There are several class handouts on this page. Please scroll down.
Latin American Studies 101 Winter 2011
Dr. Marcia Olander
FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS:
1) U.S. interaction with Latin America takes place within a vast range of area and levels. Thus, it’s impossible to easily classify this relationship. We don’t want to simplify Latin American views regarding the U.S. as uniformly black and white, but we can say that there has long been a strong current of anti-Americanism in Latin America. Consider the U.S. role in the region to talk about why this is so.
There are a number of approaches to question one: economics, communication, military or other types of intervention, philosophy. Whatever factors you choose to focus on, please use examples to support your opinions.
2) Colonial Latin America was a complex mix of two very different worlds. Describe the colonial system that the Spanish implanted. How did Spanish institutions reflect the Spanish goals in the New World and their world-view in general?
Institution is a fairly broad term. The encomienda, for example, which never had any “office” nor salaried officials, is an institution nevertheless. It represents a set of practices set up by the monarchy and governed by law.
3) Consider the movie, “The Mission.” What elements of the movie might provide us the audience with real insight over the colonial period in Latin America and, conversely, what aspects of the film probably leave the audience with a very wrong idea about the colonial period?
Note: this answer has almost an infinite number of possible approaches. Dealing with the specific historical events depicted in the film is optional (i.e. Portuguese power struggle against Jesuit etc.)
4) Describe in broad terms some of Bolivian history leading up to the election of Evo Morales. In what ways does Morales’ victory represent change in the country? Are there also elements of continuity? Are you hopeful about the future? Why or why not?
5) Many of you enjoyed the pages we read from The Lost City of Z. How did this book (and the class discussion surrounding it) add to your understanding of Latin America? Yes, it is okay if part of your answer is a “review” of the book – but please go from this to talking about how you can relate this book to other aspects of what we’ve learned in the class.
6) As Michael Shifter says regarding Hugo Morales, the debate about him has become so polarized that it "has obscured the reality of the Chavez phenomenon." I'm asking you to try to go beyond the "caricatures." Write a serious essay about Hugo Chavez (and/or Venezuela today) in which you touch upon both sides of the debate.
(This is optional, but you might consider using the theme of whether Venezuela is a democracy to focus your essay.)
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If you haven't looked over the notes I posted after the power point presentation on neo-liberalism and social unrest in the 1980s to the present, it might be useful to do so.
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Here are some comments I wrote on some of your practice finals. I am including these here, because the feedback is relevant for all of you as you think about the final exam.
question on anti-Americanism in Latin America:
The tricky part about this subject is that part of the U.S. image is based on history not current events. The biggest investor in Bolivian oil is now Brazil (through its State oil company, Petrobras). But, as I said in class, at one point (especially in the early twentieth century and until the late 1940s) US companies were enormous. They had a huge advantage when it came to negotiating contracts – especially with smaller countries, but even in a country like Mexico.
But, be careful; don’t automatically assume that all NATIONALISM you see is anti-Americanism. For example, Goni’s blunder in 2002 was this unilateral announcement that he’d reached a deal with Chile (for export of gas)! Of course, that anger in 2002 built upon his earlier opening up of the sector to foreigners.
In Bolivia, the real confrontation with the U.S. revolves around the coca leaf...
Economic intervention is still a valid point (especially given the relative sizes when speaking about many LA nations). For example, the drug war in Latin America has produced 100s of millions of dollars in military aid/loans/cooperation/equipment. Still, in modern times, LA felt this more through withholding aid /loans. And even more recently, LA felt it through the IMF (which isn’t, strictly speaking, part of the US government at all. We can say, however, that the IMF reflected the U.S. position and that the U.S. had a dominant voice for many years).
It’s all so complicated.
I think that you could better use some concrete examples of military intervention. That is, the examples are still on the vague side – And since that may be the easiest section to develop, because at least some of the examples are so black and white. Intervention in one country produced a negative effect in our foreign relations and image all over Latin America.
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question on The Mission
I’m expecting great things if this one comes up because there is so much to talk about. Go back and look at the short reading, “Companion to The Mission” (RP). Don’t forget what you learned about LA in other readings like Ramirez or Patch or even the popular, “Because I was drunk” article.
The thing you want to do for this essay is to be very careful with how you present points as either accurate or misleading. Think about it: something in the movie might be accurate historically, but still give somebody who is watching the movie a very misleading view about what colonial Latin America was like. In other words, this question demands that you present your points clearly. I can’t imagine that any of you would run out of things to say.
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question on The Lost City of Z
People were fairly strong in terms of discussing the book. But, remember, the question asks you to relate it to other aspects of the course (topics of class discussion or readings etc.) You can start with the obvious class handout I gave you in class. But, the connections might also be found in other readings like the articles on anthropology/archaeology. I personally see a connection to the readings on Bolivia.
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