To return to the Kemper Faculty Home Page, click here.

To return to the ANTH 3311 Home Page, click here.

ANTH 3311

Mexico: From Conquest to Cancún

Summer 2012  Dallas Hall 115 Monday through Friday 12:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.

Prof. Robert V. Kemper   phone: 214-768-2928   email: rkemper@smu.edu

Course Description:  An introduction to the unity and diversity of Mexican society as it has developed through encounters with other cultures – from 16th century conquistadores to 21st century tourists and emigrants. Fulfills the General Education Curriculum requirement for Perspectives, Group VI (Behavioral Sciences) and also fulfills co-curricular requirement for Diversity.

SYLLABUS AND SCHEDULE

SYLLABUS

By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

a) identify the major features of Mexican culture and society as these have been transformed since the arrival of the Spaniards in the early 16th century;

c) describe in their own prose the major issues of contemporary Mexican culture and society, especially those related to diversity and heterogeneity;

d) analyze both primary and secondary research materials about individuals and the social, political, and/or economic structures of contemporary Mexico; and

e) evaluate the importance of local, regional, national, and transnational forces in Mexican culture and society.

Required Readings

Bonfil Batalla, Guillermo (1996) México Profundo: Reclaiming a Civilization (translated by Philip A. Dennis).  Austin: University of Texas Press. (originally published as México profundo: una civilización negada)

Cahn, Peter (2003) All Religions Are Good in Tzintzuntzan. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Recommended Readings and Data Sets

Recommended readings and data sets will be found on the course web site.

Course Requirements

1. In-Class Quizzes (5%; n = 11; worth 0.5% each, total = 5%, after dropping the lowest grade). Normally, these will be open-book and open-notes. No make-ups; each missed quiz will be counted as a “zero” unless adequate and timely medical (or family emergency) documentation is provided.

2. Map Quiz (5%). An in-class closed-book, closed-notes quiz on the states, state capitals, major rivers, and major mountain ranges of Mexico.  This map quiz will be scheduled during the class session on Wednesday, 6 June. (see Map Quiz Preparation).

3. Midterm (25%).  Two-hour, open-book and open-notes in-class exam on Monday, 18 June. Write two essays (from three choices provided). (see Midterm Preparation Guide.)

4. Field assignment (10%). Visit three “Mexican” restaurants (from approved list on the course web site or with instructor's permission); write a 4 page (1,000 words) comparative analysis: due at class on Wednesday, 20 June.  (For details, see Fieldwork Assignment -- Restaurants.)  (NOTE: Late papers may be penalized up to one letter grade for any part of a 24-hour period beginning at 2:00 p.m. on dates due.) 

5. Sim-tzuntzan Project (25%).  Complete two analyses (12.5% each) of the circumstances of local community life.   You may do these exercises individually or in teams (no more than two persons per team).  Each Exercise should result in a report of 3-4 pages (750-1,000 words), not counting data or images presented in appendices. Due dates: Sim-tzuntzan Exercise 1 and Sim-tzuntzan Exercise 2 are due at the same time -- 12:00 noon Tuesday, 26 June.  (also see Aerial Photos and Images). (NOTE: Late papers may be penalized up to one letter grade for any part of a 24-hour period, including weekend days, beginning at 2:00 p.m. on date due.)

6. Final Exam (30%).  Take home exam due at 12:00 noon on Friday, 29 June (last day of class). For details, see Study Guide for the Final Exam.

The SMU Student “Code of Conduct”

Students are expected to abide by the SMU Code of Conduct in all matters related to this course, including work inside and outside of the classroom.  For details, please see http://www.smu.edu/studentlife/PCL_03_Conduct_Code.asp

Policy on Make-ups, Lateness, and Attendance:

Students are expected to attend all class sessions.  If you will not be able to attend a specific session, you must make arrangements with another student to get copies of notes, etc.  Assignments must be turned in on time; for each 24-hour period an assignment is late, one full grade will be deducted (e.g., an “A” paper will become a “B” paper).  Appropriate medical and family excuses will be accepted in order to establish new dates for assignments.  Make-ups for the Final Examination will require substantial justification.

Excused Absences for University Extracurricular Activities

Students participating in an officially sanctioned, scheduled University extracurricular activity will be given the opportunity to make up class assignments or other graded assignments missed as a result of their participation.  It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the instructor prior to any missed scheduled examination or other missed assignment for making up the work.  (University Undergraduate Catalogue)

Altschuler Learning Enhancement Center

Students who require extra assistance with writing, reading, or test-taking should consult the Altschuler Learning Enhancement Center staff.  For details, please see http://www.smu.edu/alec/home/

Disability Accommodations

Students needing academic accommodations for a disability must first contact Ms. Rebecca Marin, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities (214-768-4557) to verify the disability and establish eligibility for accommodations.  They should then schedule an appointment with the professor to make appropriate arrangements.  (See University Policy No. 2.4.)  Please see http://www.smu.edu/studentlife/OSSD_Facts.asp

Religious Observances

Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class should notify their professors in writing at the beginning of the semester, and should discuss with them, in advance, acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence.  (See University Policy No. 1.9.)

SCHEDULE

DATE

TOPIC

TOPIC: Introduction 

========

TOPIC: "Mapping Mexico: Changing Concepts of Space and Place"

========

TOPIC: "'Insider' and 'Outsider' Views of Mexico"

Video: “The Mexicans through their Eyes” (1992, 59 mins.; IVS 03690)

Readings: Bonfil, vii-xxi; 3-18; also see resources on the course web page -- Maps: Mexico-U.S. Borders

TOPIC: Before the “Conquest” – Mesoamerican and Spanish civilizations

Video: “Sentinels of Silence” (1990, 18 mins.; IVS 02573)

Readings: Foster, Culture and Conquest, pp. 10-20, 227-234;

Recommended: Arqueología Mexicana, special edition on “Aztecas” (bilingual Spanish/English texts).

See resources on the course web page -- Chronology of Cultures in Spain;  Chronology of Mesoamerican Cultures.

Video: “The Spanish Conquest of Mexico” (2003, 28 mins.; IDD 01332)

See resources on the course web page -- Europe Meets the Americas

=======

TOPICS: The National Period -- 1810 to 1910

Readings: Bonfil, 61-93; 94-107

See resources on the course web page -- Colonial Mexican Population.

TOPIC: The Mexican Revolution: From Zapata to the Zapatistas

Video: “The Last Zapatista” (1995, 30 mins.; IVS 06959)

TOPIC: The Population of Mexico 1790 to 1995

Readings: see resources on the course web page -- Mexico: from 1810 to 1910; INEGI Population Statistics; 

MAP QUIZ -- IN CLASS

TOPIC: Ethnic Groups and Ethnicity in the Twentieth Century

Readings: Bonfil, pp. 19-58, 129-149; Royce-Kemper article on ethnic identity.

See resources on the course web page -- Monografías de los Pueblos Indígenas

Readings: see resources on the course web page -- 20th Century Chronology; Framework for Founding of National Identity. 

Video: "From Boom to Bust: 1940 -1982 (1988, 57 mins.; IVS 01888)

TOPIC: Migration and Urbanization in the Twentieth Century: Metropolis, Cities, Towns, and Villages

TOPIC: Mexico City: National Symbol, Local Reality

Video: “Continent on the Move” (1993, 60 mins.; IVS 02921)

Readings: Kemper article, “Mexico City” 

Readings: Kemper-Royce article on Mexican Urbanization Since 1821; Kemper-Royce article on Urbanization in Mexico

TOPIC: “The Tarascans [Purépecha]” and the Modern Tarascan Region

Readings: Adkins, “The Tarascans”; Foster, Empire's Children, pp. 6-26; Kemper and Adkins: article on Purepecha Region;  Roth-Kemper Tarascans article.

TOPIC: Local Communities in the Twentieth Century: The Case of Tzintzuntzan

Video: Foster - Tzintzuntzan (1945); Video: Tzintzuntzan (1991), Foster, Module #1; Foster, Module #2; CREFAL film -- Tzintzuntzan (1961)

Readings: Foster Long-Term article; Kemper Long-Term article; Kemper and Royce article on ethics and long-term field research (on course web site)

TOPIC: Introduction to the “Sim-tzuntzan Project:” Using GIS to Understand Community Transformation (see Aerial Photos and Images)

Aerial Videos/Photos: Kemper - Tzintzuntzan (2000)

Reading: Foster: Empire's Children, pp. 204-224; Cahn (2003), Preface and chapters 1 and 2

TOPIC: Social Life: dyadic contracts, families and households, kinship and ritual kinship  (compadrazgo), patron-client relationships, social networks, etc.

Readings: Kemper article on urban compadrazgo; George M. Foster (1967), Tzintztuntzan: Mexican Peasants in a Changing World, chapter 11 ("The dyadic Contract")

Readings: Cahn (2003), chapters 3 and 4.

TOPIC: Gender Issues in Mexican Life

Case Study: Zapotec Women in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec

Video: “Blossoms of Fire” (2000, 74 mins.; IVS 07435)

Readings:  Matthew Gutmann (1996), The Meanings of Macho, chapter 9 ("Machismo"); Kemper, Marianismo paper

TOPIC: "Environments and Sustainability"

Video: "In Good Hands: Culture and Agriculture in the Lacandon Forest" (1993, 28 mins.; IVS 04369)

MIDTERM EXAMINATION (in class) -- 12:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.

TOPIC: Religious Life in Contemporary Mexico: Catholicism,  Protestantism, etc.

Video: "A Long Journey to Guadalupe" (1996, Instituto Nacional Indigenista; Kemper Collection, not in CMIT) OR

Video: Guadalupe: Mother of All Mexico (2000, 60 mins.; IVS 08099)

Readings: Cahn (2003), chapters 5, 6, and Conclusion

Readings: Eric Wolf article on "Virgin de Guadalupe" (link on course website).

FIELD ASSIGNMENT (MEXICAN RESTAURANTS) -- DUE AT CLASS

Topic: Civil-religious hierarchies, fiestas, pilgrimages

PowerPoint and Video: "Tzintzuntzan fiestas"

TOPIC: Economic Life: “image of limited good;” production, distribution, and consumption; marketplaces; tandas; etc.

Readings: George M. Foster (1967), Tzintztuntzan: Mexican Peasants in a Changing World, chapter 6 ("The Image of Limited Good");  

========

Video: “The Weavers of Ahuirán” (1991, 53 mins.; IVS 08153)

TOPIC: Arts and Crafts in Contemporary Mexico

Recommended Readings: Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art -- non-circulating book at DeGolyer Library.

SIM-TZUNTZAN EXERCISE #1 -- DUE AT CLASS

SIM-TZUNTZAN EXERCISE #2  -- DUE AT CLASS

TOPIC: Mole, Menudo, and McDonald’s: “Food” and “Wellness” in Mexican Life

Readings: Kemper article on Food in Tzintzuntzan.

TOPIC: The Border and Beyond

Video: “The Forgotten Americans” (2000, 56 mins; IVS 07188)

Reading: The Mexico-U.S. Borders: Historical Transformation

Readings: Kemper, Mexicans in U.S. article (on course web site);

TOPIC: Beyond the Wall: Communities in Mexico-U.S. Immigration

Video: “The Other Side of the Border” (1987; 60 mins.; IVS 00810)

Readings: DFW 2000 Hispanic Population/Maps; U.S. Census "Hispanics in 2000" and Census Data for 2010 Hispanic Population

Readings: "From Camionetas (Mini-Vans) to Federally Regulated Motor Carriers..." (see link on Kemper Faculty Home Page)

TOPIC: Tourism in Contemporary Mexico

Readings: Kemper Tourism article (on course web site) and Kemper article on Taos-Pátzcuaro tourism; also consult the website page (and links) about Cancún; review Bonfil, pp. 153-176

========

TOPIC: The Twenty-first Century: Toward a “New” Mexico?

Course Summary

FINAL EXAMINATION -- Take-home exam due at 2:00 p.m. (see Final Exam Study Guide for Questions and Instructions).