Latin American Culture Through Literature
Fall, 2007
MWF 11:00-12:25
BDC 156
Dr. Karen Stocker Office Hours:
DDH CC 207 MWF 10:00-11:00
654-6875 Or by appointment
Course Goals:
This course will expose students to a variety of literary and anthropological works from Latin America and ask them to consider the goals of each field, what they share in common, and how they diverge. Through the merging of two fields, students will get a well-rounded view of culture, as presented by insiders and outsiders, and through various formats. The course will present students with guiding questions, regarding to what extent literature and anthropology can both present culture while still maintaining each one’s own disciplinary bounds. Students will be asked to consider how each field presents culture, how each one presents reality, how those realities are accepted by readers, and to what degree these sources might actually create realities as opposed to merely reflecting them. In this regard, students will consider the divide between writings about culture and the solidification of stereotypes through the written word. They will also consider the role of the written word as opposed to oral narrative or other forms of media. Students will develop and demonstrate their skills related to cross-cultural understanding, critical thinking, research, and writing.
Course objectives:
Turning in discussion questions for each day’s readings will ensure students’ active preparation and participation in class discussions. Papers that draw together films and the readings will require that students consider various forms of media in presenting and representing cultures. Discussions based on independent research of anthropological accounts of the issues covered in literary works will exercise students’ research skills and aid in cross-cultural understanding. Additional papers will require that students draw from both literature and anthropological works to obtain a multifaceted view of culture. Creative projects will allow students to try their hand at presenting culture by writing within the genre studied. All assignments will be geared toward addressing the guiding questions of the course, thereby demonstrating understanding of those concepts.
Course requirements:
Students are responsible for keeping up with reading assignments, writing a total of five papers, writing two discussion questions pertinent to the assigned readings for each class period (with the exception of four sessions), for bringing in and presenting four peer-reviewed, anthropological journal articles related to topics from works we read, and for participating actively in class discussions.
Required readings (available at the campus bookstore):
Allende, Isabel
1982 The House of the Spirits. Magda Bogin, trans. New York: Bantam Books.
Alvarez, Julia
1994 In the Time of the Butterflies. New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc.
Burgos DeBray. Elizabeth, ed.
1984 I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala. London and New York:
Verso.
Esquivel, Laura
1989 Like Water for Chocolate. Carol Christensen and Thomas Christensen, trans. New
York: Doubleday.
Vargas Llosa, Mario
1989 The Storyteller. Helen Lane, trans. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Other readings will be placed on electronic reserve (online) through the Walter Stiern Library. To access materials on electronic reserve, visit www.lib.csub.edu and click on “Course Reserves.” Find the reserve readings for Anth 477 by course number or by my last name. Click on “Electronic Reserve Readings For…” Click on the title of your required reading and login with your RunnerCard ID number and last name.
Grading and Assignments:
Discussion questions – prepare two questions that correspond directly to each day’s assigned readings. Turn them in each day, at the beginning of class. I will call on you to use them in class, too [5 points per day (graded on being done and demonstrating that you read the assigned readings for that day). I will make notes on them if they need to be adjusted or you need to focus on different types of questions for later rounds). There are 29 days of assigned readings. Bring in 25 sets of discussion questions. This gives you four free days]. à 125 points
Two 7-page papers – see List A on WebCT for paper topics – 40 points each [80 points]
Three papers on films (approximately 3-5 pages each) – see List B on WebCT for paper topics – 30 points each [90 points]
Selection and presentation of anthropological articles [for 4 out of 6 units (including books and the magical realist short story unit)] – 10 points each [40 points]
Participation* in discussions (including the one on the last day of class: revisiting the central questions of the class) (15 points)
TOTAL: 350 points
Extra credit: For extra credit, you may prepare discussion questions for all days. Each extra set of discussion questions will be worth 5 points.
* See item three under Classroom Policies for an explanation of what constitutes adequate participation.
Grading scheme:
100-93% = A
92 - 89 = A-
88-86 = B+
85 - 83 = B
82 - 79 = B-
78-76 = C+
75 - 73 = C
72 - 69 = C-
68 – 66 = D+
65 – 63 = D
62 - 59 = D-
58 and below = F
Classroom policies:
1. I will not accept late papers for any reason. All papers are due at the beginning of class on the date listed, and you must attend class that day to have your paper accepted. There are enough paper opportunities and response paper opportunities that you can plan ahead to choose assignments to complete on time and with deadlines on dates when you will be able to attend class. If you are unable to make it to class, plan on doing one of the other assignments, instead. As for discussion questions, you get four days on which you need not bring in discussion questions. If you have to miss class or are late to class, I will count that as one of the four days on which you are exempt from bringing discussion questions. In addition to turning in a hard copy of each paper, please submit an electronic copy to www.turnitin.com before class begins. You will each need to get a free turnitin.com account in order to do this (in accordance with the specific instructions that I will distribute in class). If you do not submit your paper to turnitin.com, the grade for your paper will be reduced by 10%.
2. Do not come into class late or leave early, unless you have a compelling reason that you have discussed with me prior to class.
3. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. Any more than three unexcused absences will affect your grade negatively. Excused absences are those for which you can provide documentation proving illness, death in the family, or participation in a university-sponsored event. Students with perfect attendance who find themselves on the border between two grades at the end of the quarter will be given the benefit of the doubt. Likewise, students without excessive absences, who participate actively in class will receive the same benefit. Active participation includes not only frequency, but quality of participation, in a manner that demonstrates both completion of assigned work and respect for classmates and the instructor. Demonstrating respect includes taking care to avoid monopolizing discussion, interrupting classmates, and taking more than one’s share of time. It also includes making sure that one’s comments are directly pertinent to the topic at hand.
4. Please turn off your cell phone.
5. All students must adhere to CSUB’s policy on Academic Integrity (please see page 45 of the Fall 2007 Schedule of Classes). Students who do not do so may receive an F in the course and will face disciplinary sanction by the Office of Student Discipline and Judicial Affairs. Please see the General Writing Guidelines for more information on what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it.
6. Qualified students with disabilities who need appropriate academic adjustments should contact me as soon as possible to ensure that your needs are met in a timely manner. Any disability needs to be verified by Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). Upon such verification, all handouts and assignments will be available in alternative formats upon request.
7. Students are responsible for tracking their own grade progress (see “Grading and Assignments,” and “Grading Scheme” above).
8. When I grade your papers, I do not want to know who you are, so as to avoid any bias in grading. To this end, I request that you turn in all papers with your name typed on the top right corner of the first page only. Fold over this corner of each paper toward the back before you turn in your paper to assure your anonymity.
Assignments are due on the day under which they are listed. For example, by Wednesday, September 12, students must have read the articles on reserve by Lila Abu-Lughod and Clifford Geertz (on electronic reserve). Deadlines are indicated in italics.
Monday, September 10
Topic: Expression Culture and the Goals of Literature and Anthropology
Wednesday, September 12
Topic: On the Nature of Culture, Anthropology as Inscription, and the Danger of Essentialism
Assignment (on electronic reserve):
Geertz, Clifford
1973 The Interpretation of Cultures. New York: Basic Books.
Read pp. 3-30, “Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture.”
Abu-Lughod, Lila
1991 Writing Against Culture. In Recapturing Anthropology: Working in the Present.
Richard G. Fox, ed. Pp. 137-162. Santa Fe: School of American Research Press.
Friday, September 14
Topic: Historical Background on Mexico
Assignment: Esquivel, Chapters 1 through 3
Monday, September 17
Topic: “Culture Light?” and the Makings of Culture
Assignment: Esquivel, Chapters 4 through 6
Wednesday, September 19
Topic: Gender and Stereotyping; Introduction to Magical Realism
Assignment: Esquivel, Chapters 7 through 9
Friday, September 21
Topic: Doing Archival Research in Anthropology
Assignment: Esquivel, Chapters 10 through 12
Meet in WSL 202 (on the second floor of the library) for a presentation by Christy Gavin
Monday, September 24
Topic: Concluding remarks on Like Water for Chocolate; Magical Realism, continued; The “Boom” in Latin American Literature
Assignment (on electronic reserve): García Márquez “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” and “Eyes of a Blue Dog;” Fuentes, “Chac Mool”
Source information:
García Márquez, “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” and “Eyes of a Blue Dog,” are from pages 217-225 and 50-57, respectively, from the following source:
García Márquez, Gabriel
1984 Collected Stories. New York: HarperCollins.
Fuentes, “Chac Mool,” is from pages 3-14 in:
Fuentes, Carlos
1969 Burnt Water. Margaret Sayers Peden, Trans. New York: Farrar, Straus and
Giroux.
Wednesday, September 26
Topic: “Reality,” Dreamworlds, and Concepts of Time
Assignment (on electronic reserve): Cortázar “The Night Face Up” and “Axolotl,” Borges “Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius” and “The South”
Discussion of anthropological articles on dreams (in addition to discussing today’s readings)
Source information:
“The Night Face Up” and “Axolotl,” are from pages 66-76 and 3-9, respectively, in the following source:
Cortázar, Julio
1967 Blow-Up and Other Stories. Paul Blackburn, Trans. New York: Pantheon Books.
“Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius” and “The South,” are from pages 17-35 and 167-174, respectively, in the following source:
Borges, Jorge Luis
1962 Ficciones. New York: Grove Press.
Friday, September 28
Topic: Magical Realism and Women Writers; Chilean Historical Background
Assignment: Allende, Chapters 1 and 2
Papers due on the book Like Water for Chocolate (not including those written in response to the film by that name)
Film: Miracle in Rome
Monday, October 1
Topic: History vs. Literature
Assignment: Allende, Chapters 3 and 4
Film: In Women’s Hands: The Changing Role of Women
Wednesday, October 3
Topic: Stereotpying, Revisited
Assignment: Allende, Chapters 5 and 6
Papers due on the magical realist short story unit
Friday, October 5
Topic: Anthropological Studies of Chilean Culture (or of PTSD in post-Pinochet Chile or another topic relevant to the readings)
Assignment: Allende, Chapters 7 and 8
Discussion of anthropological articles (in addition to discussion of today’s readings)
Paper due on Micracle in Rome
Monday, October 8
Topic: Chilean Culture and Literature
Assignment: Allende, Chapters 9 and 10
Paper due on In Women’s Hands
Wednesday, October 10
Topic: Chilean Culture and Literature
Assignment: Allende, Chapters 11 and 12
Friday, October 12
Topic: Chilean Culture and Literature
Assignment: Allende, Chapters 13, 14, and Epilogue
Monday, October 15
Topic: Dominican Historical Background
Assignment: Alvarez, Part I (Chapters 1 through 4); Find anthropological articles on the role of women in revolutions or in political resistance in Latin America (not only in the DR) for our discussion on the 22nd.
Wednesday, October 17
Topic: Dominican Culture and Literature
Assignment: Alvarez, Part II (Chapters 5 through 8)
Papers due to The Official Story
Friday, October 19
Topic: Dominican Culture and Literature
Assignment: Alvarez, Part III (Chapters 9 through 12)
Papers due on the book House of the Spirits (not including papers on the film by that title)
Monday, October 22
Topic: Anthropological Research on the Dominican Republic
Assignment: Alvarez, Epilogue and Postscript; Find articles on ethnographic methods (on finding field sites, etc.) for Wednesday, October 24.
Discussion of anthropological articles on the role of women in Latin American revolutions or women’s political resistance in Latin America
Wednesday, October 24
Topic: Methods of Writing vs. Ethnographic Methods
Assignment: (on electronic reserve) Julia Alvarez, “Something to Declare”
Discussion of articles on ethnographic methods
Source information:
The selected reading is from pages 197-209 in
Alvarez, Julia
1998 Something to Declare. New York: Plume.
Friday, October 26
Topic: Writing and Representation: Concerns from Anthropology
Assignment: Burgos DeBray (Menchú), Introduction (and begin the readings for next time)
Monday, October 29
Topic: Testimonial – the Nexus of Anthropology and Literature or a Different Genre?
Assignment: Burgos DeBray (Menchú), Chapters 1 through 7
Papers due on the book In The Time of the Butterflies (not including papers done in response to the film by that name)
Wednesday, October 31
Topic: Guatemalan Indigenous Cultures and Testimonio
Assignment: Burgos DeBray (Menchú), Chapters 8 through 15
Friday, November 2
Topic: Anthropological Research on Guatemalan indigenous cultures (or PTSD following genocide in Guatemala)
Assignment: Burgos DeBray (Menchú), Chapters 16 through 25
Discussion of anthropological articles
Monday, November 5
Topic: Guatemalan Indigenous Cultures
Assignment: Burgos DeBray (Menchú), Chapters 26 through 34
Wednesday, November 7
Topic: Anthropology as the Subject of Literature
Assignment: Vargas Llosa, Pages 1-69
Friday, November 9
Topic: Peruvian Literature and Indigenous Cultures
Assignment: Vargas Llosa, pages 70-108
Monday, November 12
Topic: Peruvian Literature and Indigenous Cultures
Assignment: Vargas Llosa, pages 109-145
Discussion of anthropological articles
Papers due on I, Rigoberta Menchú
Wednesday, November 14
Topic: Peruvian Literature and Indigenous Cultures
Assignment: Vargas Llosa, pp. 145-188
Friday, November 16
Topic: Peruvian Literature and Indigenous Cultures
Assignment: Vargas Llosa, pp. 189-245
Monday, November 19
Topic: Conclusions – Initial Questions Revisited (What is literature? What is anthropology? How do their purposes and audiences differ? Can they overlap without jeopardizing the integrity of each one? Are they separate to begin with? What does each one offer that the other does not?)
Magical Realist creative writing due
Final Exam dates:
Your final paper on Vargas Llosa (if you have not already completed the requisite number of papers) will be due on Monday, November 26, at the time scheduled for the final exam (11:00 a.m.) Please turn in a hard copy to my office (DDH CC 207) and remember to submit an electronic copy to turnitin.com. This is in lieu of a final exam.
General Writing Instructions
• With regard to organization, make sure that your paper has an introduction that presents your main argument in a clear manner. The body of your paper should support the ideas proposed in the introduction. The conclusion should serve to wrap up your paper, not present new ideas not previously discussed throughout the paper. The introduction and conclusion should speak to each other.
• Generally speaking, you ought to choose one verb tense and stick to it consistently.
• My writing pet peeves (and other things that make me cringe as a reader) are as follows:
“Alot” is not a word. Most students who write “alot” mean “a lot.” An “effect” is the result or consequence of some action. It is a noun. To “affect” something is to bring about such a consequence. It is a verb. Please do not use them interchangeably. “It’s” = “It is,” rather than denoting the possessive nature of “it.” Apostrophes denote possession, not plurality. Make sure that your sentences contain agreement. (If you are referring to a singular subject, make sure your verb form reflects that. Likewise, if you are discussing a plural set of subjects, make sure your verb form reflects their plurality.) Be aware of the difference between “there,” “they’re,” and “their,” “are” and “our,” “its” and “it’s” (see above), “to” and “too,” “choose” and chose,” “lose” and “loose,” “led” and “lead,” and “woman” and “women.” Recognize the difference between “apart” (separate) and “a part.” Avoid using slashes between words. Often, you can either pick one of the two words (if they mean the same thing) or connect them with commas or the word “and” or “or” to better get your point across if they mean different things.
• Proofread your work. You should not turn in your first draft as a final paper. Write out your response to an assigned topic. Then proofread for grammar, spelling, and clarity, and to make sure that you have addressed the question thoroughly. Go back to the assignment sheet to make sure you have answered all parts of the question. Edit your work with an eye to the issues outlined above. Then revise and turn in a more polished draft.
• Avoid plagiarism. If you have any doubts about what it means, please err on the side of excessive caution and/or come see me. Remember that even if you cite a quoted phrase, you need to use quotation marks. If you paraphrase an author’s concept, you still need to cite it, even though you have used your own words. To paraphrase appropriately, you need to boil down the whole concept and put it into your own words. It is not sufficient to plug in synonyms for the author’s words.
• To cite something from a book, cite by author(s), date, and page number. For example, for a quote or concept from page 45 of Like Water for Chocolate, cite by author’s last name, date of the publication, and page number (in parentheses, just before the period at the end of the sentence) as follows: (Esquivel 1989: 45). [Note that the punctuation goes after the parentheses]. If you allude to a concept from the book, even if you do not quote the author directly, use the same citation style. In most cases, you would then include a bibliography at the end of your paper and provide the full citation of the article. For the purposes of this class, as long as you are citing assigned readings from the class, you do not need to include a bibliography. If you are writing about articles not assigned to all students in the class, please do include a bibliography.
• In keeping with scholarly conventions, refer to authors and scholars by last name rather than first name.
• It is fine (and even preferable) to use the first person (“I”) in written work for cultural anthropology.
• Spell out numbers under ten.
• Please staple your work before you come to class and put your name only on the right corner of the first page.