Walt Vanderbush
Office: Harrison # 317
Hours: Wed. 3:00-5:00, Tues. 10:00-11:00, and by appt.
Phone: 529-2018
Email: vanderw@muohio.edu

Course Description: This course examines the political, economic, and social relations that Latin American countries and people have with the rest of the world, particularly the United States. In some ways, the class is organized as a debate over several issues of contention within the Americas. We will attempt as much as possible to move beyond our own US views and look at various issues from the perspectives of different social groups in Latin America. For the purposes of this course Latin America will be broadly defined to include the Caribbean nations.

Course Evaluation: Students are required to take a midterm and final exam. Both of these exams will be largely essay in nature, although there will be a few short IDs on them as well. Each of the exams will count for roughly one third of a student's grade for the semester. Two "position papers" and general participation in the class will make up the final third of the grade.

Position Papers: These will be short papers (approximately five pages), in which you stake out a position on one of the issues addressed during each half of the semester. A sign up sheet with a limited number of slots for each day will be available during the first few class meetings. There will be suggestions for particular questions and perspectives that you may want to discuss distributed on the first day of class, as well as a more detailed explanation of the expectations for this assignment. The papers must be turned in to my mailbox (218 Harrison) by 5:00 on the day of the class covering the topic you have selected (the deadline is important in that it will allow me to look it over before class). Keep a copy for yourself, as you will be expected to make your argument at some point during the class meeting.

Readings:

Peter H. Smith, Talons of the Eagle: Dynamics of U.S.-Latin American Relations, 2000
An expensive packet of articles is also required and is available at the Dubois bookstore.

In the course outline below, all readings not by Smith are in the course packet. The page numbers refer to the original article and not the course packet page numbers.

Course Outline

January 9 Introduction and Discussion of Latin America in the wake of September 11

January 16 Colonialism to Good Neighbor Policy
Read: Smith, p. 11-86, 104-113

January 23 Cold War Years in U.S.-Latin American Relations
Read: Smith, p. 117-189, 213-216

January 30 Post-Cold War U.S.- Latin American Relations
Read: Smith, p.228-239, 293-300, 308-317, 320-325, 353-366; Purcell p. 81-103; Rothkopf p. 105-125

February 6 Bush II in LA; Begin LA economies in the world market historically
Read: Doyle and Isaacson p. 13-20; Cohn p. 39-44; Smith p. 207-210; Galeano 71-83, 100-115; Sowell 174-181; Gilmore p.17-35; Vanden and Prevost p. 54-68

February 13 Debt, Neoliberalism and the IMF in Latin America
Read: Smith p. 249-256, 271-275; Vanden and Prevost p. 168-175; WB and IMF p. 1-2; Green p.244-249; Komisar p. 34-38

February 20 NAFTA, Mercosur, FTAA, and the WTO
Read: Smith p. 257-271, 325-336; Cason p. 23-39; Nation forum p. 19-23; Greider p. 21-29; Smith and Moran p. 66-70; MacEwan p. 27-33; UE News p. 1-7

February 27 Latin American Relations with Europe
Read: Whitehead p. 51-71; Atkins p. 108-135; Freres p. 63-82; Krause p. 12-14; Jones p. 15-16; Beyerle p. 18-19

March 6 Midterm

March 13 Spring Break

March 20 Exporting and Importing Culture
Read: Garcia Canclini p. 97-107; Bauer p. 201-219; Galeano p. 247-268; Vargas Llosa p. 66-71; Farhi and Rosenfeld p. 1-5; Gilmore p. 161-177

March 27 Latin America and the Environment: International Influences
Read: Smith p. 275-283; Clint Smith p. 145-157; Morris p. 121-131; Gilmore p. 71-85; Honey p. 131-175; Jochnick and Garzon . 41-47

April 3 Political Economy of the Drug Trade
Read: Smith p. 284-293; Clint Smith p. 133-144; Bowley p. 169-191; Griffith p. 137-148; Chomsky p. 26-34; Lazare p. 12-16; Tate p. 45-53; Sharpe and Spencer p. 21-26

April 10 Emigration of Latin Americans and US Immigration Policy
Read: Smith p. 300-308; Bobea p. 119-132; Ortega p. 19-23; Howard p. 25-28; Kushner p. 29-32; Grimson p. 33-35; Clint Smith p. 117-131; Goldsborough p.89-101; Waslin p. 34-38

April 17 Latinos in the US
Read: Smith p. 242-244; Harrison p. 231-251; Grigg p. 16-23; Gonzalez p. 167-189 and 206-227; Morales p. 40-44; Robert Smith p. 14-17;

April 24 Puerto Rico and Conclusion
Reading: Gonzalez p. 246-267 and 269-273;

Final Exam: Monday April 29, 7:45 pm