Princeton University

Department of Sociology

Fall '94

Sociology 309/LAS 309: Topics in the Sociology of Latin America: Contemporary Mexico and Cuba

Office Hours: Monday 1:30-5:30

Green Hall 2-C-5

258-4452/4530

e-mail: cenmiga@pucc

TuTh 11-11:50

This course is an introduction into the major themes of social science research in Latin America focusing on the comparative analysis of two of the most important countries in the region. Because the two societies we are studying are so complex, there is an explicit division of labor in covering the material: The lecturer will present theoretical debates, general historical narrative, and systemic descriptions of social structures in class. The students will read much more detailed accounts and specific examples of these larger trends. The precepts will give us an opportunity to bring these together to form a coherent picture. Please note that all these elements are crucial and that you must attend all classes and precepts as well complete the readings by the assigned dates in order to benefit from taking the course.

Assignments:

• TWO TAKE-HOME EXAMS each covering half of the course.
• Weekly readings (150-200 pages). I will hand out weekly suggested readings and will be happy to consult on your interests.
• A short (8-10 pgs) CRITICAL ESSAY analyzing the academic literature on one of the major topics covered in the course which explicitly compares the manner in which the two societies have been studied. Topics must be approved by the professor.

NB: The readings have been selected to compliment the lectures and illustrate critical problems facing these societies today (e.g. agrarian and popular movements in Mexico). In general they are not the classic books for the fields. I will be happy to suggest further readings for each of the weeks. Readings have been chosen to reflect some recent trends or represent historical views and do not necessarily reflect the views of the management. Students wanting a historical introduction may want to look at Hugh Thomas, Cuba and Michael Meyer and William Sherman, The Course of Mexican History. For more contemporary issues see Marifeli Perez-Stable, The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course and Legacy and Hector Aguilar Camin and Lorenzo Meyer, In the Shadow of the Mexican Revolution. For recent developments in Cuba see Enrique Baloyra and James Morris, eds., Conflict and Change in Cuba, A. Zimbalist, ed., Cuba's Socialist Economy Toward the 1990s, and Centro de Estudios Sobre America, The Cuban Revolution into the 1990s. For Mexico, see Philip Russell, Mexico under Salinas, Nora Lustig, Mexico: The Remaking of an Economy, and (if you must) Miguel Centeno, Mexico in the 1990s or Democracy within Reason: Technocratic Revolution in Mexico. I also recommend Latin American Weekly Reports.

INTRODUCTION: Course Description & Historical Background

• September 13: Overview of Course

  September 15, 20: Colonial Experience

  Precept Reading:

  • Louis A. Perez, Jr., ed., Slaves, Sugar & Colonial Society: Travel Accounts of Cuba, 1801-1899. "Introduction", "Havana", "The Sugar Plantation", "Slaves and Slavery", "Rural Life", "19th Century Society".
  • Silvia M. Arrom, The Women of Mexico City, 1790-1857. "Legal Status", "Demographic Patterns", "Employment", "Marital Relations".

STRUCTURES OF CONTROL: Institutionalizing the Revolution

• Sept. 22: Porfiriato

  Sept. 27: The Revolution

  Precept Reading:

  • John Tutino, "Agrarian Social Change and Peasant Rebellion in 19th Century Mexico", & Arturo Warman, et al, "Peasants and Peons in the Mexican Revolution", in Friedrich Katz, ed., Riot, Rebellion and Revolution: Rural Social Conflict in Mexico.

• September 29: The Limits of Autonomy

  October 4: Technocrats in Power

  Precept Reading:

  • Joe Foweraker and Ann Craig, eds., Popular Movements and Political Change in Mexico.

• Oct 6: The Limits of Independence

  Oct 11: Of Doves & Men

  Precept Reading:

  • Ernesto "Che" Guevara, Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution

• Oct. 13: Creating "Socialist Man"

  Oct. 18: The Bureaucracy Takes Over

  Precept Reading:

  • Julie Marie Bunck, Fidel Castro and the Quest for a Revolutionary Culture in Cuba

INESCAPABLE DEPENDENCY? Two Models for Growth

• Oct. 20: The Mexican Miracle

  ---

  FALL BREAK

  ---

• November 1: Neo-Liberalism

  ---

  FIRST TAKE HOME DUE IN CLASS

  ---

  Precept Reading:

  • Steven Sanderson, The Transformation of Mexican Agriculture

• Nov. 3: 10 Million Tons

  Nov. 8: Rectification and Special Periods

  Precept Reading:

  • J. Feinsilver, Healing the Masses.

LA VIDA: Structures of Everyday Life

• Nov. 10: Race and Revolution

  Nov. 15: Machismo and Marianismo

  Precept Reading:

  • Pedro Perez Sarduy & Jean Stubbs, AfroCuba and Silvia M. Arrom, "Conclusions" in her The Women of Mexico City, 1790-1857.

• Nov. 17: God and the Revolutions

  Nov. 22: Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, & Fiestas

  Precept Reading:

  • Stanley Brandes, Power and Persuasion

• November 29: Exile: Politics and Economics.

  December 1: Living on the Margin

  Precept Reading:

  • Cristina Garcia, Dreaming in Cuban

CONCLUSIONS

• December 6: After Salinas

  December 8: After Fidel

  ---

  BIBLIOGRAPHIC ESSAYS DUE IN CLASS.

  ---

  Precept Reading:

  • Luis Alberto Arrea,Across the Wire: Life and Times on the Mexican Border

• December 12:

  This is a make-up date for the Thursday lost during Thanksgiving. We will use it to either catch up on the schedule above or as a general discussion on future developments in Cuba and Mexico. We will be reading photocopies of recent articles on the two countries.

FINAL TAKE HOME DUE ON FIRST DAY OF EXAM PERIOD: JANUARY 11, 1995.

Back to the List of Courses Fall '94!