Download GOV 291 Cuba in the Post Cold War Era The United States and

GOV 291 Cuba in the Post Cold War Era
The United States and Cuba recently “normalized” relations, ending the last vestige of the
Cold War. The course will offer an examination of the social, economic, and political roots of
the Cuban revolution of 1959 and the changes brought about in Cuban politics and society
as a result of the revolution. This course is a unique opportunity to study Cuban history
and the political and economic system of one of the world's few remaining socialist
countries. Students do reading on the historic background of the area under study and then
focus on contemporary political, social, and economic issues through meeting with resource
people: professors, political activists, and grass roots organizers. The course will be
conducted in English but knowledge of Spanish will definitely enhance appreciation of our
stay in Cuba and study of Cuban history, politics, and society.
Tentative Itinerary:
Activities will include:
 Meet with Cuban University students
 Attend Cuban cultural events, including a jazz club and baseball game
 Meet with Cuban academics on a range of topics from economic reforms on the
island to US-Cuban relations
 Visit an urban agricultural farm
 Travel to Santa Clara to visit the Che Guevara Memorial
 Meet representatives of Cuban political organizations, including the Federation of
Cuban women and a member of parliament
 Tour the city of Havana including its colonial sector
 Visits to a school and medical clinic
There will be three meetings held prior to departure. Each will last two hours (6 hours)
There will be four meetings held after the return from Cuba
(8 hours)
The dates for these meetings shall be determined.
We will spend a minimum of 40 hours in organized activities in Cuba
TOTAL COURSE MEETING HOURS
54 hours
PRE-TRAVEL READINGS:
Philip Brenner; Marguerite Rose Jiménez, A Contemporary Cuba Reader: The Revolution
under Raúl Castro
Samuel Farber, The Origins of the Cuban Revolution Reconsidered
Marc Frank, Cuban Revelations: Behind the Scenes in Havana
Lillian Guerra, Visions of Power in Cuba
Louis A. Pérez Jr., Cuba: Between Reform and Revolution
White House Briefing Room, Charting a New Course on Cuba,
https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy/cuba.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
By the completion of this course, students should be able to:
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Understand Cuban modern and colonial history and its connection to contemporary
Cuba.
Understand the process of Cuban revolutionary history in the twentieth century.
Understand the contemporary Cuban political process including the interaction
between party and state.
Understand the contemporary Cuban economy with particular emphasis on the
post-Soviet reforms.
Understand contemporary Cuban social issues including health care, religion,
education, and race relations.
Understand the history and contemporary aspects of United States-Cuban relations
Appreciate cultural aspects of Cuba, including its music, film, art, and sport
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
A summary and reflection of three of the pre-travel readings
A daily journal that will be maintained during the visit
Final paper of at least 10 pages in length
Class presentation
20%
30%
40%
10%
SUGGESTED BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR REQUIRED PAPER
Sarah Blue. 2007. “The Erosion of Racial Equality in the Context of Cuba ‟s Dual Economy.”
Latin American Politics and Society 49:3 (Fall): 35-68.
Yinghong Cheng. 2007. “Fidel Castro and „China‟s Lesson for Cuba ‟: A Chinese
Perspective.” The China Quarterly (March): 24-42.
Javier Corrales. 2004. “The Gatekeeper State: Limited Economic Reforms and Regime
Survival in Cuba, 1989-2002.” Latin American Research Review 39:2: 35-65.
David Deutschmann and Deborah Shnookal, eds. 2007. Fidel Castro Reader. New York:
Ocean Press.
Esteban Morales Domínguez and Gary Prevost. 2008. United States-Cuban Relations: A
Critical History. Boulder: Lexington Books.
Susan Eckstein. 2009. The Immigrant Divide: How Cuban Americans Changed the U.S. and
Their Homeland. New York: Routledge.
________. 1994. Back from the Future: Cuba Under Castro. Princeton: Princeton University
Press.
Laura J. Enríquez. 2003. “Economic Reform and Repeasantization in Post-1990 Cuba.” Latin
American Research Review 38:1: 202-18.
Alexander I. Gray and Antoni Kapcia, eds. The Changing Dynamics of Cuban Civil Society.
Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida.
Rafael Hernández. 2003. Looking at Cuba: Essays on Culture and Civil Society. Gainesville,
FL: University Press of Florida.
Irving Louis Horowitz and Jaime Suchlicki, eds. Cuban Communism 10th ed. New
Brunswick: Transaction.
George Kennan. 2007 (orig. 1950). “Latin America as a Problem in U.S. Foreign Policy.” In
Neighborly Adversaries: Readings in U.S.-Latin American Relations 2nd ed. Boulder:
Lexington Books.
Brian Latell. 2005. After Fidel: Raúl Castro and the Future of Cuba’s Revolution. New York:
Palgrave.
Andreas F. Lowenfeld. 1996. “Congress and Cuba: The Helms-Burton Act.” The American
Journal of International Law 90:3 (July): 419-34.
Julio García Luis, ed. Cuban Revolution Reader: A Documentary History of Fidel Castro’s
Revolution. New York: Ocean Press.
Michael J. Mazarr. 1988. Semper Fidel: America and Cuba 1776-1988. Baltimore, MD:
Nautical and Aviation Publishing.
Carmelo Mesa-Lago and Jorge F. Pérez-López. 2005. Cuba’s Aborted Reform: Socioeconomic
Effects, International Comparisons, and Transition Policies. Gainesville, FL: University Press
of Florida.
Morris Morley and Chris McGillion. 2002. Unfinished Business: America and Cuba After the
Cold War, 1989-2001. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Emily Morris. 2008. “Cuba‟s New Relationship with Foreign Capital: Economic Policymaking since 1990.” Journal of Latin American Studies 40: 769-92.
Louis A. Pérez, Jr. 2011. Cuba: Between Reform and Revolution. 4 th Ed. New York: Oxford
University
________. 2008. Cuba in the American Imagination: Metaphor and the Imperial Ethos. Chapel
Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
Marifeli Pérez-Stable. 2011. The United States and Cuba: Intimate Enemies. New York:
Routledge.
________. 1998. The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course, and Legacy. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Diana Raby. 2009. “Why Cuba Still Matters.” Monthly Review 60:8 (January): 1-13.
Lars Schoultz. 2009. That Infernal Little Cuban Republic: The United States and the Cuban
Revolution. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
Jaime Suchlicki. 2002. Cuba: From Columbus to Castro. 5th Ed. Washington, D.C.: Brassey’s.
Wayne S. Smith. 1996. “Cuba‟s Long Reform.” Foreign Affairs 75:2 (March/April): 99-112.
Tad Szulc. 1986. Fidel: A Critical Portrait. New York: William Morrow and Co.
PROPOSED BUDGET (Projections Based on 6 students/2 faculty/staff)
 Round trip airfare, hotels with private baths, on-tour transportation, sightseeing,
and entrance fees are covered (double occupancy)
$34,360
 Visa Fee
800
 Wagner program fee ($100/student)
600
 Contingency
3,600
TOTAL BUDGET
$39,360
COST/STUDENT
$5,700
STAFF MEMBER QUALIFICATIONS
 Fluent in Spanish
 Previous experience in EYH logistics