Art and Revolution in Latin America

Undergraduate / Latin American Studies

Art and Revolution in Latin America

Course Description

How has cultural production animated the Latin American revolutionary imagination? How have art, literature, and film accompanied radical processes of social transformation and helped expand the horizons of utopianism in Latin America? How does art help us conceive, model, and build something different than what already exists? Focusing on three key moments of Latin American revolutionary transformation (the Mexican Revolution of 1910, the Cuban Revolution of 1959, and the truncated project of the Chilean Road to Socialism of 1970-3), this upper-level course will examine the close relationship between art and revolution in Latin America. We will explore the aesthetic ideas and social processes that continually challenged and transformed notions of revolution and internationalism in the so-called Third World. Movements include muralism, estridentismo, the novel of the Mexican Revolution, Third Cinema, New Song Movement, and testimonio, among others. Taught in Spanish. Readings in Spanish and/or English. Assignment submissions in Spanish.

Required Materials

Pen (or pencil) and notebook. Yes, the pen is mightier than the keyboard. Students are strongly encouraged to print, annotate, and bring hard copies of reading materials to class.

Novel & Films:

Mariano Azuela, Los de abajo
Fernando de Fuentes, ¡Vámonos con Pancho Villa!
Mikhail Kalatozov, I am Cuba
Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Memorias del subdesarrollo
Steven Soderbergh, Che: Part One
Patricio Guzmán, La batalla de Chile: La insurreción de la burguesía
Andrés Wood, Machuca
Pablo Larraín, No

Course Guidelines and Grading

Attendance (10%). Students are allowed two unexcused absences throughout the semester. For each subsequent absence, your attendance grade will be lowered by 20% (2% of final grade). Six or more absences (excused or unexcused) will result in a “fail” (F) grade for the course. Two late arrivals and/or early departures will count as one unexcused absence. Late work will not be accepted under any circumstances. In the case of an extreme situation or emergency, the student must notify the course instructor via email, including supporting evidence, to determine a course of action.

Participation and Note-Taking (20%). “Contained in this classroom,” reads Tom Wayman’s poem “Did I Miss Anything?,” “is a microcosm of human experience / assembled for you to query and examine and ponder.” The classroom is a space that provides you the rare opportunity to question, speculate, and think collectively. Consistent, engaged participation (in Spanish!) is crucial for your success in this class. You are expected to come to class having read all the assigned materials, to actively participate in class discussion, and to take notes by hand. No cellphones, tablets, or laptops allowed. Here are some tips on note-taking to get you started. Throughout the semester students will receive two participation and note-taking grades (10% each). Recording of class sessions is prohibited.

Reading Reports (30%). To be submitted in print at the beginning of the class. Students must complete 10 out of the 12 reading reports assigned. You may skip two reports without being penalized. As you work on a reading report, make sure to prepare at least one comment for discussion during class. Guidelines and rubrics can be found in the Appendix. Reading Report Writing Tips and Best Practices are available at the end of the document.

Final Project (30%). Students will have the option to choose between: a) an 8-10-page research paper focused on one aesthetic object of their choosing (completed individually, submitted in print); b) an artistic/creative project (art object) that reflects on the relation between art and revolution (to be completed individually or in pairs.) Guidelines, rubrics, and steps to complete for each project can be found in the Appendix.

Oral Presentation (10%). Students will deliver an oral presentation (in Spanish), focused on their final project. Scheduled for week 15. See Appendix for instructions and rubric.

Extra credit activities. 1pt added to your final average per activity completed. This list will be updated throughout the semester:

Complete Understanding the MLA International Bibliography: A Free Online Course. Students will receive a badge upon passing each quiz and a course-completion badge after completing all the lessons and passing all five quizzes. To receive the extra credit, forward me the email indicating your completion of the course. Complete subject area modules in “Literature” and “Film, Television and Radio” to receive two extra points (one per area module.) 3pts possible in total.

A Statement on LLMs & Generative AI
Adapted from Against AI

Generative AI cuts out process, but thinking is process. Shortcuts degrade quality: Large Language Models (LLMs) outputs, simulations of training data found on the internet, are inaccurate and often biased: they tend to “hallucinate”. This technology, heavily promoted by big money, relies on stolen property and exploited laborers, from digital sweatshops in the Philippines to predatory outsourcers in Kenya. AI exacts significant environmental costs, for once, it drains water from areas that need it most. Evidence is also rolling in that the tools are bad for brain functioning, as frequent use of AI tools diminishes critical thinking abilities. Using LLMs makes your work bland, vague, and wrong, and it impedes the development of highly sought-after transferable skills. Building skills as a thinker, reader, and writer equips you for success as a professional, for participation as a citizen, and for fulfillment as a human. That development only happens with sweat, practice, errors, time, and lots of revision. Your work in this course should be made by you. All lectures, assignments, feedback, and grades will be made by me without AI, nor will any of your intellectual property be fed to tools that train AI. Ideas are social, so let’s make them together.

Food for Thought:

Grade Scale

Course grades will be assigned based on a weighted course average:

A+	98-100	C	73-76
A	93-97	C-	70-72
A-	90-92	D+	67-69
B+	87-89	D	63-66
B	83-86	D-	60-62
B-	80-82	F	59 or below
C+	77-79

Assignments and grading policies are subject to change.

Course Calendar

Course Folder

WEEK 1
August 25
Course Overview

August 27
Lecture: The Humanities Matter
Explore: Myth and Realities about Humanities Majors, The Humanities Matter Infographic, Study the Humanities & What Are You Going To Do with That?

August 29
Lecture: What is a Revolution?
Reading Report #1 Due: Eric Hobsbawm, “The Making of a ‘Bourgeois Revolution.’” Social Research, vol. 56, no. 1, 1989, pp. 5–31.

WEEK 2
September 1
Labor Day, No Class

September 3
Lecture: The Haitian Revolution
Reading Report #2 Due: Michel-Rolph Trouillot, Haiti: State Against Nation, Ch.1 “Nationalism and Dependency,” pp. 35-58.

September 5
Group Discussion (Trouillot)
Required Reading: Ignace Nau, “Le lambi,” The Haiti Reader, pp. 75-80.

WEEK 3
September 8
Lecture: The Mexican Revolution (1910-1920)
Reading Report #3 Due: John Mason Hart, “The Mexican Revolution, 1910-1920,” The Oxford History of Mexico, pp. 435-465.

September 10
Object Lesson: Mariano Azuela, Los de abajo
Group Discussion (Hart)

September 12
Required Reading: Los de abajo, Primera Parte, capítulos I –VI

WEEK 4
September 15
Lecture: The Mexican Revolution (1920-1934)
Required Reading: Los de abajo, Primera Parte, capítulos VII – XIV

September 17
Object Lesson: Nellie Campobello, Cartucho & Manuel Maples Arce, VRBE
Required Reading: Los de abajo, Primera Parte, capítulos XV – XXI

September 19
Required Reading: Los de abajo, Segunda Parte, capítulos I – VI

WEEK 5
September 22
Lecture: Cardenismo
Required Reading: Los de abajo, Segunda Parte, capítulos VII – XIV

September 24
Object Lesson: Photography: Tina Modotti & Lola Álvarez Bravo
Required Reading: Los de abajo, Tercera Parte, capítulos I – VII

September 26
No Class – Work on Final Project

WEEK 6
September 29
Lecture: The Mexican Miracle
Reading Report #4 Due: Alan Knight, “Workers and Peasants, Liberals and Jacobins,” Bandits and Liberals, Rebels and Saints: Latin America since Independence, pp. 193-217.

October 1
Object Lesson: Painting: Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo
Group Discussion (Knight)

October 3
Required Viewing: Fernando de Fuentes, ¡Vámonos con Pancho Villa! Available from Filmoteca UNAM.

WEEK 7
October 6
Lecture: Hacia la revolución
Reading Report #5 Due: Aviva Chomsky, “Cuba through 1959,” A History of the Cuban Revolution, pp. 18-43.
Final Project Topic/Concept + Short Abstract Due

October 8
Object Lesson: La historia me absolverá
Group Discussion (Chomsky)

October 10
No Class – Work on Final Project

WEEK 8
October 13
Lecture: Patria o Muerte
Reading Report #6 Due: Vanni Pettinà, “The Cuban Revolution: A Turning Point in Latin America’s Cold War,”A Compact History of Latin America’s Cold War, pp. 57-86.
Participation and Note-Taking 1 Due

October 15
Object Lesson: La campaña de alfabetización
Group Discussion (Pettinà)

October 17
Required Viewing: Mikhail Kalatozov,I am Cuba.

WEEK 9
October 20
Lecture: Two, Three, Many Vietnams
Reading Report #7 Due: Margaret Randall, “First Free Territory: Cuba, 1969-1980,” I Never Left Home: Poet, Feminist, Revolutionary, pp. 181-216.

October 22
Object lesson: An Imperfect Cinema
Group Discussion (Randall)

October 24
Required Viewing: Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Memorias del subdesarrollo

WEEK 10
October 27
Lecture: El período especial
Reading Report #8 Due: Ernesto “Che” Guevara, “Socialism and Man in Cuba,” Che Guevara Speaks, pp. 142-160.

October 29
Object Lesson: Nueva Trova
Group Discussion (Guevara)

October 31
Required Viewing: Steven Soderbergh, Che: Part One.

WEEK 11
November 3
Lecture: La vía chilena
Reading Report #9 Due: Simon Collier and William F Sater, “The Chilean Road to Socialism, 1970–73,” A History of Chile, pp. 330-358.
Final Project Annotated Bibliography/Draft Label Due

November 5
Object Lesson: La nueva canción chilena
Group Discussion (Collier)

November 7
Required Viewing: Patricio Guzmán,La batalla de Chile: La insurreción de la burguesía.

WEEK 12
November 10
Lecture: El golpe de Estado
Reading Report #10: Steve J. Stern, “Chronicling a Coup Foretold? Previews of the Impossible,” Battling for Hearts and Minds: Memory Struggles in Pinochet Chile, 1973-1988, pp. 11-28.

November 12
Object Lesson: Arpilleras
Group Discussion (Stern)

November 14
Required Viewing: Andrés Wood, Machuca

WEEK 13
November 17
Lecture: Dictadura
Reading Report #11: Peter Kornbluh, “Operation Condor: State-Sponsored International Terrorism,” The Pinochet File: A Declassified Dossier on Atrocity and Accountability, pp. 331-363.

November 19
Object Lesson: ¿Por qué no se van?
Group Discussion (Kornbluh)

November 21
Required Viewing: Pablo Larraín, No.

WEEK 14
November 24
Lecture: Transición
Reading Report #12: Mary Louise Pratt: “Overwriting Pinochet: Undoing the Culture of Fear in Chile”

November 26
Thanksgiving Break, No Class

November 28
Thanksgiving Break, No Class

WEEK 15
December 1
Lecture: Epilogue: Central American Revolutions

December 3
Final Presentations + Final Projects Due
Participation and Note-Taking 2 Due

Appendix

All written assignments should be submitted in print during class. Instructions and rubrics are subject to change.

1. Reading Reports

Reports should:

be written in Spanish
have an original title
follow the MLA General Format: double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12pt, left aligned, 1-inch margins, header. Pay special attention to the format of the first page of your paper.
be written in your own words (paraphrase instead of quoting)
use a narrative style (avoid bullet points)
summarize the main arguments/ideas of the text
define or explain the most significant concepts and/or categories
offer an evaluation of the reading as a whole
discuss at least one element/direct quote/passage/example from the reading that you, personally, found to be compelling or interesting, and explain why, e.g. are there relevant connections to other readings or to something you are learning in a different class? Can something you learned from the reading be adapted to a different context? Did an element of the reading change how you think about something outside the scope of the class? Did you find a connection between an element of the reading and your personal life?

Reading Reports Rubric (10pts):

submitted on time: 1pt (0.5pts deduction for each day of class late; no submissions accepted after second day of class late). Example: Reading Report #3 is due on September 8. If submitted on time = 1pt; if submitted on Sept. 10 = 0.5 pts; if submitted on Fri. Sept. 12 = 0pts (you will receive credit for the remaining components of the assignment). Reading Report #3 will not be accepted past Fri. Sept. 12, you will receive a grade of 0 for the whole assignment.
appropriate formatting: 1pt (incl. original title and adherence to MLA guidelines; 0.2pts deductions for each missing guideline)
includes summary: 2pts
includes concepts and categories: 2pts
offers an evaluation of the text as a whole: 2pts
discusses at least one element in detail: 2pts

Reading Report Writing Tips and Best Practices are available at the end of the document.

2. Final Project

2.1 Research Paper

8-10-page essay focused on an aesthetic object of your choosing (poem, novel, photograph, painting, film, you name it) and how it thinks the relation between art and revolution in Latin America. In your paper, you should describe how your object works, paying close attention to its mechanics: how does it do what it does? What is its style? How does it “speak”? What does it teach? Research papers should:

situate the artwork in sociohistorical context
offer a detailed description of the work, establishing its relation to revolution
provide an interpretation or close reading of the artwork, that pays attention to the specificity of the medium (film works differently than painting) and considers at least one formal element (color, texture, composition, tone, point of view, character, setting, etc.) I will provide further recommendations once you establish the object you will be writing about.
use at least three academic sources to support your arguments (you might want to complete the extra-credit activity on the MLA International Bibliography listed above.)
follow the MLA General Format: double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12pt, left aligned, 1-inch margins, header. Pay special attention to the format of the first page of your paper.
include a works cited page (does not count toward extension of the essay)
be written in Spanish or English

Timeline: you should start working on your essay as soon as possible, good scholarly work requires time, patience, and revisions. Don’t wait to complete abstract or annotated bibliography to start putting words on paper. Steps may be completed in Spanish or English.

October 6: submit topic + short abstract (250 words). Include minimal contextualization (author, year, place). Why do you think this object is interesting? Briefly describe how the object is related to the course topic. Include a tentative bibliography (list at least three scholarly sources). How to determine if a source is scholarly?
November 3: submit an annotated bibliography of the three main sources you will be using in your paper. What is an annotated bibliography? Annotations should summarize and provide an assessment of the source. Minimum 150-words per source.
December 3: Research Paper due.

Research Paper Rubric (10pts):

topic + short abstract: 0.5pts
annotated bibliography: 1.5pts
submitted on time: 1pt (0.2pts deduction for every day late. No submissions accepted after Weds. Dec. 10)
appropriate formatting: 1pt (incl. original title and adherence to MLA guidelines; 0.2pts deductions for each missing guideline, 0.5pts deduction for not including a works cited page)
makes use of at least three academic sources: 1pt
situates the work in sociohistorical context: 1pt
includes detailed description of work: 2pts
provides an interpretation or close reading, emphasizing at least one formal element: 2pts

2.2 Artistic/Creative Project

Students will create an artwork (painting, sculpture, installation, print, you name it!) that reflects on the relationship between art and revolution in Latin America. This assignment can be completed individually or in pairs. You should strive to communicate an idea in sensuous form. In planning for your project, think what medium or materials might be best to communicate this idea to your audience.

Timeline:

October 6: submit concept + short abstract (250 words). Describe the idea at the heart of your project, the medium you’ll work with, and why you think this medium is the best to communicate your idea to an audience. May be completed in Spanish or English.
November 3: submit a label for your artwork. The label should include a “chat” (500 word-minimum) in both English and Spanish. You may write the original version in either language. Do not just copy-paste into a translation tool to complete the task (you may, of course, consult a dictionary or thesaurus while working on the translation.) The chat should provide a clear idea of how the object conceives the relationship between art and revolution, describe the intended experience of the work, and specify how the piece is in direct dialogue with at least one different work of art (this is a draft, your label and chat may change as you continue to work on your project.)
December 3: Artistic/Creative Project due. A finalized, bilingual label/chat should accompany your artwork.

Artistic/Creative Project Rubric (10pts):

concept + short abstract: 0.5pts
draft label: 1.5pts
submitted on time: 1pt (0.2pts deduction for every day late. No submissions accepted after Weds. Dec. 10)
relationship between art and revolution: 1pt
intended experience: 2pts
aesthetic dialogue: 2pts
artwork: 2pts

3. Oral Presentation

Oral presentation (in Spanish), focused on your final project. Presentations should:

have a title (different from research paper/artwork)
be 5-7 minutes if an individual project or 8-10 minutes if working in pairs (presenters should speak for roughly the same amount of time)
incorporate visual aids (avoid using too much text or reading directly from slides)
introduce the project and explain your interest in the topic (what? When? Why?)
describe the steps you took to complete the project, emphasize the main ideas and takeaways, explain how your project contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between art and revolution
allow time for questions from the audience

Oral Presentation Rubric (10pts):

title: 1pt
duration: 1pt
appropriate use of visual aids: 1pt
introduction: 2pts
description + contribution: 3pts
Q&A: 2pts

Reading Report Writing Tips & Best Practices

1. Before you start reading, “map” the text (flip the pages, how many headings are there, are there any images, pay attention to anything that immediately stands out and try to get a sense of the argument based on the essay’s organization). Is the text organized into parts or sections? Are there subheadings? What does the structure of the text tell you about the argument the author is trying to make? How much time will it take you to read the material carefully? Plug in reading time into your calendar.

2. Go over the Reading Reports Rubric before you start reading the assigned material. Keep the rubric handy.

3. Set aside enough time to read the assigned material carefully. Print out the material. Take notes as you read. Pen and pencil are your allies; highlighters are your enemy. If an idea or argument seems important to you… mark it up! Use the margins to WRITE DOWN WHY you think a sentence, paragraph, or passage is important. When you identify a key idea, a relevant concept or category, or a compelling quote, make sure to make a note; you may want to develop your own symbol or abbreviation system for this purpose.

4. After completing the reading, ask yourself: can you identify any recurring ideas? Does the reading have a big takeaway? How has the reading enhanced your personal understanding of the topic? How would you informally describe the reading to someone who is new to the topic? Write down your answers.

5. Pick a quiet study environment. Remove digital distractions. Sit down, take out your notes, make a plan (what will you accomplish during your writing session?)

6. Start with the summary. In one or two paragraphs and in your own words, indicate: What is the reading about? What are the main takeaways? Avoid detail, think big! Try to convey the main argument clearly. At this point you are relaying information, not providing an evaluation: avoid the first person. I don’t want you to provide your opinion (you’ll have space for this later). I want you to demonstrate that you have read the material and have successfully identified its relevance for the purposes of the class. What does the reading set out to do, and what steps does it take to get there?

Make sure to identify the author and the source: “In ‘Nationalism and Dependency,’ Michel Rolph-Trouillot argues that…”
State, don’t opine: ‘Hobsbawm demonstrates that…”; “The reading shows that…”; “The author describes the historical process that led from X to Y”; “The reading provides an overview of Z.”
What historical, social, cultural, political and/or economic transformations are being described? Who are the main actors involved?
Avoid walking you reader through the text. Avoid enumerating (“In the first section… In the second section…”), instead try to convey the argument that makes the text unique (the argument that runs through the text and connects all sections.)
Above all, avoid vague language: “The Mexican Revolution was very interesting” “The Haitian revolutionaries fought for justice.”

7. Concepts and categories. Go through your notes and choose one or two concepts or categories that you think are significant. Think of concepts and categories as theoretical building blocks for understanding a topic. Can you understand the Mexican Revolution without knowing what “agrarian reform” is? Can you understand the Haitian Revolution without the social categories of grand blancs or gens de couleur? How does adding the adjective “nationalist” or “anticolonialist” change the concept of “revolution”?

I don’t expect an exhaustive list. I do expect you to describe how a concept or category is important to understand the topic or problem at hand. You don’t need more than one paragraph to complete this portion of your report.
Make sure you let your reader know that you are now moving to describe concepts and categories, you may begin you paragraph with something like this: “One of the concepts used by the author to approach the problem of X is Y, which describes…” or “A category that is helpful to understand the social context of X is Y.”
After introducing a concept, make sure to provide a definition.
Avoid the first person.

8. You are almost done. You can now move to offering an evaluation of the reading as a whole. How is the reading useful to better understand the topic at hand? What is most valuable about the reading for the study of art and/or revolution? Is there a specific problem that the reading describes/ introduces/criticizes in particularly interesting ways? A good way to think about this portion of the reading report is as a reflection on the new knowledge a reader could gain by engaging with the text. In short, you should strive to offer an evaluation of the intellectual value or critical contribution of the reading. Continue to avoid the first person.

9. Discuss at least one element/direct quote/passage/example from the reading that you, personally, found to be compelling or interesting, and explain why. You may now use the first person. This is your chance to go into detail and reflect on your own reading experience. Think of this portion as an opportunity to make connections with other classes or with your own academic/personal interests. Whether you are paraphrasing or using a direct quote, don’t forget to indicate the page number.

To recap:

Summary: What does the reading do?
Concepts & categories: What theoretical tools does the reading use to do what it does?
Evaluation: Why is the reading valuable?
Discuss: Find and element that resonates with your own interests (scholarly or personal).
Title: Don’t forget to give your reading report an original title.
MUST BE WRITTEN IN SPANISH
MUST FOLLOW MLA FORMAT