136 Social Sciences
Email: lbgreen@u.arizona.edu
phone 621 6291
Office hours: TBA

This course examines recent approaches to politics, culture, and power in Central American and Southern Mexico from the perspective of sociocultural anthropology and history. At the topical level the seminar explores the lives of laboring peoples and the multiplicity of forces that have shaped their lives from the late 19th century to the end of the 20th century. Theoretically, the seminar considers different understandings of such concepts as hegemony, social fields, popular culture, and subalternity, exploring their possible relevance and connections for work on violence, state formations, and resistance in the lives and practices of ordinary people.

Each week a central text (initially, journal articles) is assigned. Students are expected to read each week's assignment and write a short response paper, approximately 2 pages, DUE IN LAST CLASS OF THE WEEK. These response papers should take the form of outlining key concepts and issues raised by the readings and forming questions, critiques/areas for discussion. The assigned texts, along with your response papers, will provide the basis for each week's discussion. Everyone is expected to come to class prepared to participate in the discussion. Additionally, each student is expected to lead a formal presentation of a set of readings. Lastly, a research paper on a topic of interest to you and related to the seminar of 15 pages in length is due on the last day of class.

All work is due when stated and extensions will be given only in extraordinary circumstances. No incompletes will be given.

Grading
Grades will be based on the following criteria: 25% class participation; 25% discussion presentation;25% response papers ( there are 12 weeks of reading assignments - only 10 of the 12 response papers will be used for your grade); 25% research paper.

Books are available for purchase at the Campus bookstore. Additionally, all books are available on reserve at the Main Library. Journal articles are available to photocopy.

August 27 and 29
Introduction

I. Theoretical Orientations

September 3 and 5 (on hegemony) - power - state
Raymond Williams 1977 Marxism and Literature parts 1&2

Willaim Roseberry, 1993 "Hegemony and the Language of Contention, " In: Gilbert Joseph and Daniel Nugent, eds. Everyday Forms of State Formation. Duke U Press 355-366.

Antonio Gramsci, 1971 Selections from Prison Notebooks, State and Civil Society and Notes on Italian History

September 10 and 12(social fields) culture
Smith. Gavin 1999 Confronting the Present Oxford: Berg

William Roseberry 1998 Social Fields and Cultural Encounters In" Gilbert Joseph et al. Eds, Close Encounters of Empire Duke U Press 515-524.

September 17 and 19 (subaltern) history
Florencia Mallon 1994, "The Promise and Dilemma of Subaltern Studies: Perspectives from Latin American History," American Historical Review 99:1491-1515.

Fred Cooper 1994 Conflict and Connection: Rethinking Colonial African History," American Historical Review 99:1516-1545

Latin American Subaltern Studies Group 1993 "Founding Statement," Boundary 2 20(3) 110-121

September 24 and 26 (rapprochement of history and anthropology)
William Roseberry, 1993 Beyond the Agrarian Question in Latin America," In: Fred Cooper et al, eds., Confronting Historical Paradigms U Wisconsin Press 318-370

Gerald Sider and Gavin Smith 1997 Introduction: The Changing Dialogue Between Anthropology and History In: Gerald Sider and Gavin Smith Between History and Histories The Making of Silences and Commemorations U of Toronto Press 3-30.

Eric Wolf 1990 Distinguished Lecture Facing Power: Old Insights, New Questions American Anthropologist 92: 586-596.

II. Nicaragua

October 1 and 3
Jeffrey Gould 1998 To Die in this Way Duke University Press

October 8 and 10
Roger Lancaster 1992 Life in Hard U of California Press

Les Field 1995 "Constructing Local Identities in a Revolutionary Nation: The Cultural Politics of the Artisan Class in Nicaragua 1979-1990" American Ethnologist 22(4) 786 806.

III. El Salvador

October 115 and 17
Aldo Lauria-Santiago 1999 An Agrarian Republic U of Pittsburgh Press

Patricia Alvarenga 1998 "Auxiliary Forces in the Shaping of the Repressive System: El Salvador, 188-1930" In: Ariva Chomsky and Aldo Lauria- Santiago Identity and Struggle at the Margins of the Nation State Duke U Press 122-150.

October 22 and 24
Leigh Binford 1996 El Mozote Massacre U. of Arizona Press

IV. Guatemala

October 29 and 31
David McCreery 1994 Rural Guatemala 1760-1940 Stanford University Press

November 3 and 5
Linda Green 1999 Fear as a Way of Life Columbia University Press

Plus Guest speaker from Guatemala

V. Chiapas

November 12 and 14
Lynn Stephen 2001 Zapata Lives University of California Press

November 19 and 21
No Class AAA meetings New Orleans

November 26 and 28
No Class Thanksgiving break

December 3 and 5
Conclusion - Research papers due without

December 10
Last Class - wrap up

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