Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Hamilton College/Latin American Politics (Fall 2018)
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- Course name
- Latin American Politics
- Institution
- Hamilton College
- Instructor
- Heather Sullivan
- Wikipedia Expert
- Elysia (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- Political Science; Latin America
- Course dates
- 2018-08-23 00:00:00 UTC – 2018-12-14 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 25
This course explores the politics of Latin America. Comparing countries across the region, we will consider the ramifications of the region’s high level of inequality and the effect that external actors have played in shaping politics. With these two major factors of political life in mind, we will explore themes of state capacity, regimes and regime change, political economy, and both state and societal violence. We will use academic analyses, journalistic accounts of political life, as well as podcasts, blogs, and films to learn about the region. In addition, we will be learning about how Wikipedia works, evaluating the site’s coverage of Latin American politics, and contributing to articles on politics in the region. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to describe Latin America’s modern political history and systematically compare politics in multiple countries.
We will use the following books, which are available in the bookstore:
Kline, Harvey F., Christine J. Wade, and Howard J. Wiarda. 2018. Latin American Politics and Development. 9th ed. New York: Westview Press. (On course schedule as LAPD)
Guillermoprieto, Alma. 2001. Looking for History: Dispatches from Latin America. Reprint ed. New York: Pantheon Books. Reprint, Vintage Books, 2002.
Goldman, Francisco. 2007. The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop? 1st ed. New York: Grove Press.
Other course material can be found on the Blackboard course page or by following the links on the course schedule.
Timeline
Week 2
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 27 August 2018 | Wednesday, 29 August 2018 | Friday, 31 August 2018
- Assignment - Introduction to the Wikipedia assignment
Welcome to your Wikipedia assignment's course timeline. This page guides you through the steps you'll need to complete for your Wikipedia assignment, with links to training modules and your classmates' work spaces.
Your course has been assigned a Wikipedia Expert. You can reach them through the Get Help button at the top of this page.
Resources:
- Editing Wikipedia, pages 1–5
- Evaluating Wikipedia
- Assignment - Colonial History
- Haiti
Read:
Wikipedia article, "Haitian Revolution."
Buck-Morss, Susan. 2000. "Hegel and Haiti." Critical inquiry 26 (4): 821-865.
NOTE: You can download the article here. Read only pp. 821-836.
Write:
Come prepared with two questions related to Haitian history and three things that you noticed about the Wikipedia article.
- Assignment - Get started on Wikipedia
Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you. (Because of Wikipedia's technical restraints, you may receive a message that you cannot create an account. To resolve this, please try again off campus or the next day.)
- Assignment - Context and History
Read:
LAPD pp. 3-4, ch. 1-2
- Assignment - State Institutions and Public Policy
Read:
LAPD ch. 4
News search:
Search Reuters for news on your assigned country. Look at the search with the "anytime" date range default and then change the date range to past month. What major issues has Reuters covered?
Spanish, French, or Portuguese speakers - you will be assigned a Latin American newspaper and look at recent front page coverage.
Week 3
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 3 September 2018 | Wednesday, 5 September 2018
- Assignment - Searching for Latin America
Wikipedia search:
Pick one subject that you wish any of our readings discussed in more depth - try to find more information about it on Wikipedia. You might find a stand-alone article or you might find information on the subject in a section of a larger article. In your Sandbox, post the article you select and your responses to the following questions: How did you go about searching? What keywords are associated with the article? Describe the quality of the coverage of your selected subject?
- Assignment - Political Actors
Read:
Guillermoprieto:
“Zapata’s Heirs”
"The Bitter Education of Vargas Llosa" READ ONLY: pp. 164-177
The Argentine Piquete | Popula by Juan Caballero, Aug 21, 2018
- In class - No Class Friday 9/7
Note:
There will be a required speaker later in the semester - date and time will be announced once the event has been confirmed.
Week 4
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 10 September 2018 | Wednesday, 12 September 2018 | Friday, 14 September 2018
- Assignment - Political Economy
Read:
Lida, David. 2008. First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, the Capital of the 21st Century. New York: Riverhead Books. READ: “Where the Money Is and Isn’t” (Blackboard: Lida2008-WhereTheMoneyIs)
LAPD ch. 5
- Assignment - Actors, Interest Groups, and Political Parties
Read:
LAPD ch. 3
Contemporary actor search:
Identify an important party or movement that is currently active in your assigned country. Is the group covered in Wikipedia? In your Sandbox, post the relevant article and a brief summary of your thoughts on the coverage.
Week 5
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 17 September 2018 | Wednesday, 19 September 2018 | Friday, 21 September 2018
- Assignment - The Struggle for Democracy
Read:
LAPD ch. 7
Check out:
Freedom House's Freedom in the World 2018 map, focusing on the Americas.
Listen:
La Unión | Radio Ambulante, produced by Carola Solé in Mexico, 04/05/2016
Note: This is a Spanish language podcast. There is a subtitled YouTube of the audio and an English translation of the transcript. I think listening to it with the subtitles gives a sense of the feeling that the transcript lacks, but you can use your own judgement in deciding how to consume this piece of media.
- Assignment - Searching for Latin America
Search:
We've now added Political Economy, Foreign Relations, and Democratic Quality to the topics we've covered in class. Pick one subject from any of these readings that you wish had been discussed in more depth. Search Wikipedia, search the news (if this is a contemporary issue), search the library's catalogue. What type of coverage does Wikipedia have on or related to the subject? What resources in the press or in academic sources exist to fill in more information on the topic? What are two interesting things that you discovered about the topic? Write up your answers to these quetsions with links/citations to the sources in the Blackboard discussion board in the Assignments section of the course Blackboard page.
- Assignment - Exercise
- In class - Library Day - Friday 9/21
Meet in the library
Week 6
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 24 September 2018 | Wednesday, 26 September 2018 | Friday, 28 September 2018
- Democracy like a Boss
- Uruguay, Chile, and Costa Rica
- Assignment - Uruguay
- Balancing Growth and Democracy
Read:
LAPD ch. 14
After Years in Solitary, an Austere Life as Uruguay’s President | The New York Times by Simon Romero, Jan. 4, 2013
World's 'poorest' ex-president Mujica turns down pension | BBC, 15 August 2018
- Assignment - Chile
- From Democracy to Dictatorship and Back
Read:
LAPD ch. 10
Chile just went to the polls — and transformed its legislature | The Washington Post by Javier Sajuria, November 21, 2017
Chile just elected a billionaire president. These are the 4 things you need to know. | The Washington Post by Jennifer Pribble and Juan Pablo Luna, December 18, 2017
- Assignment - Costa Rica
Read:
LAPD ch. 20
Excerpts from The Costa Rica Reader (Blackboard: "Palmer-Molina2004-CostaRicaReader")
Week 7
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 1 October 2018 | Wednesday, 3 October 2018 | Friday, 5 October 2018
- Enduring Nondemocracy
- Cuba
- Assignment - Start drafting your contributions
Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have questions using the Get Help button at the top of this page.
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9
- Guide(s) for writing articles in your topic area
- Assignment - Prerevolutionary Cuba and the Revolution
Read:
LAPD ch. 19, pp. 345-352
Schoultz, Lars. 2009. That Infernal Little Cuban Republic: The United States and the Cuban Revolution. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
NOTE: Read only pp. 52-71 (Blackboard: Schoultz2009-InfernalLittleCubanRepublic)
Optional:
This is the initial series of articles Matthews published in the NYT that is described in the Schoulz reading:
Cuban Rebel Is Visited in Hideout; Castro Is Still Alive and Still Fighting in Mountains | The New York Times by Herbert L. Matthews, Feb. 24, 1957
Rebel Strength Gaining in Cuba, But Batista Has the Upper Hand | The New York Times by Herbert L. Matthews, Feb. 25, 1957
Old Order in Cuba Is Threatened by Forces of an Internal Revolt | The New York Times by Herbert L. Matthews, Feb. 26, 1957
- Assignment - Fidel's Cuba
Read:
LAPD ch. 19, pp. 353-362
Guillermoprieto, "A Visit to Havanna"
- Assignment - Change in Cuba
Read:
LAPD ch. 19, pp. 362-367
In Cuba, the Castro era ends this week as Raúl steps down as ruler | The Washington Post by Anthony Faiola, April 17, 2018
Cuba’s economy after Raúl Castro: A tale of three worlds by Richard E. Feinberg, February 2018
Generation Y by Yoani Sánchez.
NOTE: Read Yoani Sánchez’s profile and then your choice of 5 blog posts.
Week 8
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 8 October 2018 | Wednesday, 10 October 2018
- Scandal
- Brazil and Panama
- Assignment - Brazil
- Politics of Corruption and Anti-Corruption
Read:
LAPD ch. 9
As President, ‘Lula’ of Brazil Opened the Prison. Now He’s an Inmate. | The New York Times by Manuela Andreoni and Shasta Darlington, April 9, 2018
Blood on the Land in Brazil | The New York Review of Books by Gregory Duff Morton, March 5, 2018
Brazil’s Military Strides Into Politics, by the Ballot or by Force | The New York Times by Ernesto Londoño and Manuela Andreoni, July 21, 2018
- Assignment - Panama
- Small Country, Big Banks
Read:
LAPD ch. 25
Panama's bear | Süddeutsche Zeitung by Frederik Obermaier and Sebastian Schoepp
Panama Papers had no impact on panamanian economy, according government | Panamá Today, Jan. 12, 2017
Week 9
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 15 October 2018 | Wednesday, 17 October 2018 | Friday, 19 October 2018
- Bolivia
- The Left Holds On
- Assignment - Bolivia
- Changes, Continuities, and Contradictions
Read:
LAPD ch. 16
- Assignment - Bolivia
- Evo
Read:
Guillermoprieto, Alma. 2006. "A New Bolivia?" The New York Review of Books, August 10. (Blackboard: Guillermoprieto2006-NYRB-ANewBolivia)
Watch:
Interview with Evo Morales | The Daily Show, Sept. 25, 2007
- Assignment - Bolivia
- Contemporary Concerns
Read:
Evo Morales wants to change the law so he can remain president. Is Bolivia's democracy in danger? | The Washington Post by Santiago Anria, November 28, 2017
Bolivian president’s new residence is as imposing as it is divisive | The Guardian, Aug. 16, 2018
Week 10
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 22 October 2018 | Wednesday, 24 October 2018 | Friday, 26 October 2018
- Assignment - Peer review two articles
- Assignment - Respond to your peer review
You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. Consider their suggestions, decide whether it makes your work more accurate and complete, and edit your draft to make those changes.
Resources:
- Editing Wikipedia, pages 12 and 14
- Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have any questions.
- Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia
Now that you've improved your draft based on others' feedback, it's time to move your work live - to the "mainspace."
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 13
- Countries in Crisis
- Venezuela and Nicaragua
- Assignment - Venezuela's Left Turn
Read:
LAPD ch. 13, pp. 224-243
- Assignment - Venezuela's Leaders
Read:
Guillermoprieto, Alma. 2005. "The Gambler." The New York Review of Books, October 20. (Blackboard: Guillermoprieto2005-NYRB-TheGambler-Venezuela)
Krauze, Enrique. 2018. "Hell of a Fiesta." New York Review of Books, March 8. (Blackboard: Krauze2018-NYRB-HellOfAFiesta)
Can Venezuela Be Saved? | The New York Times Magazine by Wil S. Hylton, March 1, 2018
- In class - Library Day - Friday 10/26
Week 11
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 29 October 2018 | Wednesday, 31 October 2018 | Friday, 2 November 2018
- Assignment - Continue improving your article
Exercise
Now's the time to revisit your text and refine your work. You may do more research and find missing information; rewrite the lead section to represent all major points; reorganize the text to communicate the information better; or add images and other media.
- Assignment - Polish your work
Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Wikipedia Expert at any time if you need further help!
- Assignment - Nicaragua
Read:
LAPD ch. 21
Here's what you need to know about the crisis in Nicaragua | Los Angeles Times by Patrick J. McDonnell, July 25, 2018
Unexpected Uprising: The Crisis of Democracy in Nicaragua | NACLA by Courtney Desiree Morris, May 14, 2018
- Assignment - Colombia
- History of Violence
Read:
LAPD ch. 11, pp. 169-180
Guillermoprieto, "Our New War in Colombia"
- Assignment - Colombia
- Peace Process and Demobilization
Read:
LAPD ch. 11, pp. 180-193
Here’s how attention to gender affected Colombia’s peace process | The Washington Post by Roxanne Krystalli & Kimberly Theidon, October 9, 2016
7,000 FARC rebels are demobilizing in Colombia. But where do they go next? | The Washington Post by Sarah Zukerman Daly, April 21, 2017
Listen:
Guerrilla Marketing | This American Life by Sean Cole, December 18, 2015
Week 12
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 5 November 2018 | Wednesday, 7 November 2018 | Friday, 9 November 2018
- Mexico
- Political Change
- Assignment - Mexico
- One Party Rule
Read:
LAPD ch. 18, pp. 319-332
Guillermoprieto:
"The Only Way to Win"
"Whodunnit"
- Assignment - Mexico
- Democratization
Read:
LAPD ch. 18, 332-343
What’s next for Mexico? Here are 5 things you need to know. | The Washington Post by Kenneth Greene, July 6, 2018
Women won big in Mexico’s elections — taking nearly half the legislature’s seats. Here’s why. | The Washington Post by Magda Hinojosa & Jennifer M. Piscopo, July 11, 2018
Listen:
- Assignment - The Border
- Drugs and Migration
Read:
Mexico’s new president has a radical plan to end the drug war | Vox by James Fredrick, Aug 15, 2018
Excerpt from The Beast by Oscar Martínez (pdf)
Cages Are Cruel. The Desert Is, Too. | The New York Times by Francisco Cantú, June 30, 2018
Listen:
Line in the Sand | This American Life March 31, 2017
- Assignment - Final article due
Before finalizing your work:
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
- Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Wikipedia Expert at any time!
By the end of the week, everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.
Week 13
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 12 November 2018 | Wednesday, 14 November 2018 | Friday, 16 November 2018
- Assignment - The Art of Political Murder 1
Read:
Goldman: Part I, The Murder
- Assignment - The Art of Political Murder 2
Read:
Goldman: Part II, The Investigation, pp. 65-126
- Assignment - El Salvador
- Civil War to Uncivil Peace
Read:
LAPD ch. 22
Read or Listen:
Postcard from San Salvador | Radio Ambulante produced by Daniel Alarcón in El Salvador, published on 04/10/2018
- Assignment - Reflective essay
Guiding questionsIn addition to the general guiding questions linked to above, please also include reflections on the following course-specific questions: What did you notice about the way that Latin American politics is covered on Wikipedia? Did anything about the coverage surprise you? Given the coverage, what are some potential implications for public percepetions of Latin America?
Week 14
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 26 November 2018 | Wednesday, 28 November 2018 | Friday, 30 November 2018
- Assignment - The Art of Political Murder 3
Read:
Goldman: Part II, The Investigation, pp. 127-198
- Assignment - The Art of Political Murder 4
Read:
Goldman: Part III, The Trial
- Assignment - Honduras
- Democracy in Peril
Read:
LAPD ch. 24
Honduras police accused of death squad killings | The San Diego Union Tribune by Alberto Arce, March 16, 2013
Read or Listen:
The Correspondent | Radio Ambulante produced by Silvia Viñas in Honduras, published on 12/08/2015
Week 15
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 3 December 2018 | Wednesday, 5 December 2018 | Friday, 7 December 2018
- In class - Buzz Feed In-Class Activity
Bring computers/tablets to class Monday and Wednesday
- Assignment - The Art of Political Murder 5
Read:
Goldman: Part IV, The Third Stage
- Assignment - The Art of Political Murder 6
Read:
Goldman: Part V, Deciphering the Truth & Afterword, pp. 335-379
- Assignment - Guatemala
- Breaking Free from the Past?
Read:
LAPD ch. 23
Week 16
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 12 December 2018
- Assignment - Final Exam
- Participation
I expect you to deeply engage with the course readings and think through the material we will cover both before and after class. This means that you should read carefully and come to class with notes on the readings. Doing so will provide you with a strong foundation for class discussions. In class, we will have the opportunity to clarify ideas, challenge our interpretations, and compliment the course readings with additional information. If speaking in front of others feels intimidating, please come to my office early in the semester so that we might brainstorm strategies to make participating feel more comfortable. Your participation grade will be based on factors such as attendance, tardiness, the regularity of high-quality contributions to class discussions, and the seriousness with which you take the collaborative activities.
Please turn off your cell phones, laptops, and other electronics when you enter the classroom. There are actually good reasons why being present and focused (rather than multitasking) and handwriting notes on paper (as opposed to typing them) will enhance your learning and thinking. See, for example, “Media multitaskers pay mental price, Stanford study shows,” “Why you should take notes by hand — not on a laptop,” and “[file:///C:/Users/hasulliv/Dropbox/Documents/teaching/LA%20Politics/2016%20Fall%20-%20LA%20Politics/(http:/www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/science/whats-lost-as-handwriting-fades.html?_r=0 What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades].”