Geography of - GEO 3308 Fall 2020

Evans Liberal Arts 316 Tuesday and Thursday, 3:30-4:50pm

Professor: Dr. Sarah Blue Office: ELA 332, 245-2536 Office Hours: Tuesday 11am-12pm in office and Thursday 2-3pm on Zoom or by appointment Email: [email protected]

Readings, grades, assignments, instructor/student communications and other important course materials will be distributed via Canvas.

Course Description A regional survey of the physical and cultural geography of Latin America.

Course Overview and Goals The goal of this course is to provide students with a broad understanding of the geography of Latin America. We will explore broad themes which affect the region as a whole while pointing to specific case studies. After a brief examination of the region’s bio/physical characteristics, we will turn to the region’s colonial past, environmental issues, international relations (especially with the ), economic development, globalization, issues of gender and race, migration, economic development, urbanization & the Latin American in the United States. At the end of this course, you will be able to identify not only political boundaries and major cultural and physical landmarks, but will also be familiar with major political, social and economic trends in the region. You will be able to identify how the region’s history has influenced contemporary trends, which will enable a critical evaluation of contemporary news about the region. Finally, through an engaged learning component, you will have the opportunity to become a mentor/friend to an immigrant from Latin America. This will allow you to “make the global local” by translating regional issues that are important in Latin America to the local context. Through your conversations and interviews with a recent immigrant who has lived experience in Latin America, you will gain insight into how the geography, history, economy, politics, etc. of a given country impact real people’s lives.

Class meetings (mode of delivery) Geo 3308 is a face-to-face course, so you will need to attend the course during the designated class times on Tuesday and Thursday to be able to participate in and complete activities that will take place during class. As a general rule, we will meet in person on Tuesdays (in ELA 316) and online via Zoom on Thursdays. I will be streaming all of the lectures through Zoom, so you will be able to attend class whether on campus or not. You must be diligent about being in class or logged on to the class Zoom session during designated class times. Required Reading (available in the bookstore and online) Kinzer, Stephen. 2006. Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq. New York: Times Books. Miller, Shawn William. 2007. An Environmental History of Latin America. New York: Cambridge University Press. Williamson, Edwin. 2010. The Penguin History of Latin America. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Additional Required Readings will be accessible via Canvas as the semester proceeds.

Assignments and Grading

1. Exams – there is one midterm and one final exam for the course. Each exam is worth 25% of your total grade. Exams are not cumulative and there are no make-up exams. You are responsible for all material covered in class and assigned readings. I will provide a list of terms to study for the exam, which you will get one week before each exam.

2. Map quizzes – you will have 2 map quizzes throughout the semester, worth 10% of your total grade. These quizzes are designed to familiarize you with the region we are studying as well as to help you develop map- reading skills.

3. Immigrant Interview Project – This project gives you the opportunity to apply the concepts learned in class through conversations with an immigrant from a Latin American country. Through interviews with recent immigrants, you will learn about the themes we discuss in class (i.e. your partner’s country’s race and gender relations, economic conditions, culture, and migration patterns) directly from an immigrant who grew up in a Latin American country. Throughout the semester you will have short assignments where you report and reflect on your conversation project, including a final 3-page assessment of your experience and what you and your partner learned from your conversations. Completing the conversation hours and related assignments are worth 15% of your total grade. Alternative assignment: If for any reason you are unable to or prefer not to do the immigrant conversation assignment, you will have the option of writing 3-page research papers on each designated topic instead of interviews with an immigrant partner. These research papers will be focused on an assigned country to which you will be as will be due on the same dates as the research papers.

4. Asylum Seeker Country Conditions Migration Project – you will take actual information about an asylum seeker’s migration experience and write a report that puts this individual’s migration experience into historical context (equivalent to a 2-3-page paper and map). You will incorporate history and country conditions we have learned in class and will apply that knowledge to one individual case that can be used in court. This assignment is worth 10% of your total grade.

5. In-class exercises – there will be several exercises that you will prepare a short written assignment and then discuss or present in class in activities such as role plays or short presentations. Combined, these exercises will be worth 10 of your total grade. There are no make-ups for these exercises. You must coordinate with me in advance if you know you will be unable to attend a class.

6. Class attendance– Attendance will be taken, both in person and via Zoom, at each class meeting to help me keep track of your attendance. Class attendance is mandatory and counts for 5% of your total grade.

Grades will be weighted according to the following distribution: Midterm 25% Final 25% Immigrant conversation project 15% Map quizzes 10% Country conditions and map project 10% In-class exercises 10% Class attendance 5%

Final grades will be determined as follows: Total points will be weighted, converted to a percentage and graded on a scale of A (more the 90%), B (between 80% and 90%), C (between 70% and 80%), D (55% and 70%), and F (less than 55%).

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Tentative Class Schedule Week 1 INTRODUCTION: Which countries comprise Latin America? What is a geographic study? August 25: Introductions to the course, to the Immigrant Interview project August 27: Latin America as a Region - terminology Readings: Turner-Trujillo et al. (2017) An Overview of and Latin American Identity

Week 2 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY and NATURAL HAZARDS: What are the underlying properties that govern the physical environment and natural habitat in Latin America? September 1: Natural regions and landforms, climate, altitudinal zonation September 3: Natural hazards and vulnerabilities Readings: Selected readings from U of MN open library World Geography (1, 2, 3, 4), West (1989) Middle America, ch. 2; Weisner et al. (2005) At Risk: Natural Disasters and Vulnerability, pp. 3-16, 267-71, 355-356.

Week 3 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT and ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: What was Latin America like before 1492? How has land use influenced Latin American society? September 8: Indigenous society and agriculture, Pristine Myth, Colombian Exchange - Map Quiz 1: , Central America, Caribbean September 10: case studies: Sugar, Silver, Brazilwood, Diamonds, Whales (Miller, ch. 3) Readings: Miller, ch. 1, pages 49-56 of ch. 2, ch. 3, pages 119-125

Week 4 THE CONQUEST and PEOPLING THE REGION to 1820: Who were the original habitants of Latin America, and how did the region change during the colonial period? September 15: Indigenous peoples - culture and knowledge, colonial transformations, slavery, independence September 17: The Search for El Dorado Readings: Williamson, chs. 1, 2, 4, 6 (skim)

Week 5 GENDER ROLES and RELIGION: How do gender roles influence people’s lives in Latin America? What religions are practiced in Latin America and how are they changing? September 22: Honor and shame, status of women, religion, machismo and marianismo - Map Quiz 2: South America September 24: Race and Race Relations, Racial (In)equality and Affirmative Action - ImmInt Agreement due online Readings: Clawson, tba

Week 6 POPULATION, RACE and IDENTITY: How are populations changing? How has the status of indigenous populations changed over time? How is race understood differently in Latin America? September 29: Population Trends - demographic transition, immigration, population momentum October 1: Race and Race Relations, Racial (In)equality and Affirmative Action Readings: tba; Blue 2007

Week 7 POLITICS and FOREIGN INTERVENTION: What was the motivation of US intervention in Latin America? How were those interventions interpreted in Latin America? What are the political legacies of those interventions? October 6: Political Independence, US Influence, Cold War and Military Dictators October 8: Revolution and Socialism - Overthrow case studies Readings: tba, Miller, pp. 105-119, Kinzer (Overthrow), pp. 1-6, 107-108, 214-216 ImmInt Paper I due Sunday, 10/11: Gender Roles & Religion, Reflection I

Week 8 LAND REFORM and REBELLION: How did Cold War politics influence the developmental trajectory in and ? October 13: Land Reform and Cuba case study October 15: Midterm Exam Readings: Barraclough, Solon (2007) The Legacy of Latin American Land Reform, NACLA

Week 9 ECONOMICS and DEVELOPMENT: How have Latin American economies evolved from colonial times to the present? What explains the poverty and inequality? How does one’s income and class influence their quality of life or chances at upward mobility in Latin America? October 20: Export economies, commodity dependence, Import Substitution Industrialization, Debt, Structural Adjustment, Economic Reform & Alternatives October 22: Socioeconomic differences, poverty reduction programs, case studies Readings: Kent, pp. 322-347, Robinson 2012, tba Texas State University A member of the Texas State University System Fall 2020 Geo 3308 Dr. Blue page 3

ImmInt Paper II due Sunday, 10/25: Race & Identity, Politics and Perceptions of the US, Reflection II

Week 10 ENVIRONMENT and AGRCULTURE: What are some of the major environmental issues today in Latin America? How is agriculture and land use changing in Latin America? October 27: Green Revolution, Deforestation, Conservation October 29: Agroecology, Cuba’s organic revolution Readings: tba, Miller ch. 7 & epilogue, Miroff (2015) An arugula-growing farmer feeds a culinary revolution in Cuba

Week 11 URBANIZATION and POPULATION GROWTH: What are some of the common urban issues that Latin American countries face? November 3: Urban Development, Urban Form, Primacy November 5: Urban Economy, Inequality, Slum Upgrading Readings: tba, Miller, ch. 6 ImmInt Paper III due Sunday, 11/8: Economics and Development, Reflection III

Week 12 MIGRATION, DEVELOPMENT and REMITTANCES: Why are Latin American immigrants leaving their countries and coming to the United States? How does emigration affect communities in Latin America? Why are more Central American families and children applying for asylum at the US-Mexico border? November 10: Migration and Development, Transnationalism and Remittances November 12: The Crisis at the US-Mexico Border Readings: tba, Mazza and Sohnen (2010) On the Other Side of the Fence, tba on remittances

Week 13 MIGRATION and THE DIASPORA: How important are Latino migrants to the U.S. society and economy? What are some of the major policy debates around immigration in the U.S. and how do they affect Latino migrants? November 17: Heightened Enforcement and its Effects, Coyotes, Border Migration from C America and Mexico November 19: Latinos in the United States - Migration Patterns and Trends, Migration Policies and their impacts Readings: Martin & Midgley 2006, Immigration: Shaping & Reshaping America, Martin & Midgley 2010, Immigration in America, tba on current immigration policy Sunday, 11/22: Migration Story Map due

Week 14 MIGRATION, ASYLUM SEEKING and DEPORTATION: How have characteristics of migration to the US from Latin America changed? How have increased deportations from the US affected Latin American countries? November 24: migration to and crossing the US-Mexican border; border wall/fence November 26: Thanksgiving Holiday – no class! Readings: tba,

Week 15 The US-MEXICO BORDERLAND: How is the US-Mexican border unique? What are Maquiladoras and Colonias? What are the consequences of heightened border security/ wall-fence, of drug-related violence? December 1: Life along the US-Mexican border:, population growth December 3: Colonias and health inequalities in S Texas Readings: , in-class documentary ImmInt Paper IV: Final Report due Sunday, 12/6

Week 16 FINAL EXAM December 8: Final Exam, 5-7:30pm

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CLASS POLICIES Attendance policy: Lecture, and seminar attendance is essential! Being late is disruptive to the entire class. Also, all headphones, beepers, watches with alarms, and cellular phones should be set to vibrate, turned off or left at home.

Class Etiquette: Students are entitled to and deserve respect, courtesy and tolerance, regardless of their race, background, religious affiliation, gender, sexual preference, disability or any other perceived difference. Likewise, faculty, staff and fellow students deserve the same treatment from other students. Therefore, within this class setting, no matter what communication mode is used, every effort will be made to create a safe haven for diverse thoughts and communication.

Late Work: There will be no make-up exams or quizzes, and I do not accept late assignments. If you have an emergency arise or any other excused absence, you must arrange to take the exam or turn in the assignment before it is due.

Academic Honesty: I will not tolerate cheating or plagiarism and will strictly enforce university policies regarding these two issues. Anyone caught cheating on an exam will automatically receive a zero for that exam or assignment, and will be referred to the appropriate university committee for judicial action. If any student copies from another student, both will receive zero for that assignment. In your writing assignments, you must carefully cite your references. When in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, or any other activity that may be perceived as dishonest, consult the professor.

COVID-19 HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES Texas State has developed 10 Guiding Principles for Health, Safety and Wellness to address the current COVID- 19 pandemic. Cloth face coverings, social distancing, and other principles for health, safety, and wellness, including the obligation to notify the Student Health Center if they test positive for COVID-19, or have had prolonged direct contact with someone who has tested positive are required. See specifics at: https://www.txstate.edu/coronavirus/road-map/health-and-safety-measures.html

CIVILITY IN THE CLASSROOM Civility in the classroom is very important for the educational process and it is everyone’s responsibility. If you have questions about appropriate behavior in a particular class, please address them with your instructor first. Disciplinary procedures may be implemented for refusing to follow an instructor’s directive, refusing to leave the classroom, not following the university’s requirement to wear a cloth face covering, not complying with social distancing or sneeze and cough etiquette, and refusing to implement other health and safety measures as required by the university. Additionally, the instructor, in consultation with the department chair/school director, may refer the student to the Dean of Students Office for further disciplinary review. Such reviews may result in consequences ranging from warnings to sanctions from the university. For more information regarding conduct in the classroom, please review the following policies at https://policies.txstate.edu/division-policies/academic- affairs/02-03-02.html, Section 03: Courteous and Civil Learning Environment, and https://studenthandbook.txstate.edu/rules-and-policies/code-of-student-conduct.html, number II, Responsibilities of Students, Section 02.02: Conduct Prohibited.

ONLINE CLASS POLICIES For all Zoom meetings (synchronous discussions, office hours, and appointments), please be sure to clothe and conduct yourself as you would for a normal classroom experience. I understand that distractions happen, but you should do as much as possible to minimize distractions during class time. However, any pets or small children who would like to make their presence known during our meeting times are more than welcome.

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Privacy and Security Keeping this course secure is everyone’s responsibility. I use log-in platforms like Canvas and Zoom passwords to keep out unnecessary or harmful intrusions like zoom-bombing. Do not share class URLs and passwords with anyone. If we do get a zoom-bomber, I can remove them very quickly from a session.

Just as you have an expectation of privacy and trust for what you say in an in-person course, we have the expectation of privacy and trust in online learning. The trust we build allows us to engage in the vulnerability of learning without the fear that it will be shared outside that space. Just as you would not pull out a camera in class and take a recording of your classmate, do not screenshot, record, or otherwise capture our class meetings, discussions, or materials and share outside of our class. This is violating, damaging to the trust of the group, and potentially harmful. For example, someone may talk about their immigration status or sexual orientation in a classroom of peers in way they would not talk about it with their family members; your screenshot could out them. If we operate in fear of this happening, we will not build a respectful and open community.

Intellectual Property and Sharing Materials You may not share any course materials outside of class without my explicit permission. Course materials include but are not limited to syllabi, video lectures, prompts, exams, assignments, slides, and notes. This includes uploading material on sites such as Chegg and CourseHero. Sharing materials without permission violates the Student Conduct Code and is subject to disciplinary action.

You also own the work that you do for this course as your intellectual property. Your work includes but is not limited to discussion, assignments, drafts, and contributions to group work. No one can legally share it outside of this class without your explicit permission (with some official exceptions such as for university assessment, which are covered in the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act). This means that if you were to take a screenshot of class discussion, you would have to ask permission from every person in the shot before you shared it as they own their own work. For privacy reasons and for IP reasons, then, do not do this.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

University ADA Statement and Policy Students with special needs (as documented by the Office of Disability Services) who will require compensatory arrangements must contact the instructor no later than the 4th class period to discuss specific arrangements and logistics. Students who have not already done so will be required to contact the Office of Student Disability Services located at LBJ 5-5.1 (512.245.3451). Texas State University San Marcos is dedicated to providing these students with necessary academic adjustments and auxiliary aids to facilitate their participation and performance in the classroom. For the full ADA-compliant policy: http://www.txstate.edu/effective.upps/upps-07-11-01.html

University Academic Testing Policy for Students with Disabilities Students who are approved for testing accommodations have the option of using Academic Testing for Students with Disabilities (ATSD) office to take in-class tests or quizzes with their accommodations. Any student who schedules a test(s) with ATSD must schedule tests during the in-class scheduled test time (or seek an exception from the instructor) and are expected to take the test at ATSD. If a student schedules to take a test with ATSD but decides that they will take the test in the classroom, the student will be responsible for notifying the ATSD and the instructor prior to the class start time. Code of Student Conduct Both students and faculty have responsibilities for maintaining an appropriate learning environment in all class settings, which requires courteous and civil behavior from students as well as instructors. Specific sanctions for student conduct are outlined in the Texas State Student Handbook.

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University Academic Honesty Policy Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty undermine the very purpose of the university and diminish the value of an education. Specific sanctions for academic dishonesty are outlined in Texas State Student Handbook (http://www.dos.txstate.edu/handbook/rules/honorcode.html) and in the Texas State University Policies and Procedures Statements (http://www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps-07-10-01.html) Emergency Management: In the event of an emergency, students, faculty, and staff should monitor the Safety and Emergency Communications web page. This page will be updated with the latest information available to the university, in addition to providing links to information concerning safety resources and emergency procedures. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to sign up for the TXState Alert system. Sexual Misconduct Reporting (SB 212): State law (SB 212) requires all university employees, acting in the course and scope of employment, who witness or receive information concerning an incident of sexual misconduct involving an enrolled student or employee to report all relevant information known about the incident to the university's Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX coordinator. According to SB 212, employees who knowingly fail to report or knowingly file a false report shall be terminated in accordance with university policy and The Texas State University System Rules and Regulations.

Texas State University Honor Code Learning and teaching take place best in an atmosphere of intellectual fair-minded openness. All members of the academic community are responsible for supporting freedom and openness through rigorous personal standards of honesty and fairness. Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty undermine the very purpose of the university and diminish the value of an education. Specific sanctions for academic dishonesty are outlined in Texas State Student Handbook and more can be found online at: http://www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps-07-10-01.html

DEPARTMENTAL STATEMENT OF PROFESSIONALISM

Our society considers a “professional” as a person who is responsible for the quality, integrity, and implications of his/her work. In the Department of Geography, we consider our students to be “professionals in training.” Course requirements are intended to bring the conduct and the quality of work of students in our programs up to professional standards. Students are responsible for attending class on time, reading the assignments, and completing the assigned projects, on time and in a thorough manner. We assume that students are aware of, and practice common courtesy and the consideration of others that are necessary for a civil society and that are expected of professional persons. For additional information on Texas State University policy on student conduct, we encourage you to consult the university Policy and Procedures Statement on: Courteous Behavior, Classroom Civility, Classroom Disruption, Suspension from Class and Sexual Harassment. http://www.provost.txstate.edu/pps/policy-and-procedure-statements/4-teaching/pps4-02.html

Learning Outcomes The Department of Geography’s Student Learning Outcomes for all departmental programs may be reviewed at:http://gato-docs.its.txstate.edu/department-of-geography/Geography-Learning- Outcomes/Geography%20Learning%20Outcomes.pdf

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