Admission requirements
This course is only available for second year students in the BA International Studies.The number of participants is limited to 25.
Description
This course focuses on "legacies of war" in Latin America since the late twentieth century. At the transnational level, we will set Latin America into dialogue with two overlapping world-historical periods, each with its own set of conflicts and tensions. Firstly, the aftermath of the Cold War, that was followed by the Third World Revolutions, and successive Militarized Counter-Revolutions (ca. 1950s-1990s). Secondly, a phase marked by Transition Politics, Global Rights Advocacy, and the Neo-Liberal Restructuring (ca. 1980s-2000s). Arguably, the first period peaked throughout the 1970s, and the second one during the 1990s.
At the societal case study level, we will focus on Latin American societies such as Guatemala, Peru and Colombia, where genuine civil war or persistent armed insurgency reshaped society and gave rise to human rights controversies in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. We will explore experiences and legacies of war for different kinds of social actors — state actors, civil society actors, transnational activists, among others. We will also explore ways in which these societies have generated meanings and made sense of war legacies, through artistic work as well as more conventional forms of political-cultural expression.
Course objectives
The elective courses for International Studies are designed to teach students how to deal with state-of-the-art literature and research questions. They are chosen to enhance the students’ learning experience by building on the interdisciplinary perspectives they have developed so far, and to introduce them to the art of academic research. They are characterised by an international or comparative approach.
Academic skills that are trained include:
Oral presentation skills:
1. to explain clear and substantiated research results;
2. 2. to provide an answer to questions concerning (a subject) in the field covered by the course
a. in the form of a clear and well-structured oral presentation;
b. in agreement with the appropriate disciplinary criteria;
c. using up-to-date presentation techniques;
d. aimed at a specific audience;
3. to actively participate in a discussion following the presentation.
Collaboration skills:
1. to be socio-communicative in collaborative situations;
2. to provide and receive constructive criticism, and incorporate justified criticism by revising one’s own position;
3. adhere to agreed schedules and priorities.
Basic research skills, including heuristic skills:
1. to collect and select academic literature using traditional and digital methods and techniques;
2. to analyze and assess this literature with regard to quality and reliability;
3. to formulate on this basis a sound research question;
4. to design under supervision a research plan of limited scope, and implement it using the methods and techniques that are appropriate within the discipline involved;
5. to formulate a substantiated conclusion.
Written presentation skills:
1. to explain clear and substantiated research results;
2. to provide an answer to questions concerning (a subject) in the field covered by the course
a. in the form of a clear and well-structured oral presentation;
b. in agreement with the appropriate disciplinary criteria;
c. using relevant illustration or multimedia techniques;
d. aimed at a specific audience.
Timetable
The timetable is available on the BA International Studies website
Mode of instruction
Seminar and supervised research.
Course Load
Total course load for the course: 10 EC x 28 hours= 280 hours, broken down by:
Hours spent on attending lectures and seminars: 24 hours
Time for studying the compulsory literature: 100 hours
Completion of short assignments: 26 hours
Researching and writing final paper: 130 hours
Assessment method
Class participation: 10%
Presentation: 20%
Literature review: 20%
Final Paper (5000 words): 50%
To complete the final mark, please take notice of the following: the final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average
To pass the course, the weighted average has to be 5.5 at least.
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used. For tutorial groups: please enroll in blackboard after your enrolment in uSis
Students are requested to register on Blackboard for this course.
Reading list
To be announced
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch
Contact
Remarks
Not applicable