Political Science 273 – International Relations of Latin America and the Caribbean
| Pablo Toral |
| Spring 2008, TTH 3:00-3:50PM; F 2:00-3:50PM |
| Room: MI 209 |
| Phone, x2166 |
| Email: toralp@beloit.edu |
Office hours: MI 112-A M 6:00-7:00PM; TTHF, 4:00-5:00PM;
or by appointment. |
Course Content and Objectives
This course reviews the theories informed by several schools of thought to explain the role of Latin America and the Caribbean in international relations, as well as those theories that explain the impact of the international system on Latin American and Caribbean societies, including modernization theory, dependency theory, corporatism, bureaucratic authoritarianism, and democratization theories, among others. We will also study the revitalization of regional blocs since the 1990s, such as the Andean Community, CARICOM, the Central American Common Market, MERCOSUR and NAFTA, among others. In the last section of the course we will analyze more closely the foreign policies of specific countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Cuba and Mexico, paying special attention to their relations with the United States. Offered every even-numbered Spring.
Additional course content description
The introduction of a new development model in the 1990s opened a new period in the history of Latin America and the Caribbean in which the insertion in the world economy became the prominent goal. In the first part of the course we will provide a historical analysis of the role played by Latin America and the Caribbean in the international economic and political systems since the arrival of the Europeans. The core of the course is an exploration of the efforts of Latin American and Caribbean societies to participate in the process of globalization while consolidating the democratic reforms that began in the 1980s and achieving sustained economic growth. Another important part of the course is a review the foreign policy-making processes in the main countries.
Course goals/objectives/outcomes
The main approaches developed for the study of international politics take as models the largest and powerful countries of the world. The result is a one-sided approach that looks at international relations through the eyes of the United States and the large European countries. The purpose of this course is to analyze international politics from the south. To do this we will identify the main needs of the Latin American and Caribbean countries, the policies developed by their governments to pursue the unfulfilled promise of development and to consolidate strong democratic regimes. We will look at the world as a region in which the people of Latin America and the Caribbean look for additional resources to further their goals of social equality, the achievement of participatory democracy, sustainable economic development and a prominent role in international relations.
Course readings
The six texts are on reserve in the library.
Castañeda, Jorge G. Utopia Unarmed: the Latin American left after the Cold War. New York, Knopf: Distributed by Random House, 1993 (0394582594).
Klaren, Peter F. & Thomas J. Bossert, eds. Promise of development: theories of change in Latin America, Boulder, Westview Press, 1986 (081330007X).
McCoy, Jennifer L. and David J. Myers (eds.) The unraveling of representative democracy in Venezuela. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004 (0-8018-8428-4).
Mora, Frank and Jeanne A. K. Hey. Latin American and Caribbean Foreign Policy. Lanham, Rowman & Littlefield, 2003 (0-7425-1601).
Skidmore, Thomas E., and Peter H. Smith. Modern Latin America, New York, Oxford University Press, 2001, (0195129962).
Shaw, Carolyn. Conflict and Consensus in the Organization of American States. Palgrave Macmillan, 2004 (1-4039-6221-9).
Smith, Peter H. Talons of the Eagle: dynamics of US-Latin American relations, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1996, (0195129989).
Course Requirements
Journal: weekly comments on the assigned readings. Write a paragraph in which you address the following three aspects: what have the authors in the readings analyzed very well? What have they analyzed poorly? What have they left out of their study?
Map quiz: identify countries and capital cities.
Book review: “Utopia Unarmed” (3 pages, double spaced).
1st essay: illustrate one of the approaches in the second section with a case study (5 pages, double spaced)
2nd essay: analysis of a country’s foreign policy (5 pages, double spaced).
Group project: you are part of a group of consultants advising a government on foreign policy (10 pages).
Class attendance and participation
Class attendance and participation.
I expect you to participate in class discussions actively. Learning is not a passive exercise, in which you listen to your professor lecture on a particular topic. I expect you to participate in class discussions by asking questions about the readings, by analyzing the topics critically and by questioning the views of the authors, the professor, and those of your own peers. Critical thinking is an-ongoing process of continuous assessment and reassessment of the dominant views in a field of study. My goal of is to engage everybody in a permanent dialogue with the readings and with each other. I will also ask you to give presentations in class, in which you will analyze the readings critically.
Grading policy.
Your grades will be a reflection of your ability to develop original arguments. I expect you to be able to understand the material that we study in class, analyze it critically, and develop original views, by building upon the ideas of the authors discussed in class or by rejecting them.
A - An original essay. The students’ arguments are supported by references to the reading assignments and class discussions, as well as by additional research. The paper has a clear focus, is well written, and has a good structure. It is rooted in one or some of the main debates in the field, provides a new and original approach and has enough evidence to support the student’s claims.
B - The paper addresses an original argument. It shows a good understanding of the main debates in the discipline and is based on a clear understanding of the reading material. It is supported by original research, but fails to make a compelling argument for lack of evidence or poor structure.
C - The student does not develop an original argument but shows a good understanding of the reading assignments and the discussions.
D - The student does not develop original ideas well and only shows a partial understanding of the reading material.
F - No original argument and poor understanding of the reading material. Use of poor or no bibliographic references (this is normally the main reason to fail an assignment). Plagiarism (to appropriate for use as one's own passages or ideas from another).
Late assignments.
I will accept assignments up to a week after the deadline, but the grade will fall by half a letter grade each day.
If you need help with your research in the library, try the “Ask a Librarian” link on the library home page, http://www.beloit.edu/~libhome or contact Chris Nelson at ext. 2544 or via email at nelsoncn@beloit.edu.
If you have a disability and would like to speak to someone about possible accommodations, please visit the LSSC (Learning Support Services Center) located on the first floor of 635 College St. You will need to provide appropriate documentation of your disability to Diane Arnzen, Director of the LSSC (arnzend@beloit.edu). If you wish to receive accommodations in my class please provide me the LSSC Accommodation Verification Letter dated for this semester as soon as possible so your learning needs may be appropriately met.
Free individual peer tutoring is available for most courses through the Learning Supports Services Center, 635 College Street, X 2572. Professors recommend all tutors who are then trained by the LSSC staff. Contact the LSSC to find out more.
Course Outline
| Week 1 (17-20 January) Overview |
| Week 2 (24-27 January) |
| Skidmore & Smith, 1, 2 (the colonial foundations, transformation of modern LA) |
| Creation of groups |
| Map quiz, Jan. 24 |
| Week 3 (31 Jan.-3 February) |
| Skidmore & Smith, rest of the book |
| What is Latin America? What is the Caribbean? |
| Week 4 (7-10 Feb.) Modernization |
| Klaren & Bossert, 1-5 |
| Week 5 (14-17 Feb.) Dependency and Marxism |
| Klaren & Bossert, 6-9 |
| First individual presentation, Feb. 16-17 |
| Week 6 (21-24 February) Corporatism and bureaucratic authoritarianism |
| Klaren & Bossert, 10-14; video “Capital Sins: Authoritarianism and Democratization”. |
| First essay due, Feb. 24 |
| The Triumph of the New Latin American Left? |
| Week 7 (28 Feb.-3 March) Utopia Unarmed |
| Castañeda |
| Spring Break (7-10 March) |
| Week 8 (14-17 March) Chávez’s Venezuela |
| McCoy & Myers |
| Week 9 (21-24 March) Chávez’s Venezuela |
| McCoy & Myers |
| Book review, March 20, 9:00AM |
| U.S.-Latin America and Caribbean relations |
| Week 10 (28-31 March) The Inter-American system: security |
| Smith; video |
| Week 11 (4-7 April) The Inter-American system: Role of the OAS |
| Shaw |
| Latin America and the Caribbean and the rest of the world |
| Week 12 (11-14 April) Middle America and the Caribbean Basin |
| Mora and Hey, Introduction, 1-7 |
| Week 13 (18-21 April) Andean Region |
| Mora & Hey, 8-13 |
| Week 14 (25-28 April) Brazil and the Southern Cone |
| Mora & Hey, 14-17 |
| Second individual presentation and second essay: You will present your second essay the week your country is covered (weeks 12-14). The essay is due the day of your presentation. |
| Week 15 (2-5 May) |
| Group presentations |
| Group project due |
Have a great Summer!
