Unit information: Contemporary Latin American History in 2011/12

Unit name	Contemporary Latin American History
Unit code	HISP31030
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Professor. Brown
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

This unit examines the principal challenges faced by Latin American states at the beginning of the twenty-first century: Climate Change, Social Inequality, Drug Trafficking and the development of Democracy. Students will explore the ways in which these subjects affect the different Latin American states, adopting a comparative framework in all cases. We will employ a range of primary sources to assist our analysis of the four main themes: from newspapers and online media, novels and films, through to the speeches of politicians, institutional documents, political manifestos and economic statistics.

Aims:

• To introduce students to a significant body of knowledge of a complexity appropriate to final year level. The content matter will normally include one or more of the following: literature; social, cultural or political history; linguistics; cultural studies; film, television or other media.

• To facilitate students’ engagement with a body of literature, including secondary literature, texts, including in non-print media, primary sources and ideas as a basis for their own analysis and development. Normally many or most of these sources will be in a language other than English and will enhance the development of their linguistic skills.

• To develop further skills of synthesis, analysis and independent research, building on the skills acquired in units at level I.

• To equip students with the skills to undertake postgraduate study in a relevant field.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Successful students will:

• be knowledgable about a significant cultural, historical or linguistic subject related to the language they are studying;

• will have advanced skills in the selection and synthesis of relevant material;

• be able to evaluate and analyse relevant material from a significant body of source materials, usually in a foreign language, at an advanced level;

• be able to respond to questions or problems by presenting their independent judgements in an appropriate style and at an advanced level of complexity;

• be able to transfer these skills to other working environments, including postgraduate study.

Teaching Information

Lecture and Seminars, use of e-resources through blackboard, Latin American newspapers online, films in the Multimedia Centre.

Assessment Information

One of the following:

a) A written assignment of 3000 words and a two hour exam (50% each)

b) A written assignment of 3000 words (25%) and a three hour exam (75%)

c) One written assignment of 6000 words (or equivalent)

d) Two written assignments of 3000 words (50% each)

e) One oral presentation (25%) plus one written assignment of 1500 words (25%) plus one written assignment of 3000 words (50%)

Reading and References

All students should read Alexander Dawson, Latin America: A New Interpretation (2011) and

John Charles Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire (2001). Other more detailed reading lists will be made available tailored to the four distinct areas of subject material.