2007 TUCLA V Program-1524599368.Pdf
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TUCLA V Annual Tulane Undergraduate Conference on Latin America Saturday Dec. 1, 2007 Jones Hall 102 and 108 Sponsored by the Stone Center for Latin American Studies The Stone Center’s annual TUCLA conference is an interdisciplinary undergraduate symposium in which seniors from the Latin American Studies core seminar present their individual research projects. TUCLA was formally launched in Fall of 2003 as a means to provide Latin American Studies undergraduates with an opportunity to present papers in the style and atmosphere of an academic conference. The conference is designed to enlist all of Tulane’s LAST seniors in a shared discussion of the region, its society and its cultures. Coffee and Welcome 8:30 – 9:00 Session I 9:00 - 10:30 Panel 1: Encounter (102 Jones Hall) Encounters/Dis-Encounters: Demythologizing Inter-Cultural Communication in Latin America Robyn Orth, “Indigenous Revolt in Chiapas, Mexico: The Chamula Rebellion and Miscommunications” Sophie Healy, “How the Irish ‘Hicieron la America’: An Autobiographical Journey through Irish-Argentine Identity Creation” Lauren Ledbetter, “The Effects of Power Distance on Managerial Practices: A Look at Maquiladoras in Mexico” Discussant: Prof. Justin Wolfe, Department of History Panel 2: Creativity (108 Jones Hall) Representing Adversity, Voicing Dissent: Culture, Identity and Social Justice in Mexico and the Southern Cone Meaghan K. Callahan, “Countering Repression with Creativity: Canto Nuevo and the Pro- Democracy Movement in Chile, 1973-1990” Brian Doran, “Forms of Dissent during the Argentine Military Dictatorship and the 2001 Economic Crisis” Lauren Shepley, “Macho Macho Man: Mexican Masculinities Expressed in Amores Perros” Discussant: Prof. Christopher Dunn, Department of Spanish and Portuguese Session II 10:45 - 12:15 Panel 3: Exchange (102 Jones Hall) Ambivalent Alliances, (Un)Equal Outcomes? The Problems and Promises of Neo-Liberalism in Latin America Roxana Díaz Gómez, “CAFTA-DR: Toward Poverty Reduction in Nicaragua” Anne Zembron, “Mexico’s Progresa-Oportunidades Anti-Poverty Program: The Way to a Better Future or Just Another Dead End?” David Klauber, “Brazil’s Battle against AIDS: Lessons for Central America and the Health Implications of CAFTA” Discussant: Prof. Jeffrey Stacey, Department of Political Science Panel 4: Nation (108 Jones Hall) State Sovereignty, Civil Society and the Transitioning Latin American Status Quo Judith deRouchey, “Fueling Chavez: The Impact of Venezuela's Oil Economy on Hugo Chavez's Presidency” Courtney Patterson, “A Success Story: Securing the Panama Canal” Lucien Bruno, “Spreading the Weak State Thin: Governmental Decentralization in Colombia” 1 Discussant: Prof. Casey Kane-Love, Department of Political Science Lunch 12:15 – 1:00 Greenleaf Conference Room (By invitation only) Session III 1:00 – 2:30 Panel 5: Identity (102 Jones Hall) Engendering the Body Politic: Masculinity, Maternity and Sexuality in Contemporary Latin America Lexie Kirylo, “Institutionalizing Tolerance: Changing Attitudes toward Homosexuality in Cuba” Ilan Roth, “Virility and Violence: The Masculine Identity of Argentina’s Barrabravas” Janike Ruginis, “The Paradoxes of Motherhood in Argentina: Defying or Supporting Traditional Roles?” Discussant: Prof. Vicki Mayer, Department of Communication Panel 6: Welfare (108 Jones Hall) Sanitation, Education, Domination: The Politics of the Public Good in the Age of Globalization Nathalie Hendleman, “Population Control Gone Wrong: Family Planning Institutions and Fertility Decline in Brazil” Rebekah Heuberger, “Lack of Government Authority and the Mexican Maquiladora Health Crisis” Erin E. O’Flaherty, “Del Agujero: The Perpetual Cycle of Educational Inequality in Argentina” Rosa Mathai, “Rethinking of the U.S.-Cuban Embargo: U.S. Minorities at the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana” Discussant: Prof. Laura Murphy, School of Public Health 2 Panel 1: Encounter Encounters/Dis-Encounters: Demythologizing Inter-Cultural Communication in Latin America Robyn Orth, “Indigenous Revolt in Chiapas, Mexico: The Chamula Rebellion and Miscommunications” In Chiapas, Mexico, in 1869, subordinate Mayan peoples mobilized to resist oppression from ladinos, an ethnically mestizaje group that controlled land tenure. These indigenous peoples fought to defend communal land tracts that were being taken over by ladinos. I argue that an indigenous group, the Tzotzil, reacted to ladino encroachment by attempting to invert the colonial power structure and establish self-determination. Ladinos oppressed indigenous groups through an enduring colonial power relationship of dominance and subordination. The Tzotziles resisted ladino oppression by forming a new sanctified cult of Catholicism. They symbolically broke from ladino dominance through a ritual of mock crucifixion in which an indigenous figure replaced the “White Christ.” Ladinos reacted by assassinating rebel leaders and writing counterinsurgency prose. What followed was a violent reactionary struggle fueled by misconceptions and miscommunications between the two groups. Ladinos tried to reconcile indigenous mobilization through rhetoric of colonial domination and subordination, while the indigenous groups resisted that pattern of rhetoric. This study offers a new analysis of the Chamula rebellion that engages important issues of cross-cultural communication. Sophie Healy, “How the Irish ‘Hicieron la America’: An Autobiographical Journey through Irish- Argentine Identity Creation” The Irish Diaspora dispersed millions of Irish immigrants and their culture across the world. In the context of the mass emigrations from Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Argentina played a major role as a receptor nation, receiving thousands of Irish immigrants. This paper analyzes the process of identity formation of the Irish community in Argentina during this period and the impact on Argentine culture of the Irish. Some experts have suggested that Irish identity in Argentina during this period of settlement and immigration was not representative of a “true” Irish identity; instead it was diluted by an overpowering Anglo image. By considering the environment and the conditions of this frontier nation and by expanding the concept of “Irishness” (as more than just the Gaelic language and shamrock symbols), I argue that there is an underlying Irish- Argentine identity among this immigrant group that is distinct from the British identity in Argentina. Through a historical analysis of the migratory processes to Argentina and from Ireland, the immigrant experiences, information from Irish immigrants or descendents, and a personal exploration of my own family history this paper explores Irish-Argentine identity formation and defines the immigrant experience in Latin America between the 1850’s through the 1930’s. Lauren Ledbetter, “The Effects of Power Distance on Managerial Practices: A Look at Maquiladoras in Mexico” Maquiladoras are production facilities located in Mexico in which non- Mexican companies capitalize on the low cost of labor to manufacture goods for less. Goods from maquiladoras are production-based and generally for export purposes. Although the labor force is purely Mexican, managers of these facilities are often Americans who have different cultural beliefs. This paper argues that U.S. managers of Mexican maquiladoras must understand the nature of the Mexican culture and adapt an autocratic management approach in order to remain competitive. I focus on one of the four main dimensions upon which culture varies across countries: “power distance.” Power distance can be defined as the level of inequality between managers and labor that the subordinates are content to endure. The gender of workers, nature of work in the maquiladoras, and the national culture of Mexico all contribute to continued inequality among groups. I use theories from the field of organizational psychology, as well as case studies of organizations in order to asses the management needs of the maquiladoras. 1 Panel 2: Creativity Representing Adversity, Voicing Dissent: Culture, Identity and Social Justice in Mexico and the Southern Cone Meaghan K. Callahan, “Countering Repression with Creativity: Canto Nuevo and the Pro- Democracy Movement in Chile, 1973-1990” After the coup d’état of 1973 in Chile, the face of the nation was changed. Military government was the prime rule under the leadership of General Augusto Pinochet. Repression in Chile was common and oppositional movements formed. This paper addresses the question of whether art plays a major role in the success of social movements. I argue that Canto Nuevo not only responded to the repressive nature of the military government, but the genre represented a direct way to return freedom to the people. Both in formal and informal settings, the creation and performance of Canto Nuevo songs allowed the Chilean people to get their oppositional message to the government while simultaneously regaining certain freedoms, such as open expression and communication that the dictatorship had taken away. Brian Doran, “Forms of Dissent during the Argentine Military Dictatorship and the 2001 Economic Crisis” On December 20, 2001, the people of Argentina took to the streets in widespread protest of the rapidly imploding economy. With methods ranging from the cacerolazo, or pot-banging movement, where large numbers of citizens went to the streets banging pots and pans, to the piqueteros who blocked streets and took over closed factories, the techniques