Approved by University Studies Sub-committee. A2C2 action pending.

Department/Program: History

Course Number: 165 Number of Credits: 3

Course Title: Latin American History

Catalog Description:
A survey of Latin American history from pre-Columbian times to present including the colonial period, the struggle for independence and the rise of modern Latin American nations. Special emphasis is placed on Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico. Grade only.

This is an existing course that has previously been approved by A2C2: Yes

Department Contact Person:

Jackie Stroud
Jstroud@winona.edu

University Studies Category:

Unity and Diversity: Global Perspectives

 University Studies Outcome A: To promote students' abilities to understand the role of the world citizen and the responsibility world citizens' share for their common global future.

By introducing students to the historical structures and life components of Latin America, it is the hope of the department that they will benefit and have a better understanding of the world "global citizen". The United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America have had historical bonds, in a way these areas have been 'acting' global for a long period of time. Students will have the opportunity to learn the history and culture of Latin America and how it intersects with other countries and their people. It is the belief that students understanding of the historical past can more easily identify ideas about diversity. Helping students accomplish the goal of understanding the shrinking world and their role in that world is an important component of this course.

Latin American History promotes these ideas in several ways. By using a variety of films, documentaries, readings, textbooks, and scholarly articles the student is made aware of the world of Latin Americans. We begin with the earliest indigenous populations, European colonization, Independence, and work our way through to modern day Latin America. By looking at the political, economic, racial, religious, and gender structures of Latin America we hope the student will begin a new, better, or more comprehensive understanding of their history; they will also be able to understand the role of other countries in the history of Latin Americans.

Understanding the internal and external relationships of Latin American is a fundamental part of this course Students will also explore ideas and philosophies such as colonization, imperialism, Marxism, militarism, and nationalism. Because this course involves 33+ countries, 5 distinct regional areas, and a wide-range of those in the Latin American Diaspora, it would be impossible to teach this course in-depth for any one nation. The course therefore focuses on the commonalties as well as the stark differences in their historical, social, cultural, and religious constructs.

University Studies Outcome B: To promote students' abilities to describe and analyze social economical political, spiritual or environmental elements that influence the relations between living beings and their environments or between societies.

The department believes that History 165 will enable students to understand relations among and between Latin American nations/regions; it will also help students understand the relationship between Latin America, United States, Europe and Asia.

This course explores the colonization, political and economic development, migration, and immigration. All these areas are connected historically in Latin America, so it would benefit the student taking this course because it is designed to help them describe and analyze these relationships. This can be done in a variety of ways: lecture, guest speakers, film, documentaries, reading of texts, monographs, and scholarly journal articles. This course is also designed to help students understand the long duree; the long structure of historical events and relationship to the present. This gives students the opportunity to explore how complex these relationships have been in the past and may help them understand the world they live in now.

One of the best ways to effective understanding includes small group discussion focused around works by Latin Americans. These readings include novels, monographs, monographic studies and journal articles. Students are also required to write five to seven page reading analysis, which helps them focus their arguments and understandings on a specific topic. These usually include topics of race, class, gender, ethnicity, religion, and/or other historical constructs.

University Studies Outcome C: To promote student's abilities to identify and analyze specific global issues, illustrating the social economic political spiritual or environmental difference that may affect their resolution.

Students can see and understand "others" history in comparison to their own. This can be a useful tool if you can help them stand back and see the global picture or the "bigger picture" and how the histories of these countries cannot help but be inter-related. Rarely after 1492 can, the "Americas" be studied in isolation. By 1500 the world has become global in many ways. It is the intent of this course to help the student see how this happens. This course will attempt through lecture, media, and readings to give students' the tools to develop views, opinions, and appreciation for the Americas. We try in this course to use as much material written/translated by Latin Americans as possible. This includes both reading and media. The last component assigned for this course is a ten-fifteen page research paper on an approved topic in Latin American history. They are required to use both secondary and primary sources, which also puts them in touch with other perspectives and most time global. Latin Americans look inward and outward to understand the world. It is the hope of the department that students taking this course will learn from the example set forth.

 

The Design: This course is designed to help the student gain a new, better, or more comprehensive understanding of Latin America and Latin Americans. This course is also designed to meet the criteria of specific learning principles undertaken by the department of history.

 

	To enhance students' ability to critically read and evaluate historical scholarship
	To develop students' ability to express their ideas clearly in written form.
	To enhance students' ability to express their ideas in oral form.
	To develop in students the understanding that history is actually an on-going interpretive debate and not a series of short answers.
	To enhance students' capacity for independent, critical thought.
	To develop students' understanding of both long-term trends and discrete events in the history of the united States, Europe and at least to other cultural groups
	To enhance students' toleration of diverse peoples and cultures
	To develop students' commitment to a life-long search for learning and truth.

Required Text: Richard S. Hillman Edt. Understanding Contemporary Latin America.

Donald F. Stevens Edt. Based on a True Story: Latin American History at the Movies.