Dr. Junge's Blog (Fall 2020)

PART I. Introduction to Ecuador  (Draws from Countries and Their Cultures, Vol. 2, Gale Publishers) Identification. In 1830, Ecuador took its name from the Spanish word for the equator, which crosses the entire northern sector. The three mainland regions are referred to as the Coast, the Sierra, and Amazonia, or the Oriente (‘‘east’’). A constitutional democracy, Ecuador is a multicultural, multiethnic nation–state. It has one of the highest representations of indigenous cultures in South America and two distinct Afro–Ecuadorian cultures. The dominant populace is descended primarily from Spanish colonists and settlers and to a lesser extent from German, Italian, Lebanese, and Asian immigrants. Spanish is the national language; thirteen indigenous languages are spoken, of which the principal ones are Quichua in the Sierra and the Oriente and Jivaroan in the Oriente. The citizens take great pride in being Ecuadorian and refer to themselves as ecuatorianos(-as) and gente (people). Des...

PART 1. Introduction to Peru Associated Readings Readings Peter Winn, “Peru’s Shining Path,” pp. 564-572 Cynthia McClintock, “Precarious Democracy and Dependent Development in a Divided Nation,” pp. 429-442 NOTE: For the next couple of weeks, I will rely more heavily than usual on PowerPoint slides to introduce you to recent history and key themes. When we get to Colombia, I will return to a more narrative-heavy format on this blog. I. Introduction to Peru + The Shining Path and Its Legacies After reading texts by Winn and McClintock, please work your way through the two sets of Peru slides I have posted on Blackboard in "Course Documents" content area. For an update on remnants of the Shining Path in contemporary Peru, watch this 20-minute Al Jazeera account . PART 2. Heritage Tourism and Profiting Off Indigenous Pasts Associated Readings Readings Herrera, Alexander. 2013. “Heritage Tourism, Identity and Developme...

PART 1. Evo Morales, Indigenous Mobilization, and Multicultural Citizenship Associated Readings Peter Winn, “Children of the sun,” from Americas, pp. 261-269 (2006) José Garcia, “Bolivia: An indigenous movement consolidates power,” in Latin America: Its Problems and Its Promise, pp. 443-454 (2011)   Handouts ("Course Documents" on Bb) Handout 3. Bolivia Key Dates I. Introduction to Bolivia   (Draws from World Scholar/Latin America & the Caribbean, 2011) Bolivia is one of two entirely landlocked countries in South America, sharing borders with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay (the other landlocked country), Chile, and Peru. Since  the Andes  mountain range runs through the center of Bolivia, mountain life is central to much of Bolivian culture. The country's diverse terrain includes the Altiplano (the high Andean plateau), valleys, and fertile lowlands.  You can see where the Altiplano is situated in the following map-image. Note that both of Bolivia's ...

Week 7 - Argentina PART 1. Economic Crisis, Clientelism, and the Legacies of Juan and Eva Perón Associated Readings Peter Winn, “Perón! Perón!” pp. 133-160 (2006) Peter Calvert, “Argentina: Decline and revival,” from Latin America, Its Problems and Its Promise , pp. 524-537 (2011)     Handouts ("Course Documents" on Bb) Handout 1 - Argentina and Perón Associated Films “Memoria del Saqueo" (2004, 113 minutes; Source: http://youtu.be/0CzS6eHqtnQ)  - NOTE: Film not required; just recommended that you watch the first 15-20 minutes I. Introducing Argentina (Draws from World Scholar/Latin America & the Caribbean, 2011) Argentina, the second-largest country in South America, shares borders with Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Chile. Have a look at the map below to appreciate Argentina's hugeness: Predominantly temperate in climate, the country varies in terrain from highlands in the north, to the tropical forest ...