ANTHROPOLOGY 451
LATIN AMERICAN CULTURES

1. Catalog Entry

ANTH 451. Latin American Cultures
Three hours lecture (3).

Prerequisite: ANTH 121.

Study of the diverse ways in which the native peoples of Latin America make their living, structure their societies and conceive of themselves and their worlds, as viewed through the anthropological literature.

2. Detailed Description of Content of Course

I. Review of anthropological concepts as framework for studying Latin American cultures

A. Ethnocentrism and stereotyping
B. Cultural diversity and cultural relativism
C. Goals of scientific explanation

II. Anthropological approaches to the study of Latin America: contributions from archaeology, ethnohistory, and contemporary ethnography

A. The archaeological record of Central and South America
B. Anthropologists' contributions to Central and
South American ethnohistory
C. Contemporary ethnography among the peoples of Central and South America

III. Building a comparative framework for examining Latin American case studies

A. Historical dimensions

1. Sociocultural evolution of pre-Hispanic societies
2. Spanish colonialism and dependency models
3. Twentieth century developments

B. A cultural systems model for comparisons

1. Strategies for making a living
2. Social structure
3. World view

IV. Andean cultures

A. Selected case studies from the past and present. Comparison of:

1. Strategies for making a living
2. Social structure
3. World view

V. Amazonian cultures

A. Selected case studies from the past and present. Comparison of:

1. Strategies for making a living
2. Social structure
3. World view

VI. Mesoamerican cultures

A. Selected case studies from the past and present. Comparison of:

1. Strategies for making a living
2. Social structure
3. World view

VII. Caribbean cultures

A. Selected case studies from the past and present. Comparison of:

1. Strategies for making a living
2. Social structure
3. World view

VIII. Conclusions: cross-cultural overview of the peoples and cultures of Central and South America

A. Understanding similarities and differences
B. Prospects for the future

3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

A combination of lecture and informal discussion is used in this course. Both focus upon assigned readings, audio-visual presentations, and applicable materials drawn from media discussions of current events.

4. Goals and Objectives of the Course

Students will:

1. gain an understanding of the components of cultural systems, which will provide them with a framework for making cross-cultural comparisons within Latin America;
2. become familiar with a "culture area" survey of the anthropological and archaeological literature on the peoples and cultures of Central and South America;
3. become aware of the cultural diversity found in Latin America and the reasons for this cultural diversity.

5. Assessment Measures

Students may be graded on the basis of in-class or take-home essay examinations, oral presentations, term papers or
projects, journals, class attendance and participation.

6. Other Course Information

Students may be asked to keep abreast of current events in Latin America and to conduct library research in addition to
reading assigned text materials. Informal, in-class writing may be used to stimulate discussion. Students taking the course for graduate credit are also required to write an additional research paper on a topic tailored to their special interests in the class.

7. Review and Approval

DATE ACTION REVIEWED
September, 2001 Reviewed Peggy A. Shifflett