Wayward
Women: Crime and Punishment in Latin America
Spring
2009—3 credits Department
of History, Anthro. & Phil.
Augusta State University HIST 4011/6011; CRJU 4950; WMST 4011
Updated 01/08/09
General Information:
Instructor: Dr. H. Abdelnur, Office Phone: (706) 667-4566
Office: Allgood Hall E211; TBA & by appointment
Classroom: Allgood Hall E354; MWF 12-12:50 p.m.
Contact: Webpage— www.aug.edu/~habdelnur
; E-Mail— Abdelnur@aug.edu
Course Description:
Welcome to the exciting study of female crime and
punishment in Latin America’s past!
Through lecture, discussion, and evaluation of both primary and
secondary print sources, video and non-traditional media, students will be
exposed to the general outline of modern Latin American history with a focus on
the themes of crime and punishment, in terms of both social and legal
definitions, and how those definitions changed over time. We will survey various countries (Mexico,
Peru, Venezuela, Guatemala, etc.) from 1780, at the ending of the colonial era,
through the independence and early national periods, ending at the onset of the
worldwide Great Depression of the 1930s, some 150 years of history. We will examine in detail typically “female”
crimes of petty theft, prostitution, adultery, spousal homicide, and
witchcraft.
Course Goals:
By the end of this course, students will have a
general idea of the major trends and events in Latin American society in the
“long” 19th century. Students
will also be able to demonstrate a solid understanding of what constituted a
crime in that period and how the definition of “crime” shifted and even altered
the application of acceptable punishments when labels of gender, race, age, and
marital status were applied to both victim and perpetrator. Finally, students will be able to discuss
similarities and differences in Latin American crime and punishment across
state and regional boundaries and changes across colonial, national, and modern
periods.
Required Texts:
1. Salvatore, Ricardo D.,
Carlos Aguirre, and Gilbert M. Joseph, eds.
Crime and Punishment in Latin
America. Duke University Press,
2001. ISBN 0822327449 Also available as E-Book.
2. Garza, James A. The
Imagined Underworld: Sex, Crime, and Vice in Porfirian Mexico City. University of Nebraska Press, 2008. ISBN 0803222157
3. Diaz, Arlene
J. Female
citizens, patriarchs, and the law in Venezuela, 1786-1904. University of Nebraska Press, 2004: pp. 1-92. ISBN 0803266405. E-Book.
Required Articles ALL available through
Reese Library Reserve at http://aug.docutek.com/eres/:
1. Aguirre, Carlos
and Robert Buffington, eds. Reconstructing Criminality in Latin America
(Document Reader). SR Books, 2000. ISBN 0842026215
a.
Kristin Ruggiero, “Not Guilty: Abortion and Infanticide in 19th
Century Argentina.” Pages 149-166.
b.
Katherine Elaine Bliss, ““Guided by an Imperious, Moral Need”:
Prostitutes, Motherhood, and Nationalism in Revolutionary Mexico.” Pages 167-194.
2. Caulfield, Chambers, and
Putnam, eds. Honor, Status, and Law in Modern Latin America. Durham: Duke University Press, 2005.
a.
Chambers,
Sarah C. “Private crimes, public order:
honor, gender, and the law in early republican Peru. Pages 27-44.
b. Barragan,
Rossana. “The ‘spirit’ of Bolivian laws:
citizenship, patriarchy, and infamy.” Pages 66-81.
c.
Findlay,
Eileen J. “Courtroom tales of sex and
honor: rapto and rape in late-nineteenth-century Puerto Rico.” Pages 201-219.
d. Gotkowitz,
Laura. “Trading insults: honor,
violence, and the gendered culture of commerce in Cochabamba, Bolivia,
1870s-1950s.” Pages 131-150.
3. Gauderman, Kimberly. Women’s
Lives in Colonial Quito: Gender, Law, and Economy in Spanish America. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2003.
a.
Chapter
3, “Women and the Criminal Justice System.”
Pages 48-70.
4. Socolow, Susan. The
Women of Colonial Latin America. New
York: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
a.
Chapter
10, “Women and Social Deviance: Crime, Witchcraft, and Rebellion.” Pages 147-164.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
IV. Attendance
Students
are expected to attend each and every class session. Absences will only be excused with a physician’s
note or official ASU letter. After the 4th
absence I will remove 2 points from your final grade for each class
missed. After the 12th
absence (1 month of class), you will be requested to leave the class with a
grade of withdraw/failure. This course,
designed as an upper level seminar, will contain a good deal of
discussion. If you are not present, you
will miss important explanations of the texts essential to your exam success
and cause your fellow students to miss out on your valuable contributions to
the seminar. As a note of courtesy to
your fellow students as well as your instructor, please be punctual and turn
off cellular phones before entering the classroom. Repeated tardies could very well turn into
absences in my grade book.
V. Participation
While
this has a sizeable discussion component, I will often lecture at the beginning
of class to illuminate various historical elements related to the topic of the
day. Please be certain to come to each
class period having read the assigned materials and prepared to present your
carefully considered opinions and ask questions as well as taking notes. During our discussions, remember that we are
all members of the academic community of this college and, as such, we must all
treat each other with respect. Please
see attached sheet on my expectations for participation and assessment
standards.
VI. Academic Honesty
Academic
honesty is imperative to maintain your good standing at the college; cheating,
plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, and complicity will not be tolerated
and, if found, will result in failure of either the assignment, or the entire
course, at my discretion. Also, no
texting in class; sorry, but cell phones should be turned off unless for
emergency! I also, understandably, do
not allow tape recording of my lectures.
VII. Grading
and Examinations:
This
class will have weekly readings that I outline for you in your syllabus. The two reaction papers are take-home
assignments. I will provide a hand out
outlining each topic as well as a worksheet on the expectations for style and
content in a review essay, which I expect to result in 5 to 7 pages, typed and
double-spaced in 12 font, that include appropriate footnotes as necessary. There will also be two in-class exams based
on lecture notes, discussion, and readings as well as a significant research
paper of 12-15 pages in length. Late
work will not be accepted and will be counted as a zero for the
assignment unless you have my approval due to special circumstances.***Final
Grades are determined as: A=100-90; B=89.9-80; C=79.9-70; D=69.9-50; F=49.9-0
ASSESSMENT:
|
Assignment |
Date Due |
Final Grade |
|
In-Class Participation |
Throughout the Semester |
100 points |
|
2 In-Class Essay
Exams |
February 6th, April 29th |
100 pts. each |
|
2 Take-Home Reaction
Papers |
Feb 23rd, March 18th |
150 pts. each |
|
Paper title, abstract |
January 26th |
25 pts. |
|
Revised title and
abstract with tentative bibliography of books /articles |
February 16th |
50 pts. |
|
Paper Outline
&Improved Bibliography |
March 2nd |
50 pts. |
|
Paper Rough Draft &
Final Bibliography |
April 13th |
150 pts. |
|
Final Paper |
May 1st (1pm) Final Exam Week |
300 pts. |
· Note: You will have style guides for both the
take home essays and the Final Paper. I
also usually hand out the topics for the in-class essay exams at least 1 class
prior to the exam date. So, don’t panic!
TENTATIVE
CLASS OUTLINE
|
Date |
Daily Class Topic |
Assignments |
|
Week I Wed. 1/7 |
Introductions, syllabus, expectations, readings, etc. |
Check out Pipeline for this class, my webpage, WebCT/Vista, and
READ your Syllabus and handouts |
|
Friday 1/9 |
Why Latin American History?
Why Women’s Studies. Why 1750
to the early 20th century? |
Read Introduction to Crime
and Punishment in Latin America |
|
Week II Monday 1/12 |
Discussing Crime as a New and Emerging Field of Latin American
History. Victim vs. perpetrator: where
historians disagree |
Read online: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~caguirre/essay.html
|
|
Wednesday 1/14 |
Colonial Period Women: Class, Race, and Occupation |
Read Socolow, Ch. 10 |
|
Friday 1/16 |
Colonial Women and Social Deviance |
Take a break & get a jump on the reading… |
|
Week III Monday 1/19 |
Martin Luther King Jr.
Holiday—No Class! |
Keep Reading and think about Research Paper! |
|
Wednesday 1/21 |
Crimes of Religion: Blasphemy & Sorcery |
Work on your Research paper topics! |
|
Friday 1/23 |
Meeting in Reese Library
Room 304 w/Camilla B. |
Read Chambers |
|
Week IV Monday 1/26 |
Independence Era: Women’s Voice in Peru Title and Abstract Due! |
Read Barragan Prepare your Title and Abstract paragraph/s |
|
Wednesday 1/28 |
Independence Era: Women’s Voice in Bolivia |
Read Gotkowitz |
|
Friday 1/30 |
Bolivia through the 19th and 20th
centuries |
Read Findlay |
|
Week V Monday 2/2 |
Rape in 19th century Puerto Rico |
Read Ruggiero, Ch. 7 |
|
Wednesday 2/4 |
Independence Era: Women’s Voice in Puerto Rico |
Study for Exam #1 |
|
Friday 2/6 |
In-Class Exam #1; bring
blue/green books |
Read Bliss, Ch. 8 |
|
Week VI Monday 2/9 |
Mexico—Crime in National Period |
Read Intro to Garza, Ch. 1,2 |
|
Wednesday 2/11 |
Mexico |
Read Garza Ch 3 |
|
Friday 2/13 |
Mexico |
Read Garza Ch. 4 Prepare revised title & abstract with bibliography |
|
Week VII Monday 2/16 |
Mexico Title/Abstract revisions
due with Bibliography! |
Read Garza Ch. 5, 6, Conclusion |
|
Wednesday 2/18 |
Mexico—Conclude Garza text |
Take a break… |
|
Friday 2/20 |
Mexico—Violence against Women |
Prepare Reaction Paper #1 |
|
Week VIII Monday 2/23 |
Surveying Women and the Law in Costa Rica; Reaction Paper #1 Due!!! |
Read Díaz Introduction, Ch. 1 |
|
Wednesday 2/25 |
Women and Crime in Venezuela |
Read Díaz Ch. 2 |
|
Friday 2/27 |
Venezuela |
Read Díaz, Ch. 3, 4; Prepare Outline & Revised Bib |
|
Week IX Monday 3/2 |
Venezuela; Outline and revised
bibliography due! |
Read Díaz Ch. 5 |
|
Wednesday 3/4 |
Venezuela—Nationalism & equality before the law |
Read Díaz Ch. 6 |
|
Friday 3/6 |
Venezuela—Women vs. heads of household |
Read Díaz Ch. 7 |
|
Week X Monday 3/9 |
Venezuela—Caracas, 1870-1888 |
Read Díaz Ch. 8, 9 |
|
Wednesday 3/11 |
Venezuela—19th century Order and Progress |
Read Díaz Conclusions |
|
Friday 3/13 |
Venezuela—Conclude Díaz text |
Read Gauderman |
|
Week XI Monday 3/16 |
Venezuela versus Ecuador—Similar or not? |
Prepare Reaction Paper #2 |
|
Wednesday 3/18 |
Surveying Women and the Law in Cuba; Reaction Paper #2
Due!!! |
TBA |
|
Friday 3/20 |
TBA |
Read Part I by Walker in Crime
& Punishment |
|
Week XII Monday 3/23 |
Indians and the State in the Peruvian Southern Andes, 1780-1820 |
Read Part I by Palacio in Crime
& Punishment |
|
Wednesday 3/25 |
Uses of Justice in Rural Buenos Aires, 1900-1940 |
Read Part I by González in Crime
& Punishment |
|
Friday 3/27 |
Work, Property, and the Negotiation of Rights in Brazil,
1930-1950 |
Read Part 2 by Rivera-Garza in Crime & Punishment |
|
Week XIII Monday 3/30 |
Prostitutes, Health Crimes, and Society in Mexico City,
1867-1930 |
Read Part 2 by Ruggiero in Crime
& Punishment |
|
Wednesday 4/1 |
Passion, Perversion and the Pace of Justice in Argentina, turn
of the century |
Read Part 2 by Piccato in Crime
& Punishment |
|
Friday 4/3 |
The Making of Criminals in Modern Mexico City |
Prepare Paper Rough Draft! |
|
April 4-April 12 |
SPRING BREAK—NO CLASS!!!! |
Have fun & be safe! |
|
Week XIV Monday 4/13 |
Paper Rough Draft Due! No in-class meeting : ) |
Read Part III by Paton in Crime
& Punishment |
|
Wednesday 4/15 |
Punishment and Emancipation in Jamaica |
Read Part III by Salvatore in Crime & Punishment |
|
Friday 4/17 |
Capital Punishment in Argentina after Rosas |
Read Part III by Aguirre in Crime
& Punishment Prepare Rough Draft! |
|
Week XV Monday 4/20 |
Incarceration in Lima, 1890-1930 |
Read Part III by Guy in Crime
& Punishment |
|
Wednesday 4/22 |
Girls in Prison, Argentina 1890-1940 |
Catch up on your reading!!! |
|
Friday 4/24 |
No Class Meeting—I have an
all-day History Dept. meeting off-campus (ugh!) |
Read Part III by Caimari & Afterward by Hay in Crime & Punishment |
|
Week XVI Monday 4/27 |
Law and Society in Comparative Perspective |
Study for Exam #2 |
|
Wednes. 4/29 |
In-Class Exam #2; Bring
Blue/Green Books! |
LAST DAY OF CLASS!!! |
|
Friday May 1st |
Final Paper Due in my office no later than 1pm— I will be off
campus after that point! |
|
