Professor of La Raza Studies: Summary | Courses Taught | Committee Work | Menu
Professor
of La Raza Studies:
Summary | Courses Taught | Committee
Work | Menu
RAZA 450.01 # 14668 (GE Seg III - CESD)
Indigenismo : Indigenous Culture and Personality
Spring 2004 Syllabus
MWF 1110-1200 BH 352
Professor Jose B. Cuellar, Ph.D. (http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~josecuel/)
Email: josecuel@sfsu.edu Vmail: 415 338-6044
Open office hours in Psychology 422 on MWF: 8-9 am and 1-2 pm .
This upper division GE survey course offered by Raza Studies focuses on c ulture and traditions of indigenous peoples of Latin America, contemporary society, traditional medical systems, healing methodologies, religion, sorcery, magic, etc. and its relationship to La Raza in the U.S. (Formerly LARA 450.) Creative individual and collective class projects explore various aspects of our phenomenal indigenismo heritage, and the development of its knowledge, research, creative experiences and awareness.
We examine various aspects of our indigenous heritage from prehistoric to the present by seriously studying selected readings, recordings, documentary videos and feature films that provide us with understandings of how indigenous cultural values help shape perceptions and attitudes. In addition to attending class and participating in small group discussions and presentations; completing midterm and final assessments, as well as the required written review of books, learners must submit a written report on either an independent or collective research project, or a community service learning project report.
This course focuses on the indigenismo cultural expressions and experiences among U.S. Latinos. We critically study a wide range of ethnically diverse examples of indigenismo experiences among Raza, and learn the distinguishing differences and similarities, as well as defining sources and key correlates, of our more salient elements. We also learn to evaluate the relative significance of factors related to the development and diffusion of indigenismo from generation to generation, and pueblo to pueblo (people and place to people and place) around the world.
This course systematically helps further develop appreciation and comprehension of the broad range of individual and collective indigenismo expressions and experiences of Latino Americans across specific historical periods, ethnic groups, economic classes and/or geographic regions of origin.
GE Segment III: Latin American Society and Culture Category C ( CESD)
ONLY LEARNERS WHO HAVE ACHIEVED JUNIOR STATUS can earn the 3 units of GE Segment III: Latin American Society and Culture Category C (9-10 units required) by completing this course. This Segment III course also satisfies the CESD requirement by including as its central focus the development of awareness and understanding of Cultural, Ethnic, or Social Diversity. This course focuses on the effect of the indigenous at the local, national, and/or global levels and the complexities presented by its diversity in the study of any given human issue or achievement. It includes some information on, or awareness of, the impact of the course content on the various socio-economic groups potentially affected by the issues or problems associated with the indigenismo topics being studied..
The objective of requiring a course focused substantially on cultural, ethnic, or social diversity is to ensure that students will develop awareness, appreciation, and understanding of the diversity of cultural and social experience, values, and contributions. Inherent in this mandate is the concept of cultural pluralism, which embraces ethnic, cross-cultural, and intercultural studies as well as studies of the relationship between dominant and non-dominant social groups.
Most courses in the University reflect the experiences, contributions, and values of the Western European and North American tradition and the dominant American culture. Thus, this course includes a substantial consideration of cultures other than the Western European and North American and/or a substantial consideration of non-dominant social groups in the United States. Upon completion, students will be able to critically understand:
1. How the indigenismo issues or problems affect Latin American socio-economic groups.
2. The relationship between dominant and non-dominant cultures and the diversity of the American indigenous heritage.
3. The experiences, cultures and languages of non-English speaking indigenous peoples, especially those of the underdeveloped and overdeveloped Americas.
4. The experience of non-dominant indigenous social groups as defined by a status category other than race, ethnicity, or national origin (e.g., women, the aging, the physically disabled, etc.).
5 Cross-cultural indigenous studies (e.g. the comparison of two or more cultural histories, sociopolitical and economic structures, art, religion, etc.).
General Requirements
• Learners must satisfactorily complete all assignments.
• All late attendance and late work will be penalized.
• All students are required to have a SFSU e-mail account and use it to participate in this course's online Blackboard 6 component by engaging in discussions and using e-research resources. Students may sign up for free computer accounts at the University Computer Center Help Desk, ADM 110, in the West Wing of the Administration Building.
• Cellular phones and pagers are allowed on silent mode only.
Required Participation (35 possible points). The presentations and discussions are essential for developing the necessary skills and understandings. Successful completion of this course requires regular class attendance (15 points), participation in small group (5 points) and online discussions (10 points), as well as participation in final class presentations (5 points).
Required Assessments (35 possible points total). There are two course assessments. Each includes a mix of multiple choice, true false, and short answer essay responses to questions designed to assess your understanding of the course readings, presentations and discussions. The midterm assessment (15 possible points) must be submitted by March 19 . The final assessment (20 possible points) is due May 24 at 10:45 a.m.
Required Writings (30 points possible). Successful completion of this course requires timely submission of several different kinds of writings.
My Biases and Assumptions Regarding Indigenismo ( 10 points). You are required to submit a five-page (typed, double-spaced), original reflexive essay critically describing the usually unstated biases and assumptions, experiences and influences that you bring to our study of the indigenous culture and personality in the Americas. Your critical analysis should describe how biases and assumptions affect your development as an individual using examples to underscore your analysis of how your indigenous heritage affects and reflects who you are, and defines your similarities and differences from others in your familia and community. Your essay should have the following five sections of more or less one typed (doubled-spaced) page each: I. My Introduction II. My Approach and Perspective, III. My Findings, IV. My Interpretive Critical Analysis , and V. My Summary and Conclusions. It is due March 12 .
Your ten-page original indigenismo research project report (20 possible points) or community service learning project report (up to 25 possible points) should be organized with the following five sections: I My Introduction of Issues (1 page), II. My Methods and Models (1 page), III. My Findings (4 pages), IV. Analysis (3 page and "V. Summary and Conclusions (1 page). It should include a list of references to specific primary (interviews and observations, etc.) and secondary sources of information, including required texts, to make your point. In order to receive full credit, each learner must submit a report that substantively reflects at least 20 hours of original research on some indigenismo issue of interest; or at least 20 hours of community service learning work with an approved community service agency (be sure to attend the CSL Fair). This community service learning emphasis reflects the commitment of Raza/Ethnic Studies to sharing the resources with the community through working with its agencies. That is why a community service learning report earns an extra 5 points. Final reports are due on May 19.
Required Readings
All are required to read these two texts.
Jack Weatherford, Indian Givers: How the Indians of America Transformed the World . 1990.
David Carrasco, Religions of Mesoamerica , Harper & Row, 1990.
Recommended Readings
Jack Weatherford, Native Roots: How The Indians Enriched America. 1991.
Jack Weatherford, Savages and Civilization - Who Will Survive? 1994.
David Carrasco, Quetzalcoatl and the Irony of Empire - Myths and Prophesies in the Aztec Tradition. U of Chicago Press, 1982.
David Carrasco, Mesoamerican Heritage - From Teotihuacan to the Aztecs. U of Colorado Press, 2002.
These books may be purchased from the SFSU Bookstore, Amazon.com online or Modern Times Bookstore (on Valencia - near 20 th ) in the Mission District of San Francisco.
Extra Credit Options.
You may submit one comparative book review for (10 possible points) extra credit. The five-page review critically compares one of our required texts with one of the recommended texts (above). Your comparative book review should be organized with the following five sections: I. My Introduction (1 page), II. My Methods (1 page), III. My Findings (1 page), IV. My Analysis (1 page), and V. My Conclusions (1 page). This is due no later than May 12
FINAL COURSE GRADE .
The final grade is based on the total number of points accumulated by the end of the semester as follows:
| 100 (or more)= A+ | 89-92= B+ | 77-80= C+ | 65-68= D+ | 56 (or fewer) = F |
| 97-99= A | 85-88= B | 73-76= C | 61-64= D | |
| 93-96= A- | 81-84= B- | 69-72=C- | 57-60= D- |