality content from online resources.
The information literate student - 1) accesses needed material effectively and efficiently;
2) summarizes the main ideas extracted from the information gathered; 3) effectively uses
information individually or as a member of a group to accomplish a specific purpose; and
4) “understands many of the economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use of
information and access and uses information ethically and legally.” (Information Literacy
Competency Standards for Higher Education, The Association of College and Research
Libraries, 2000)
 Some assignments or projects will be designed to enhance a student’s ability to
use technology effectively.
Assessment of Student Learning I
Academic assessments for this class will be composed of the following components
 Course Syllabus/ANGEL Quiz = 2 points/question; # of questions TBD
o assignment MUST be completed by the end of the first week of
classes (refer to course Calendar for due date)
o this quiz CANNOT be completed/submitted late due to its importance
concerning course operations and fundamentals
o the instructor will NOT go over the Syllabus in class in order promote
student responsibility and in response to growing student
inattentiveness during class sessions dedicated to presenting this
information
o the instructor will not respond to questions that can be answered
based upon information already provided in the Syllabus – so student
MUST be aware of policies, procedures, and penalties
 Group VOD/Writing Assignments = 20 points/each
o on average, one in-class assignment is completed per week
o assignments MUST be completed in groups
o projects must be written during the assigned class period (prepared
work will NOT be accepted for credit)
 Individual VOD/Writing Assignments = 30 points/each
o assignments MUST be completed individually
o projects will be submitted via ANGEL
 ANGEL Class Review Quizzes = 30 points/each
o on average, announced biweekly
o automated assessments based upon class content ONLY
o these can be taken at any time during the term
o 30 questions worth 1 point each
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o LATE PENALTY NOT APPLIED TO REVIEW QUIZZES!
Final Project: Microcredit = 125 points
o assignment may be completed individually or in groups
o project submitted in person during final exam period OR via ANGEL
o NO LATE WORK ACCEPTED FOR FINAL PROJECT!
For additional information, please refer to the ANGEL shell associated with this section.
Follow https://elearning.kirkwood.edu/default.asp to directly access the ANGEL shell for
this class.
Assessment of Student Learning II
The following guidelines outline the instructor’s expectations regarding how work must be
completed and submitted in order for students to earn credit for their work
General Guidelines:
 ALL OUT-OF-CLASS WORK MUST BE SUBMTITED VIA ANGEL IN
ORDER FOR A STUDENT TO EARN CREDIT TOWARDS HIS/HER
GRADE!
 Homework MUST be sent to the course-specific ANGEL folder ONLY;
otherwise it will be DELETED!
 Homework CANNOT be sent to the instructor’s Kirkwood e-mail account;
otherwise it will be DELETED!
 It is the student’s responsibility to follow-up with an instructor regarding deleted
work; the instructor will not contact the student to inform him/her of the policy
violation
Assignment Group Work:
 All in-class work must be completed in groups since student interaction is an
integral part of the project
 Students are allowed to chose their own groups; a maximum of five students
is allowed/group
 For ALL group work, members receive the same grade for their effort (unless
it is brought to the instructor’s attention a member is not contributing; in that
case scores will be awarded based upon the effort & quality of the work
submitted – if any)
 (In-class work) materials are returned to the first student listed
 (In-class work) if students who are not in class are listed as having
participated in an assignment, the ENTIRE group will receive a ZERO = this
is considered cheating and puts other groups/students at a disadvantage
 If a student in present in class and does NOT write his/her name on an
assignment when it is handed in, no back-dating of credit will be awarded
Assessment of Student Learning III
The following points concern how to best guarantee a student earns the most possible credit
for his/her work
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ALL out-of-class work submitted by a student should be backed up or saved in a
form beyond ANGEL or an e-mail (a WORD file, an HTML file, etc.); this will
help in cases of technology failure or submission glitches
Students are responsible for keeping all in-class work returned by the instructor;
in the case of group work, please be sure to know the names of the students you
are working with
If a student accuses the instructor of having overlooked, deleted, or lost
submitted work in ANY form & it can be demonstrated (through ANGEL usage
data or e-mail records) that no work was submitted - a student will receive a
ZERO on the assignment in question if it is handed in at a later date
Careful attention must be paid to ANGEL’s Overall Student Grade reporting!
ANGEL calculates grades automatically, yet students need to keep in mind that
grade updates do NOT include work they have not yet completed, that in cases of
exams ALL scores appear listed (even though the highest three count), and that
grades can be artificially INFLATED because unfinished and un-submitted work
does not get counted as “zero” until the end of the course. Accordingly, the
instructor posts point totals (grades) correctly into ANGEL, but students
need to keep the “big picture”/grading context in mind when reviewing their
scores. Simply looking at the percentage or point total may not be enough to get
an accurate estimate of your performance!
Late Work/Make-Up Policies
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DEADLINE for all work submitted outside of class = 11 p.m. (on the assigned
due date); anything submitted after 11 p.m. is counted as LATE
 ANY submitted work (opened by the instructor as an attached file) that does
NOT contain the student’s name WITHIN the content of the document when
printed, will be penalized TEN points
 ALL late assignments will be awarded HALF CREDIT (this ONLY applies to
out-of-class projects)
 “Excused” absences are the only exception to the stated late policy
 NO LATE WORK will be accepted after the conclusion of the course’s final
exam period
In-Class Writing:
 Students CANNOT MAKE UP missed in-class assignments (unless their
absence is classified as “excused”)
 Students cannot submit in-class assignments outside of class unless
announced/approved by the instructor
 It is a student’s responsibility to keep ALL returned work for reference of
any kind
 If you miss a class period scheduled for in-class work and hand in the
work at a later time/after-the-fact, you will receive a ZERO
 In-class work MUST be done in-class; students cannot leave the room to
go to the Library, Computer Lab, or other location
 In-class work takes into account student preparedness. If you are not
prepared, your grade will reflect that!
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Class Attendance Policy and College-Sponsored Activities
As stated in the Student Handbook: In compliance with Public Law 105-244, Kirkwood
Community College makes a wide variety of general institutional information available to
students. For additional information, go to:
http://www.kirkwood.edu/pdf/uploaded/630/student_handbook.pdf
Productive Classroom Learning Environment I
See Student Handbook: http://www.kirkwood.edu/pdf/uploaded/630/student_handbook.pdf
Productive Classroom Learning Environment II
It is at the instructor’s discretion to determine if behaviors not included in official Kirkwood
statements on a productive classroom environment are disruptive. The following address
the conditions & circumstances associated with a decision that student activity is not
conducive to an opportunity for all students to focus, pay attention, & learn
 Disruptive actions may include, but are not limited to: sleeping, passing
notes, talking, reading textbooks, completing homework, reading the
newspaper, open demonstrations of disgust (eye rolling, sighing, constantly
checking the wall clock, etc.), headphone/ear bud usage; multiple bathroom
breaks or classroom departures (during a single class session or the course of
the semester)
 If a student’s behavior is disruptive, he/she may be asked to stop it or to leave
the classroom for the session under way; any and all worked missed during
that session CANNOT be made up
 A student MAY or MAY NOT be warned ahead of time of an upcoming
request to leave
 If a student fails to stop the disruptive behavior, or leave based upon the
instructor’s request, 30 points will be deducted from his/her total points
earned (this will apply to each event in which a student does not comply with
instructor directions)
Plagiarism Policy
See Student Handbook: http://www.kirkwood.edu/pdf/uploaded/630/student_handbook.pdf
Plagiarism/Cheating Policy (Supplemental)
Students are allowed to discuss work assigned for individual completion. Work must be in a
student’s OWN words, unless cited properly. However, students are NOT allowed to turn in
work that is the same, copied from another student’s, or highly similar (with some words
changed, sentences rearranged, etc.).
 ALL forms of this type of work are considered cheating and will receive a
ZERO
 Assignments receiving a zero cannot be redone or resubmitted
Campus Closings
See Student Handbook: http://www.kirkwood.edu/pdf/uploaded/630/student_handbook.pdf
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Learning Environment Expectations
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There is no “mandatory” attendance policy for this course – student’s are
responsible for maintaining their own schedules
If students do not attend class meetings they are must get up to speed concerning
missed information by referring to the course website or speaking with
classmates – not by contacting the instructor to find out “what I missed”
Materials distributed during a student’s absence will be available in the
instructor’s office (1027 Cedar Hall); please make the appropriate arrangements
Students are not allowed to bring their children to class – this disrupts the
learning environment for other students
Late Arrival Policy:
 When the instructor begins to address the students present, class has officially
begun (this policy will apply after the first week of classes)
 Any student arriving after that time (regardless of excuse or the amount of time
that has passed since the start of the hour) will be considered “late”
 In the case of each late arrival, 10 points will be deducted from a student’s total
points earned (this will apply to each class period in which an individual is tardy)
Absence/Missed Class Policies & Procedures:
 The following are considered accepted “excused absences” (beyond those already
outlined as official school waivers): medical-related circumstances; funerals;
military service &/or training; off-campus school visits; legal-related circumstances
 To count as an excused absence, paperwork or another form of verifiable proof must
be provided to the instructor
 Your instructor will not talk with any third party (for example, medical or
employment personnel) regarding absences; the student must secure & provide
evidence justifying his/her lack of attendance
 Students who are absent from class are expected to get “caught up” on assignments
& projects by contacting other class members & logging in to ANGEL; the
instructor will NOT provide an individual with notes, directions, or PPT slides
 Students may get missed handouts from the instructor & will still be responsible for
handing in work on time that can be accepted
Americans with Disabilities Act
Students with disabilities who need accommodations to achieve course objectives should
file an accommodation application with the Learning Services Department (2071 Cedar
Hall) as soon as possible.
 Students who present official ADA paperwork during the course of the semester
will not be allowed to retroactively apply their accommodations to alreadycompleted work in accordance with upholding Federal regulations
Student Evaluation
Performance Penalties:
 Late arrival = minus 10 points/arrival (refer to Late Arrival Policy)
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Late work = half credit awarded/late submission
Cell phone/technology use = minus 20 points/use (refer to Course-Specific
Cell Phone & Personal Technology Policy)
Class disruption = minus 30 points/disruption (refer to Productive
Classroom Learning Environment B)
Cheating and/or plagiarism = 0 points earned/assignment (refer to
Plagiarism/Cheating Policy (Supplemental)
Point penalties (for all violations excluding cheating/plagiarism) will NOT
be posted via ANGEL, but included in instructor calculations of midterm &
final grades – so be aware of your behavior in class!
Student Evaluation: Feedback Information
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For in-class writing assignments completed during the first three weeks of the
course, the instructor will provide detailed written feedback & commentary on
strengths, weakness, & areas of improvement
Students do not get to decide/debate their grades based upon appeals such as, “this is
not fair,” “I worked hard on this,” “these are not the grades I am getting in my other
classes,” or “I don’t understand” – these claims lack specific arguments or focus
regarding inquiry or methods of improvement
Discussion of developing a student’s writing skills & performance will focus on
following instructions, information accuracy, the use of voluntary drafts, instructor
comments, & rubric guidelines
Individual Performance Information:
 Students can access, at any time, updated information concerning their academic
performance in the course
 Students should run a personalized grade report via ANGEL
 The report will be generated by clicking on the “Overall Student Grade” link
provided off the class homepage (under the Reports component = refer to the
provided screencapture)
Standard Grading Scale:
 The grading for this class is based strictly upon the percentages listed below; there
will be NO grading on a curve; all grades will be rounded to the nearest whole
number (midterm grades indicate student midterm academic standing ONLY)
A
= 93-100%
C
= 73-76%
A= 90-92%
C= 70-72%
B+
= 87-89%
D+
= 67-69%
B
= 83-86%
D
= 63-66%
B= 80-82%
D= 60-62%
C+
= 77-79%
F
= 59% - below
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Student Evaluation: FERPA Regulations
Due to federal privacy regulations, students CANNOT RECEIVE GRADING or
ATTENDANCE information via e-mail or the phone; such conditions also mean that no
THIRD PARTY (spouse, child, employer, relative, etc.) can be given this material either.
Students CAN receive responses to questions about grades and attendance via ANGEL,
because it is password protected (this does NOT apply to personal or Kirkwood
e-mail accounts, however).
If a student wishes to invoke FERPA privileges and have their information shared, it will be
his/her responsibility to present (in person) the instructor with a copy of signed/official
paperwork ahead of time.
If you have filled out FERPA forms that allow your grade information to be discussed
without direct contact, please provide a copy to your instructor. For verification purposes,
students must physically be present (at the Kirkwood main campus in Cedar Rapids, IA)
when they complete the paperwork. (If you are interested in filling out FERPA forms, visit
or speak with someone in Enrollment Services – 216 Kirkwood Hall, 319-398-5635 OR
Learning Services – 2017 Cedar Hall, 319-398-5574).
Drop Date
Students dropping a class during the first two weeks of a term may receive a full or partial
tuition refund for 16-week terms, for shorter courses check with Enrollment Services for
total withdrawal information. Details of the refund schedule are available from Enrollment
Services in 216 Kirkwood Hall. For a detailed discussion of drop dates and policies, please
read the Student Handbook.
Final Exam Information
For final exam information, please refer to the ANGEL shell associated with this section.
Follow https://elearning.kirkwood.edu/default.asp to directly access the ANGEL shell for
this class.
Emergency Information
See Student Handbook: http://www.kirkwood.edu/pdf/uploaded/630/student_handbook.pdf
OTHER IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION
* * * COURSE DISCLAIMER * * *
The policies & procedures included in this syllabus are the guidelines your
instructor believes create the most effective, efficient, & appropriate collegelevel learning environment. They may or may not be similar to those of other
faculty; they will not be changed to accommodate the expectations, beliefs, or
demands of those enrolled.
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Accordingly, if a student a) disagrees with the information provided here by
the instructor, b) decides/chooses not to comply with stated expectations, or c)
thinks the rules will be altered at some point during the semester, he/she should
drop this class and choose another more in-line with desired behaviors.
Communication
The following guidelines address how communication between students and the instructor
will be handled during the course of the semester; exceptions will not be made, so be sure to
understand how exchanges are handled in this class
 The instructor will not be available online from Fridays at 5 p.m. until Mondays at 8
a.m.
 In order to promote a professional, respectful, and cordial environment, e-mails sent
to the instructor that do not address her by name &/or title, a general greeting, or
even simple "Hello," will not be read!
 The instructor will not respond to e-mails asking questions students can answer for
themselves, based upon information already provided by the instructor, via the
Syllabus & other course-specific materials/sources (e.g. "Is there a late policy?";
"How much are exams worth?"; "Are tests multiple choice?"; “How many
assignments have I missed ?”; “How many points have I earned?”)
 ANGEL e-mails need to be sent the class-specific folder (UCLA, UCMJ, UCMC,
etc.); materials sent to the ANGEL Personal folder will not be read
 All e-mails sent to the instructor’s Kirkwood account (lyost@kirkwood.edu) MUST
be titled with the course name (UCLA, UCMJ, UCMC, etc.); otherwise, they will be
deleted!
 Conditions willing! = in Spring 2007 ice storms took down power lines & areas were
without electricity for days; in Spring 2008 classes were cancelled on account of
blizzard-like conditions = the instructor responds to all e-mails typically within 2448 hours; this excludes checking e-mails on evening & weekends
Post-Term Contact
The following guidelines address the expectations associated with communication between
students and the instructor at the end of an academic term (or immediately after its
conclusion)
 The instructor will not respond to e-mails at the end of the semester that do not
concern a specific, or recent, assignment
 Generalized questions about semester-long performance, or those asking about
homework from months earlier, reveal a lack of responsibility in keeping up with
(or paying attention to) scoring/grading, and represent a "crunch-time" approach
to gaining quick points
 Do not send messages stating, "I submitted all those assignments, I think you lost
them," or "I have no idea where my grade came from!"
 Ask your grade-related questions IMMEDIATELY & KEEP copies of all your
work!
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Financial Aid Verification
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Instructors are expected to complete attendance verification by the end of the
first week of classes
According to Enrollment Services, it is at the instructor’s discretion to decide if a
student has met the course-specific requirements necessary to be counted as
“here” or “attending”
Be aware that attendance expectations differ from class to class
Students who fail to attend with the regularity deemed necessary in order to be
counted as “here” cannot use that as an excuse for lack of preparedness when
present
Kirkwood Cell Phone Policy
In the interests of preserving an effective learning environment, as free of as many
disruptions as possible, all cellular telephones and pagers shall either be turned off or placed
in a non-audible mode while in the classroom.
Course-Specific Cell Phone & Personal Technology Policy
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A student using a cell phone for conversing, message checking, or texting
will see 20 points deducted from his/her total points earned (this will apply
for each class period in which the occurrence takes place)
A student engaging in ANY other electronic activity will see 20 points
deducted from his/her total points earned (this will apply for each class
period in which the occurrence takes place)
This point penalty may, or may not, be announced by the instructor at the
time of the occurrence – but she is keeping notes on the violations
Computer Labs
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Students, in order to complete assignments, are expected to take advantage of
Kirkwood-provided computer labs when privately-provided equipment is
unavailable or not in use
Kirkwood Community College Computer Labs (locations, open hours,
procedures & guidelines)
Student Print Quota (FAQs, spending limits, updated print balances, print jobs
lists)
Course Student Accountability/Responsibility Policy
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All students are responsible for knowing the information available in this
syllabus
All students are responsible for knowing the information available in the
Student Support packet
Not knowing (or being aware of) the policies & procedures provided by the
instructor is NOT an excuse to avoid being accountable to them
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Resources For Student Success
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Advising & Transfer Center – 1008 Iowa Hall, 398-5540
Counseling Center – 115 Linn Hall, 398-5471
Disability Services - 2063 Cedar Hall, 398-5574
International Resource Center – 134 Linn Hall, 398-5579
Learning Services – 2071 Cedar Hall, 398-5425
Student Advocacy – 123 Linn Hall, 398-5584
Adult Learners – 398-5578 or 398-5471
Testing Center - 2055 Cedar Hall, 398-5456
Writing Center – 3064 Cedar Hall, 398-5411, ext. 5055
Course Content Schedule
Below is the outline for the term which includes major areas of study. This outline,
however, is not set in stone as topics or areas of emphasis may be modified!
Course Introduction (Main Concepts & Themes)
A Story of Latin America . . .
 the “human face” of Latin America
 the role of continuity & role of change
 course sub-themes & approaches for analysis
Introductory Topic: The War on Drugs
A Key Challenge: The War on Drugs
 history, purpose, & role of coca in pre-Hispanic times
 Latin America’s “War on Drugs” in context
 Plan Colombia I, Plan Colombia II, Law 1008, & related approaches
 Evo Morales, pro-coca activism, & alternative development
The Colonial Period (1530s – 1820s)
THE Source of Continuity
 elements of indigenous culture (communication)
 indigenous groups under Spanish control
 Spanish controls & regulations (economic, social, political)
 comparative analysis of Latin American economic development
 social stratification & intra-group tensions
 pressures leading to independence
Independence (1820s)
A Source of Change?
 key figures & liberation movements
 approaches to national development (economic, social, political)
 challenges to national development (economic, social, political)
Time to Rebuild (1830s – 1870s)
Nation Building
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continuity & change in shaping new nations
consequences of nation building: “feminicidio” & maquilas
Forging a New Region (1870s)
The Costs of “Progress”
 key period characteristics
 key period examples
Attempts at Change (1900s)
Nationalism
 key period characteristics
 key period examples
Greater Movements & Greater Change (20th Century)
Revolution! (Mexico, Guatemala, & Cuba)
 Porfiriato society (economic, social, political issues)
 critical analysis of Mexico’s revolution
 Pre- & post-Ubico Guatemalan society (economic, social, political issues)
 critical analysis of Guatemala’s agrarian revolution
 pre-Castro society (economic, social, political issues)
 critical analysis of Cuba’s revolution
 comparison & contrast of Mexico & Cuba
Modern Movements & Modern Progress . . .
Modern Continuity & Modern CHANGE
 alternatives = nationalization, free vs. fair trade, microcredit
 change = Hugo Chávez (Venezuela), Evo Morales (Bolivia)
 development issues = rule of law, extralegal economics, social entrepreneurs
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