History of Modern Mexico (HIS391H) Fall 2006
Response Papers and Session Summaries [HIS391 Main page]
note: you will need to sign up for specific sessions on CCNet under "personal profile"
You will be able to register after 8am on Wednesday 20 September (first come first serve)
see below for topics, associated readings and due dates
response papers
before each of the six discussion sessions, 2-4 students will individually prepare and post on the wiki a paper that responds to the readings (and sometimes film) assigned for the session. The response is a way of encouraging reflection and inviting discussion among our group even before we gather. You should identify questions and emphases and share both what impresses and disturbs you. This is a creative opportunity not to summarize, but rather to follow a selected line, raise a few ideas, feature a brief quotation, ask a question, contemplate a comparison, or convey what has most intrigued or unsettled you. Remember that everyone's response will be different.
response papers should be about 500 words (2 double-spaced pages), and they must be posted on the wiki before 6 pm on the day before our meetings. All students have the responsibility of retrieving and considering the response papers ahead of class.
session summaries
after each of the six discussion sessions, 2-4 students will collaboratively write a summary and post it on the wiki. These will be archived on the wiki and become a collective journal of the discussion component of the course. These summaries are not meant to be just a "transcript" of our meetings; ideally, they should capture the flow, tone and substance of the discussion.
the emphasis here is on process and collaboration, with each person in the group contributing substantially to produce the summary. Students assigned to the same session should discuss briefly just before class how they will take notes and briefly afterwards to consider how they will post and edit the summary on the wiki. It will be up to each group to decide how they will approach these two tasks.
on note-taking: you might have everyone take individual notes on what seems important, or you could decide to have 1-2 people take specific notes on students' comments, with 1-2 others attentive to the broader points of consensus and debate. On the writing process: you may decide to have one person post a first draft on the wiki, with others taking turns enhancing and editing the version. Alternatively, you could have people post drafts of different parts of the discussion, and work together in subsequent drafts to connect the sections. Part of the grade will be based on your ability to collaborate effectively. Each member in the group will receive the same grade.
the drafts of the summaries can be posted anytime in the days following the discussion session (but soon enough to allow for revisions), with the final version posted no later than 6pm six days after the session.
List of Discussion Sessions
Tuesday 26 September (response paper due Monday 25 September, 6pm; summary due Monday 2 October)
discussion one: What is Mexicanidad (Mexicanness)? (discussion of film, Acevedo-Muñoz article and readings below)
reading
>> Ernesto R. Acevedo-Muñoz, "Sex, Class, and Mexico in Alfonso Cuarón’s Y tu mamá también">> Joel Poinsett, " The Mexican Character"
>> Jose Vasconcelos, "The Cosmic Race"
>> Octavio Paz, " The Sons of La Malinche"
>> Roger Bartra, "Does It Mean Anything to Be Mexican?"
>> Sam Quinones, "Jesus Malverde," in True Tales from Another Mexico: The Lynch Mob, the PopsicleKings, Chalino, and the Bronx (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press ( 2001), 225-232.
Thursday 12 October (response paper due Wednesday 11 October, 6pm; summary due Wednesday 18 October)
discussion two: Independence
reading:
>> Enrique Krauze, “The Insurgent Priests,” Mexico: Biography of Power (New York: Harper Collins, 1997) pp. 92-118.
>> "The Pantheon of National Heroes" (Hildalgo and Morales)
>> Jose Maria Morelos, "Sentiments of the Nation" (1813)
>> El Grito de Dolores (1810)
>> Lucas Alamán, “The Siege of Guanajuato,” The Mexico Reader; pp. 171-88
Tuesday 17 October (response paper due Monday 16 October, 6pm; summary due Monday 23 October)
discussion three: Antonio López de Santa Anna and the liberal/conservative divide
reading:
>> Agustin de Iturbide, "Plan of Iguala" (1821)
>> Don Mabry, "Antonio López de Santa Anna (1794-1876)" Historical Text Archive
>> Guillermo Prieto. “The Glorious Revolution of 1844.” The Mexico Reader; pp. 206-12.
>> El Tiempo, "A Conservative Profession of Faith" (1846)
>> “Décimas dedicated to Santa Anna’s Leg.” The Mexico Reader; pp. 213-16
>> "The Pantheon of National Heroes" (Ninos Heroes )
discussion three: Juarez and the French intervention
reading (same as 26 October):
>> Junta of Conservative Notables, "Offer of the Crown to Maximillian" (1863)
>> Empress Carlotta, "A Letter from Mexico" (1865)
>> Benito Juarez, "The Triumph of the Republic" (1867)
>> "The Pantheon of National Heroes" (Juarez)
Thursday 9 November (response paper due Wednesday 8 November, 6pm; summary due Wednesday 15 November)
discussion four: the origins of the Mexican Revolution
reading:
>> Friedrich Katz,“Origins, Outbeak, and Initial Phase of the Revolution of 1910.” The Secret War in Mexico (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1981), pp. 3-35.
>> David LaFrance, "Many Causes, Movements, Failures," in Provinces of the Revolution, pp. 17-40.
Thursday 16 November (response paper due Wednesday 15 November, 6pm; summary due Wednesday 22 November)
discussion five: maderistas and zapatistas
reading:
>> "The Pantheon of National Heroes" (Madero, Serdan, Zapata )
>> Friedrich Katz,“Origins, Outbeak, and Initial Phase of the Revolution of 1910.” The Secret War in Mexico (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1981), pp. 35-49.
>> Francisco Madero, "The Plan of San Luis Potosi" (November 20, 1910) Modern History Sourcebook
>> John Womack, Zapata and the Mexican Revolution. (New York: Vintage, 1969); pp. ix-x, and 3-9.
>> Emiliano Zapata et al.“Plan of Ayala.” Zapata and the Mexican Revolution, 393-404.
>> Ricardo Flores Magón. “Land and Liberty” The Mexico Reader; pp. 335-38.
>> Luis Cabrera. “The Restoration of the Ejido.” The Mexico Reader; pp. 344-350
Tuesday 28 November (response paper due Monday 27 November, 6pm; summary due Monday 4 December)
discussion six: The 1917 Constitution
reading:
>> “The Constitution of 1917: Articles 27 and 123.” The Mexico Reader; pp. 398-402.
>> Thomas Benjamin, "1913-1920" in La Revolucion , 49-67
>> Thomas Benjamin, "1920-1928" in La Revolucion , 68-83.
>> "The Pantheon of National Heroes" (Obregon)