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Sustainable Development Discourses in Colonial Latin America |
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Spanish 364 |
Spring 2012 |
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Dr. Rocío Cortés |
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Office: 321 Radford Hall |
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Class: Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:20-2:50 Place Nursing Ed 221 |
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Office Hours T and TH 8:30-9:30, 3:00-4:00 and by appointment |
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Course Description: We create our sense of place through processes that are rational and emotional. Our attachment to a particular place can be the result of our knowledge of its geography, of the richness of its landscapes, of the flora and fauna, of its history, and of the people who inhabit it. Our knowledge of our sense of place is also emotional. Our senses create a sense of familiarity, of belonging to a community and to nature. Our historical time reflects the preoccupation with sustainability, which, according to World Commission on Environment and Development, should meet “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Five centuries ago, when Europeans traveled and settled in the Americas, the view of the environment and the construction of a sense of place were also determined by their historical frame and cultural expectations. However, Spaniards in the regions of what we call now Latin America, where only a small part of the population. After the Spaniards took possession and populated lands that displaced natives, the indigenous population had to adapt their sense of place in new territories with the new arrivals. Not only the spaces had to be reconfigured to accommodate the new colonial situation but also, the use of natural resources by European and natives, reflected aspects of cultural idiosyncrasies and economic purposes. In this course, we will focus on how writers of European descent and those of native background perceived and rationalized the known and unknown lands, their survival and how they created a new sense of place.
For this course, we will read primary texts by writers of European and Indigenous descent. We will also read some articles that will bring theoretical approaches about how Europeans and Indigenous peoples interpret their environment and each other. Three Indigenous narratives will open our course on the genesis of three major native groups: The Mayan’s Popol Vuh, The Aztec’s La leyenda de los soles (The Legend of the Suns) and the Andean’s Huarochiri. We will discuss how natives conceived the world and its creation to have a better understanding of their cosmovision. We will read narratives by Europeans written during the ages of exploration, conquest and colonization (sixteenth and seventeenth centuries) to examine how Europeans portray Indigenous peoples, how they use natural resources, and how they construct a sense of place in the new lands. We will also read narratives written during the colony by Native writers: the Indigenous don Domingo Chimalpahin and the Mestizo (offspring of European and an Indigenous person) don Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxóchitl from Mexico. From Peru, we will read the Mestizo Garcilaso de la Vega el Inca and the Indigenous Guaman Poma de Ayala. Just as we will do with the writings by Europeans, we will examine how indigenous and Mestizo writers construct their discourses on sustainability, identity and sense of place real and mythical.
We will examine how assumptions and cultural baggage played an important role in the construction of space among the Europeans. We will revise the notion of the search for “El Dorado” and other mythical places that brought so much death to many explorers.
How will this course relate to our Winnebago sense of place? In the requirements for the course, students will write four short papers that I will call “reflexiones”. Two of the “reflexiones” will be on topics and texts we will read/discuss in class. The other two will be different. The third “reflexión” will have two parts. The first part will be a narrative from the point of view of an explorer who just came to Winnebago during the colonial times and sees for the first time the lake and the landscape. The second part will be a narrative from the student’s point of view replying to the explorer from the twentieth-first century in which he/she creates a “Sense of Place” in Winnebago. Each student will have to go physically to a spot that will be his/her point of reference and familiarize himself/herself with the flora, fauna, geography, and resources to write an informed reply. The fourth “reflexión” will be on finding out what the native people from Winnebago county think about the lands and resources. Each student will interview or find an interview on the subject and examine what how those views compare to the Indigenous texts we will read in the course.
In addition to the four “reflexiones”, a final research project will be required. Students will research on the earliest narratives by Europeans on Winnebago (nineteenth century) and on their perception of the Indigenous people. Students will compare the descriptions to the ones we read during the course. The conclusions will have to be on what we learned about the past and how we can implement that knowledge to our future.
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Required Readings: |
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The readings will be in pdf format in our course home in D2L. All discussions will be posted in D2L Secondary readings to be
presented by the students: v
First presentation
Thursday February
18: Ulloa,
Astrid. “Las representaciones de los Indígenas en los discursos ambientales y de
desarrollo sostenible.” v
Second presentation Thursday February 23: Barela Vigal,
Julia. “Naturaleza y paisaje en la literature española”Ecocríticas, literatura y medio ambiente. Madrid:
Iberoamericana. 219-238 (Seth) v
Third and fourth presentation Tuesday March 6 Marrero Henriquez, José
Manuel. “Ecocrítica
e Hispanismo” y Carmen Flys Junquera et al. “Ecocríticas: el lugar y la naturaleza como categorías de
análisis”. Ecocríticas,
literatura y medio ambiente. Madrid: Iberoamericana. v Fifth presentation Thursday
March 8: Hay, Robert. “A Rooted Sense of
Place in Cross Cultural Perspective” Canadian Geographer Vol. 42 issue 3
pages 245-266. Sept 1998. (Hannah T) v Sixth presentation Thursday March 29: Cameron, John. “Responding to a Place in a
Post-colonial Era: An Australian Perspective” (Chapter 8) in Decolonizing
Nature: Strategies for Conservation in a Post-Colonial Era. This is an Ebook, Link in Polk
Library (Amanda B) v Seventh presentation Thursday
April 12:
Plumwood, Val. Decolonizing Relationships
with Nature” (Chapter 3) in Decolonizing Nature: Strategies for
Conservation in a Post-Colonial Era. This is an Ebook,
Link in Polk
Library (Deepti
D) v Eighth presentation Thursday
April 17: Langton, Marcia. “The ‘Wild’ the
Market and the Native: Indigenous People Face New Forms of Global
Colonization” (Chapter 4) in Decolonizing Nature: Strategies for
Conservation in a Post-Colonial Era. This is an Ebook,
Link in Polk
Library (Ana G) v Ninth presentation Thursday
April 17:
Maragia, Bosire. The
Indigenous Sustainability Paradox and the Quest for Sustainable in
Post-Colonial Societies: Is Indigenous Knowledge all that is Needed?
(Ashley H)
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Authors of our primary texts
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Christopher Columbus Diario and “Letter to Santangel” |
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Americo Vespucci
“El Nuevo Mundo” |
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Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo Sumario de la
historia natural de las India |
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Hernando Cortés “Segunda carta de relación” |
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Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca Naufragios |
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Jean de Léry “Visiones de la Francia Antártica” |
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Hans Staden “Viviendo con los caníbales” |
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Bernal Díaz del Castillo Verdadera historia de la Conquista de México (Selections) |
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Bernardino de Sahagun Florentine
Codex (Selections) |
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Popol Vuh (Selections) |
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Legend of the Suns (Poem) |
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Don Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxóchitl
Historia Tolteca Chichimeca (Selections) |
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Don Domingo Chimalpahin Diario (Selections) |
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Huarochiri (Selections) |
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Garcilaso de la Vega El Inca Comentarios Reales de los Incas (Selections) |
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Guaman Poma de Ayala Coronica
y buen gobierno (Selections) |
UW-Oshkosh is a liberal arts institution. What sets a liberal education apart from that of technical or vocational schools, is that an education at UW-Oshkosh will develop your analytical, contextual, communicative, critic, reflective and ethic capabilities. In addition, a liberal arts institution education will not only give you the tools to work in a variety of occupations but also, will help you to develop your potentiality in your personal life. The study of a second language will open possibilities of communication with other people, will make you know your own language in more depth and will open opportunities in a global world. Learning another language will give you the possibility to learn from other cultures alternatives views that will enrich your life.
Important Dates:
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First “Reflexión” paper due: Thursday March 1 |
Second “Reflexión” paper due: Tuesday April 3 |
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Third “Reflexión” paper due: April 19 |
Fourth “Reflxión” paper due: April 26 |
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Final Project due Thursday May 12 in D2L |
Grade:
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Attendance and class participation |
20% |
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Presentations |
10% |
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4 “Reflexiones” |
40% (10% each) |
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Research project |
30% |
Grading Scale:
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A= 93-100 |
A- = 92-90 |
B+=89-87 |
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B=86-83 |
B-=82-80 |
C+=79-77 |
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C=76-73 |
C-=72-70 |
D+=69-67 |
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D=66-63 |
D-=62-60 |
F=59-0 |
Program
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January |
Eight Week |
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First Week |
Spring Break 18-26 |
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Tuesday 31 Introduction, Imágenes Mesoamerican and Andean Cultures |
Ninth Week |
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February |
Tuesday 27 Discusión de “Y también la
lluvia”“El Dorado” film |
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Thursday 2 Popol Vuh pp 1-7
and 13-14 Leyenda de los soles |
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Second Week |
Thursday 29 Jean de Lery Sixth presentation: Cameron, John. “Responding to a
Place in a Post-colonial Era: An Australian Perspective” (Chapter 8) en Decolonizing
Nature: Strategies for Conservation in a Post-Colonial Era. This is an Ebook, Link in Polk
Library |
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Tuesday 7 Huarochiri |
Tenth Week April |
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Thursday 9 Huarochiri,
Guamn Poma “Los Cinco Mundos” y Generaciones de indiso. Imágenes de GP animadas sobre la agricultura
incaica, ¿Qué es
el quipu? Historia
de Guaman Poma para entender mejor el texto Los
Incas, animado youtube |
Tuesday 3 Tour to the special place in Winnebago Second “Reflexión” due in D2L |
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Third Week |
Thursday 5 Hans Staden
Temas para los trabajos finales |
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Tuesday 14 First
presentation Ulloa, Astrid “Las representaciones de
los Indígenas en los discursos ambientales y de desarrollo sostenible.” |
Eleventh Week |
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Thursday 16 Age of Exploration Primeras Imágenes de América Christopher Columbus “Carta a Santangel” |
Tuesday 10 Ulrico Schmidel
Temas para los trabajos y presentación de escritos de Winnebago
durante el siglo XIX |
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Fourth Week |
Thursday 12 Seventh
presentation: Plumwood, Val. Decolonizing
Relationships with Nature” (Chapter 3) en Decolonizing Nature: Strategies
for Conservation in a Post-Colonial Era. This is an Ebook,
Link in Polk
Library |
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Tuesday 21 Americo Vespucci |
Twelfth Week |
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Thursday 23 Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo Second presentation Barela Vigal, Julia.
“Naturaleza y paisaje en la literatura española” Ecocríticas, literatura y medio ambiente. Madrid: Iberoamericana. 219-238 (Seth B) |
Tuesday 17 Eight
presentation: Maragia, Bosire.
The Indigenous Sustainability Paradox and the Quest for Sustainable in
Post-Colonial Societies: Is Indigenous Knowledge all that is Needed? (Ashley H) Ninth presentation:
Langton, Marcia. “The ‘Wild’ the Market and the Native: Indigenous People
Face New Forms of Global Colonization” (Chapter 4) |
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Fifth Week |
Thursday 19 Third “Reflexión” |
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Tuesday 28 Wendy Call’s
presentation. Readings Chapter 11 of her book and her article “Seeing the
Forest, not Just the Trees” in D2L. Link to see Wendy’s bio
Link to No
Word for Welcome chapter 11.
Link to a description of No
Word for Welcome |
Thirteenth Week |
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March |
Tuesday 24 Presentation of interview with a Winnebago Native American |
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Thursday 1 Hernando Cortés First “Reflexión” due |
Thursday 26 Trabajarán en los proyectos Fourth “Reflexión” due. |
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Sixth Week |
Fourteenth Week |
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Tuesday 6 Third and fourth
presentation: José
Manuel. “Ecocrítica
e Hispanismo” (La profesora) y Carmen Flys Junquera
et al. “Ecocríticas: el lugar y la naturaleza como
categorías de análisis”. Ecocríticas, literatura y medio ambiente. Madrid:
Iberoamericana. (Ernesto y Brittany) Bernal Díaz del Castillo |
May |
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Thursday 8 Cabeza de Vaca Fifth presentation Hay, Robert. “A Rooted Sense of Place in Cross Cultural Perspective” (Hannah T) |
Tuesday 1 Trabajarán en los proyectos |
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Seventh Week |
Thursday 3 Presentaciones de los proyectos |
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Tuesday 13 Cabeza de Vaca’s film. |
Fifteenth Week |
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Thursday 15 También la lluvia (Even the Rain) film |
Tuesday 8 “Reconsideraciones del curso” |
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Thursday 10 Final Report Due |