COURSE INFORMATION
SPAN 3525 Latin American Cultures
Prof. Llanos
Office Hours: Wednesday from 5:00-6:00pm and by appointment
Office: Boylan 4214
Email: Bllanos@brooklyn.cuny.edu
This course examines a series of contemporary cultural and social issues in Latin America through the study of case studies in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Nicaragua, Chile, Peru and Bolivia. Among the topics we will analyze are: feminicide- or the killing of women due to their gender, abortion rights, historical and cultural memory, peace and war, sexual abuse and male power, politics and corruption, machismo and racism. The course ends with the ethics and life style based on the community practiced by the Andean world and summarized in the thirteen principles of “el buen vivir o Sumak Kawsay.” Through the readings and discussion of newspaper articles, academic publications, documentaries, interviews and films, the class will pay close attention to the current state of democracy in these countries and the way a neoliberal market economy and globalization have impacted rights (civil and human rights) and social life. In societies that have undergone a violent past due to dictatorships, civil wars and/or structural inequities, social movements play a major role to advance progressive political and social agendas such as free and secure abortion demands, land rights, indigenous rights, gender justice and gender identity reflect in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru show today.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. Contextualize the social and cultural issues discussed.
2. Develop an understanding of social rights and justice and their relationship to history.
3. Develop a critical perspective on gender, race and class.
4. Identify themes and problematics in the works read and films viewed.
5. Understand the relationship between justice, gender and the state.
6. Define neoliberalism and globalization.
7. Understand the relationship between social movements and social change
8. To understand the impact of globalization over communities especially indigenous communities in Latin American
1. Develop a historical and theoretical understanding of social and cultural issues.
2. Connect political violence, genocide and feminicide as contemporary human rights violations.
3. Develop a critical perspective about neoliberalism and globalization.
4. Improve their analytic, oral and writing skills.
5. Develop social and academic skills through team work.
6. Rely on peer editing to improve writing.
7. Recognize the significance of women’s and indigenous movements in the fight for democracy.
8. Relate the present to the past as historically shaped.
Almost all the materials can be found through the course website at https://libguides.brooklyn.cuny.edu/span3525 unless noted. If they are not online, they will be posted in Blackboard.
Participation (10%)
Assignments (5) (30%)
Essays (30%)
Presentation (10%)
Take Home Exam (20%)
When we meet in Zoom, cameras should be turned on. If for any reason, you cannot have the camera on, you need to let your professor know before hand.
PARTICIPATION
Come ready to discuss the assigned readings, ask questions, engage with your fellow students and the class materials.
Prompts for these assignments can be found in the Calendar for the semester’s sessions under Tareas. You will need to answer a question reflecting on the issue in a page to a page a half typed written using a Microsoft document (font 12, margins 1.2, double space). Hand it to your professor by the end of class.
This will be a three to four-page paper about one of the topics discussed in the semester. It should have two secondary sources a part of your research. Language, organization and thesis are key aspects.
This is a 10-minute oral presentation on one of the topics and materials for that day. The goal is to be concise, clear, informed and interesting for your audience. Content and language will be evaluated.
Will be comprehensive and the list of questions will be discussed and decided with the class. The take home should be placed in my mailbox on Monday December 16th. Graduate students will be working on a final research paper of 9-10 pages.
Students must address the following points in the presentation:
1. Introduce the Readings with their Authors, Titles and complete Bibliographic Information, i.e. place of publication, publisher, date of publication.
2. Explain briefly who the author is. If possible, add a picture.
3. The central argument(s) of the author/s – briefly summarized.
4. The different kinds of sources used (primary and secondary), whenever appropriate.
5. Main Content of the Readings: Be Brief (identify main points)
6. The implication(s) of the reading(s).
7. The readings’ relation to prior class discussions and assigned course material.
8. Write 2-3 questions for the class to engage in discussion.
Tips
· You are encouraged to do a PowerPoint or a web-based presentation.
· Start by saying why you chose the topic, introduce the subject matter, its relevance for the course, what you learnt from it, and other implications. You may talk about the difficulties you may have encountered or why you found the topic to be easy and amenable.
· Make slides concise and to the point.
· Keep information brief and interesting.
· Add attractive interactive materials to the slides (Interactive Maps, Graphs, Pictures, Photographs, Short Video Clips, snipets of Ted Talks, Music, Etc.)
· Make eye contact with the audience. Speak loudly and clearly.
· Get to the points quick.
· Have 2-3 discussion questions to share with the class.
Ten Rules of Writing by journalist Amitava Kumar
https://www.writerswrite.co.za/amitava-kumars-10-rules-for-writing/
Writing Rubric
1.Concepts
Novice
Few feminist concepts used and not very clearly defined.
Competent
Several feminist concepts used and are defined.
Proficient
Several feminist concepts and are very clearly defined and used.
2. Organization
Novice
Writing wonders from one idea to the next.
Competent
Writing sometimes uses transitions to connect ideas.
Proficient
Writing is cohesive and all ideas are connected.
3. Grammar
Novice
Contains several grammatical and/or spelling errors.
Competent
Contains a few grammatical and/or spelling errors.
Proficient
Contains no grammatical and/or spelling errors.
4. Interest
Novice
Writing is vague and too general.
Competent
Writing is beginning to display a critical voice.
Proficient
Writing displays a critical voice and recognizes the complexities of its analysis.
All writing assignments must cite sources following the Modern Languages Association Style https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html
The responses for the Discussion Boards are not graded individually. You will lose 1 point for every day it is late up to 3 points. After three days, you lose 3 points and your submission will not be accepted.
ð The responses are open-ended exercises for students to engage with the readings in a meaningful way.
ð They are like journal entries and must include the following:
a. Complete name/s of the author/s, the title of the piece, the date of publication, and the publisher (wherever possible).
b. Main argument/s of the author/s presented in the readings. If it is a novel summarize the segment or section your are analyzing.
c. Your analysis, argument.
d. How you connect with the readings.
e. Connection with larger socio-cultural and political-economic issues.
f. Did the readings affect or alter your understanding of the questions in context?
· Grades are based on a scale of 100
· A+ = 97% and above: A = 96-94%, A- = 93-90% (consistently excellent work).
· B+ = 89-87%, B = 86-84%, B- = 83-80% (Good and above average).
· C+ = 79-77%, C = 76-74%, C- = 73-70% (satisfactory).
· D+ = 69-67%, D = 67-64%, D- = 63-60%; F = below 60 (passable).
· Grading policy for this class is cumulative (as evident from the breakup of different varieties and categories of assignments) and Progressive (i.e. consider improvement over time).
· The final grade will be the cumulative total of the different grades acquired in the entire period of the semester.
· NO Incompletes.
A = Excellent work; demonstrates superior writing and analytical skills from start to finish;
Written document presents a thesis statement or an argument or attempts to answer a question;
demonstrates logical organization of thoughts, structured systematically and coherently;
proposition or analysis are backed up by evidence throughout the length of the document;
ideally, incorporate materials from assigned readings, lectures, discussions and offer a persuasive argument backed by historical evidence thus illustrating interpretive skills;
no spelling or grammatical errors; proper citation format.
B = Good work
· Written document represents adequate knowledge and understanding of course material and themes but is weaker in analysis and factual content;
interpretive skills are not as strong as those displayed in an A paper;
organization and coherence may be loose;
evidence not adequately presented;
fails to answer questions squarely and establish a solid thesis statement or argument.
C = Adequate work
Written work reveals basic understanding of course material and themes but fails to present a strong thesis statement or a question;
argument presented without adequate historical evidence;
work shows lack of interpretation and evaluation of sources and evince no proof of drawing from insights gained through lectures, readings, and class discussions;
knowledge of the historical background may be weak;
potential for strong ideas or argument may be hindered by weak or convoluted prose.
D = Poor work
Written work displays a smattering of ideas that are vague and not backed by adequate evidence from the course material;
no concrete argument and engagement with sources;
inadequate or no analysis;
presents many errors in themes, spelling, grammar; poor writing skills.
F = Unacceptable work
Flawed work;
inadequate and deficient of the general requirements;
demonstrates little or no effort;
lack of understanding of the course material;
inaccurate assignments; plagiarism; incomplete and negligent of instructions.
University’s policy on Academic Integrity: The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and for avoiding both. The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and the Brooklyn College procedure for policy implementation can be found at www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies. If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member must report the violation.
In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations students must first be registered with the Center for Student Disability Services. Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with the Director of the Center for Student Disability Services, Ms. Valerie Stewart-Lovell at (718) 951-5538. If you have already registered with the Center for Student Disability Services, please provide your professor with the course accommodation form and discuss your specific accommodation with him/her.
Etiquette on Internet by Arizona State University Online
Be Scholarly
Do: Use proper language, grammar, and spelling. Be explanatory. Justify your opinions. Credit the ideas of others by citing or linking to scholarly resources.
Avoid: Misinforming others when you may not know the answer. When you are guessing about something, clearly state that you do not have all the information
Be Respectful
Do: Respect privacy. Respect diversity and opinions that differ from your own. Communicate Tactical, and basic disagreement on scholarly ideas for research evidence. Avoid: Sharing other person's professional or personal information.
Be Professional
Do: Represent yourself well at all times. Be truthful, accurate, and a run a final spell check. Right in legible black font and size limit the use of emoticons. Avoid: Using profanity while participating in hostile interactions (flaming).
Be Polite
Do: Address others by name or appropriate title and be mindful of your tone. Be polite as you would in a face-to-face situation. Avoid: Using sarcasm, being rude or writing all capital letters (shouting). Written words
can be easily misinterpreted, as they lack facial expressions and body language, andtone of voice.
ð Classes are interactive and student centered. We will follow a lecture-discussion format.
ð Access to Blackboard is required. I will post relevant news items, study materials, and other course-related announcements on BlackBoard.
ð An active participation in class discussion based on careful and critical reading of the weekly readings is MANDATORY.
ð The Professor reserves the Right to Alter Reading and Writing assignments as needed. The syllabus can be modified (within limits) according to the interests and intellectual curiosity of the students.
ð I expect a thorough familiarity with the Syllabus that outlines the requirements and the content of the course.
ð For doubts and questions please contact me at your earliest—you can see me during office hours or send a short e-mail.
PLAGIARISM is the representation of another person's work, words, or ideas as your own without proper attribution. In writing papers, be certain to give proper credit whenever you use words, phrases, ideas, arguments, and conclusions drawn from someone else’s work. Failure to give credit by quoting and/or footnoting is PLAGIARISM and is a major academic offense that will lead to course failure or college dismissal.
· Plagiarized work will earn a grade of 0% and will be reported to Brooklyn College according to established procedure. There are no legitimate excuses for plagiarism and plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class. Please review below the definition of plagiarism and CUNY’s policy on academic integrity.
· How do I properly cite sources? On how to cite sources and avoid plagiarism can be found here:
http://www.northwestern.edu/provost/policies/academic-integrity/how-to-avoid-plagiarism.html
· The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and for avoiding both. The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and the Brooklyn College procedure for implementing that policy can be found at this site: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies.
· If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member MUST report the violation.
· Students must not produce same or similar works for two courses without avowed consent of the professors.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a federal anti-discrimination statute, provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, the legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you have a disability requiring an accommodation, you need to follow Brooklyn College procedure; that is, “In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations students must first be registered with the Center for Student Disability Services. Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with the Director of the Center for Student Disability Services (718-951-5538). If you have already registered with the Center for Student Disability Service, please provide your professor with the course accommodation form and discuss your specific accommodation with him/her.”
· Check your email and BlackBoard announcements daily.
· E-mail me only for course-related matters and keep it short.
· Allow 24-48 hours for my response to your mails, even on weekdays.
· I will not discuss your big concerns with assignments, lectures, or readings on e-mail. For such concerns you must make time to see me during my office hours or by appointment.
· ALWAYS put your <yourname> and the course number IN THE SUBJECT.
· Email is a FORMAL means of communication (at least when you correspond with your professors or employers, etc.). Let's treat each other with respect. Use capital letters, punctuation, greetings and salutations as in a professional message. Avoid abbreviations, and slang..
· Sign every message at the bottom.
· Exchange phone numbers or email addresses with your classmates. If you happen to miss a class, please contact a classmate to know what you missed. After you have done this, if you have questions about the content, email me to make an appointment.
Unless otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This course website contains copyrighted materials available only for your personal, noncommercial educational and scholarly use. This site is used in accordance with the fair use provision, Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act where allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Every effort has been made to provide attribution of copyrighted content. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain expressed permission from the copyright owner. If you are the owner of any copyrighted material that appears on this site and believe the use of any such material does not constitute "fair use", please contact Professor Bernardita Llanos to have the content removed, if proven necessary.
This open educational resource was created as part of the CUNY and SUNY 2017-19 Open Educational Resources Initiatives. Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NY State Legislature awarded CUNY and SUNY $16 million to implement open educational resources to develop, enhance and institutionalize new and ongoing open educational resources across both universities.
Special thanks to the CUNY Office of Academic Affairs, the CUNY Office of Library Services, Brooklyn College Administration and Professor Frans Albarillo, Coordinator, Brooklyn College Open Educational Resources Initiative. Site design and formatting by Emily Fairey, OER Developer.
