Sylabus
History of United States-Latin American Relations
Course number: JTB306
Instructor: doc. PhDr. Francis D. Raška, PhD.
E-mail: francis.raska@fsv.cuni.cz
Office hours: Tuesdays from 3:30 PM until 4:30 PM in Building C, Office C419
Wednesdays from 3:30 PM until 4:30 PM in Building C, Office C419
PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
The relationship between the United States and its Latin American neighbors has always proved complex. At times, it has been rather turbulent. This topic has been largely neglected in the Czech Republic and deserves to be studied. The purpose of this B.A. course is to help provide interested students with an historical background that should help them understand the fundamental political, economic, and cultural differences between the United States and Latin American societies and, in turn, how these differences have resulted in various United States policies towards Latin America in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. I expect students to do the readings and be prepared to participate in class discussions. The readings will be provided electronically.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES
Each student will receive a final mark at the end of the semester based on the following criteria:
Class participation 30%
Term paper 50%
Oral exam 20%
Grading is based on the Dean's Measure no. 20/2019: https://fsv.cuni.cz/deans-measure-no-20/2019 91% and more => A 81-90% => B 71-80% => C 61-70% => D 51-60% => E 0-50% => F
Students will be expected to read the assigned materials. Attendance and participation in classroom discussions are expected and each student will be required to write an essay containing 8 to 10 double-spaced pages. To avoid any problems, essay topics will need to be approved by me beforehand. During the first weeks of the course, we will agree as a group on the submission dates for the topics and the essays themselves. If a given student does not demonstrate significant progress on his/her term paper research/writing, he/she may be asked to withdraw from the course. In addition, if a student repeatedly fails to read the assigned materials and does not attend the course regularly, I reserve the right not to accept his/her essay at the end of the term. This translates into “No work, no credit.” In addition, all absences must be excused by e-mail. Family and medical emergencies constitute legitimate grounds for absence. I will insist that students let me know how they are getting on with their work throughout the course of the semester. Some time will be spent during the first session(s) discussing how to write essays. All students can expect to be examined orally on the topic of their essay at the end of the term. Please note that students are expected to disclose all sources cited in the form of footnotes. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism will be punished by the disciplinary committee of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Questions asked during individual examination sessions may involve the given topic as well as the research methods employed. Finally, for the course to be a success, we need to work together as a group of dedicated, mature scholars whose members communicate constructively with one another. Good luck!
TEXTS
Holden, Robert H. and Zolov, Eric (eds.), Latin America and the United States: A Documentary History, Oxford, 2011.
Kryzanek, Michael J., U.S.-Latin American Relations, Westport, CT., 2008.
Long, Tom, Latin America Confronts the United States: Asymmetry and Influence, Cambridge (UK), 2017.
Weeks, Gregory B., U.S. and Latin American Relations, Cambridge (UK), New York, and Melbourne, 2023.
COURSE TOPICS AND ASSIGNED READINGS
Background and Relations until the 1930s 1. Weeks, Gregory B. and Allison, Michael E., U.S. and Latin-American Relations, pp. 19-78. 2. Holden, Robert H. and Zolov, Eric, Latin America and the United States: A Documentary History, pp. 47-130.
The Good Neighbor Policy 3. Weeks, Gregory B. and Allison, Michael E., U.S. and Latin American Relations, pp. 79-109. 4. Holden, Robert H. and Zolov, Eric, Latin America and the United States: A Documentary History, pp. 133-173.
The Early Cold War 5. Weeks, Gregory B. and Allison, Michael E., U.S. and Latin American Relations, pp. 110-170. 6. Holden, Robert H. and Zolov, Eric, Latin America and the United States: A Documentary History, pp. 177-223.
The 1960s and 1970s 7. Long, Tom, Latin America Confronts the United States: Asymmetry and Influence, pp. 74-128 8. Holden, Robert H. and Zolov, Eric, Latin America and the United States: A Documentary History, pp. 224-296.
From Reagan to the New World Order 9. Kryzanek, Michael J., U.S.-Latin American Relations, pp. 85-121. 10. Holden, Robert H. and Zolov, Eric, Latin America and the United States: A Documentary History, pp. 296-332.
Post-Cold War Perspectives 11. Long, Tom, Latin America Confronts the United States: Asymmetry and Influence, pp. 129-216. 12. Holden, Robert H. and Zolov, Eric, Latin America and the United States: A Documentary History, pp. 335-403.
Anotace
ANOTACE
Vztah mezi Spojenými státy a Latinskou Amerikou vždy byly komplexní, někdy i bouřlivé. Téma, které bylo dlouho zanedbáno v České republice si zaslouži delší studium. Tento bakalářský předmět by měl poskytnout studentům historický náčrt problematiky. Studenti by měli pochopit zásadní politické, ekonomické a kulturní rozdíly mezi Spojenými státy a Latinskou Amerikou a jak tyto rozdíly se promítaly do americké politiky vůči Latinské Americe od 19. století až po současnost. Studenti mají povinnost připravit povinnou četbu a zúčastnit se v diskuzích. Povinná četba bude poskytnuta v elektronické podobě.