Admission requirements
BA in Latin American Studies, or related discipline
Description
This course provides an overview of contemporary social, cultural, political and developmental issues of the native peoples of South America that situates current issues in an historical context. Students will focus on the situation of the area they are studying for their thesis, carry out research (library, Internet etc). and write a paper with an in-depth analysis.
During 4 weeks the news will be kept track of on a daily basis; the student will choose from the following possible topics or select one independently (self chosen topics need to be confirmed by professors):
Transnationalism issues
Globalisation
Art and identity
Language Revitalisation
Intercultural Communication
Legislation
Policies and Politics
Land rights
Gender issues
Corruption
Conservation issues
Drugs-related issues
Course objectives
Create an overview of Amerindian movements currently present in South America
Analyze the overarching backgrounds and raison d’être for these movements
Establish socio-cultural positionality of Amerindian societies in South American nation-states
Timetable
Monday 15-17
Mode of instruction
2-hour weekly seminar
Assessment method
Active participation (30%), a presentation of 30 minutes (40%), and a book review (30%).
Blackboard
Yes
Reading list
Anthropological monographs and other recent literature (including press and internet) on contemporary Native American communities
Literature to be assigned at start of course and during course (depending on chosen topic)
For the historical contexts students are required to read relevant sections of F. Salomon & S. Schwartz, The Cambridge History of Native American Peoples: South America (2 vols). Cambridge University Press (1999), available in Cambridge Histories Online: http://histories.cambridge.org/uid=19709/book?id=chol9780521630757_CHOL9780521630757
http://histories.cambridge.org/uid=19709/book?id=chol9780521630764_CHOL9780521630764
General Background readingthe U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007)
related international legal instruments (see for example: www.iwgia.org ; www.indigenouswomensforum.org/ ; www.ohchr.org ; www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii)