SLAS E-Letter December 2007

Dear SLAS Members,

Here’s wishing you all a happy and enjoyable Christmas break, and a peaceful and fruitful 2008.

New SLAS Website!

The new SLAS website (edited by me) is now online; we hope you find it useful and enjoyable to use. http://www.slas.org.uk/

There are still some areas under construction which we will be working on in the new year, including most of the ‘Research’ section, the ‘Register of Expertise’ and the ‘Members’ Bookshelf’. These pages will allow members to input their own information (via the editor) and we hope will be a useful resource for both members and the wider Latin American studies community.

My huge thanks go to Christy Palmer who has worked the technical wizardry on the site. If any of you has particular problems accessing the website, we would very much like to know so that we can catch any gremlins.

Conferences/Calls for Papers/Workshops:

29-31 August 2008 Trans-national Cinema in Globalizing Societies: Asia and Latin America”.
Puebla, Mexico 29-31
Deadline for abstracts: 1 April 2008
http://www.nottingham.edu.cn/content.php?d=305

28-30 March 2008
2008 SLAS Conference, RILAS, Liverpool.
Symposia Proposals below, plus one NEW symposium “Universidad y Construcción de la Nación Latinoamericana” (also below)
Deadlines for symposia set by convenors, but well before 15 February 2008.
Deadline for registration: 15 February 2008.

13 February 2008
Postgraduate Workshop on Research on Cuba run by the Cuba Research Forum for 2007-8
Florence Boot Hall, University of Nottingham, 11.00-5.00
Please see flyer below.
Contact either Tony Kapcia (a.kapcia@nottingham.ac.uk) or Guy Baron (guy.baron@nottingham.ac.uk)
Deadline for notification: 31 January 2008

Publishing News:

Estudios Interdisciplinarios de America Latina y el Caribe
Tel Aviv University's journal of Latin American studies, is now available online.
Vol. 18, n. 1 (enero-junio 2007) is devoted to "Psychoanalysis North and South", guest edited by Federico Finchelstein.
See EIAL's site at: http://www.tau.ac.il/eial.
Please address all enquiries to: eial@post.tau.ac.il

SLAS/BLAR Book Series

The Editors are still interested to receive proposals for the book series for 2008. See attached flyer or contact Ken Lestrage, BLAR Editorial Assistant, at RILAS, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7WW.
Tel: +44 151 794 3025.
Email: blar@liverpool.ac.uk

Publisher’s Offer to Members

Tamesis books offers 25% off the following books.

Cut off date for offer: 30 March 2008

Carlota Caulfield and Darién J. Davis (eds) A Companion to US Latino Literatures. A panorama of literature by Latinos, whether born or resident in the United States or who took up residence there, this volume offers an exciting introduction for non-specialist readers. See: http://www.boydell.co.uk/5566139X.HTM>
Susan E. Carvalho Contemporary Spanish American Novels by Women: Mapping the Narrative.
This is a reading of contemporary women's fiction in Spanish America in which space, rather than time, is seen as the driver of the narrative. See: www.boydell.co.uk/5566142X.HTM
To order: Quote Order Code: 07331 and
phone 01394 610600 or
fax 01394 610316, or
email trading@boydell.co.uk or
ordering securely on-line: https://clarahost.clara.net/www.boydell.co.uk/emailorduk.htm

Both titles are £50.00 full price so 25% off each is £37.50
Postage: £4.00 (max. of £12.00), rest of world £6.50 per volume (max. of £20.00)

Resources:

Observatory on Inequality in Latin America
Funded by the Ford Foundation, operated from the University of Miami. Website provides information and links, plus discussion board www.miami.edu/observatoryla.

Database of scholars researching on inequality in Latin America and US.
Grants: deadline March 14th, 2008. In addition to three small grants, six institutional grants available to groups of scholars in order to develop data/resources on inequality.
Working Paper series: six working papers available on the portal.
Workshop on Inequality : “The impact of economic inequalities on politics” November 2008, University of Miami.
Contact: Merike Blofield (Project Director) email: m.blofield@miami.edu

Latinobarometro data series via ESDS
http://www.esds.ac.uk/international/news/eventdetail.asp?id=1881
Launched 30 November 2007. ESDS (Economic and Social Data Service) has acquired ESRC funding for a three-year licence to provide access to the Latinobarómetro data series for staff and students within the UK higher and further education communities.

Academic Position/Convocatoria Docente 2008

Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Departamento de Lenguajes y Estudios Socio-culturales

El Departamento de Lenguajes y Estudios Socioculturales de la Universidad de los Andes está interesado en vincular a un profesor de planta de tiempo completo con doctorado, trayectoria investigativa y publicaciones en alguna de las siguientes áreas:

Teoría Crítica y Social
Estudios Culturales
Cultura Visual
Ciencia, Tecnología y Cultura
Psicoanálisis y Cultura

Responsabilidades
Se espera que las candidaturas seleccionadas desarrollen programas de investigación, busquen y obtengan financiación externa para sus proyectos de investigación, asuman labores de docencia en los niveles de pregrado y de posgrado, y participen activamente en las actividades y el desarrollo del Departamento y la Universidad.
Mayor información sobre el Departamento de Lenguajes y Estudios Socio-culturales y sobre la Universidad de los Andes puede encontrarse en http://www.uniandes.edu.co Requisitos académicos Las/os postulantes deben poseer título de doctorado en cualquiera de las disciplinas de las ciencias sociales, las humanidades o en estudios interdisciplinarios.
Candidato/as próximos a obtener el título de doctorado serán considerados con el compromiso de finalizar sus estudios en tiempos convenidos. Es necesario presentar evidencia de publicaciones y participación en proyectos de investigación. La acreditación de experiencia docente es indispensable. Es indispensable el dominio del español y de una segunda lengua.

Posición
El Departamento está interesado en vincular candidato/as en la categoría de Profesor Asistente o Asociado. El salario y la categoría profesoral dependen, en concordancia con los estatutos de la Universidad de los Andes, de la experiencia y hoja de vida. La fecha tentativa de iniciación: Agosto de 2008.

Procedimientos
Enviar al Departamento de Lenguajes y Estudios Socio-culturales los siguientes documentos:

Hoja de Vida.
Copia de publicaciones representativas.
Dos cartas de recomendación académica.
Ensayo, de máximo cinco páginas, acerca de la trayectoria académica, propósitos investigativos y visión de su labor académica en el contexto del Departamento de Lenguajes y Estudios Socio-culturales de la Universidad de los Andes.
Un programa de curso de pregrado en un área de experiencia del candidato/a que coincida con alguna de las áreas para las cuales se abre el concurso.

El comité de selección podrá invitar a los candidatos/as a realizar una presentación pública ante profesores y estudiantes del Departamento sobre su trabajo investigativo y perspectivas académicas.

La fecha límite para la entrega de documentos: febrero 15 de 2008.

La convocatoria puede ser declarada desierta.

El envío de los documentos requeridos se hará a la siguiente dirección:

María Mercedes Gómez
Directora
Departamento de Lenguajes y Estudios Socio-culturales Carrera 1E No. 18A-10, Edificio Franco Piso 4 Bogotá, Colombia La documentación también puede ser remitida electrónicamente a la siguiente dirección: llatorre@uniandes.edu.co

NEW Book Series on Latin American Research

From 2008, the Bulletin of Latin American Research will also publish a book series, interdisciplinary in theme and complementing the wide scope of the Bulletin itself. We are looking to publish some of the most exciting, innovatory work currently being undertaken on Latin America. We anticipate that many of the proposals will be for edited collections, but also welcome genuinely interdisciplinary single-authored or jointly-authored books. One book a year will be published in the first instance, but this is likely to expand in the future.

About the Bulletin
The Bulletin of Latin American Research publishes original research of current interest on Latin America, the Caribbean, inter-American relations and the Latin American Diaspora from all academic disciplines within the social sciences, history and cultural studies. In addition to research articles, the journal also includes a Debates section, which carries 'state-of-the-art' reviews of work on particular topics by leading scholars in the field. The Bulletin also publishes a substantial section of book reviews, aiming to cover publications in English, Spanish and Portuguese, both recent works and classics of the past revisited.

Interested in submitting a proposal?
Please send your proposal as an email attachment in Word to blar@liv.ac.uk and mail a paper copy to:

The Editorial Assistant, Bulletin of Latin American Research,
School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies,
University of Liverpool,
86 Bedford Street South,
Liverpool, L69 7WW

More Information
For more information on the new book series, including what information to include in your proposal click here, or visit the Bulletin of Latin American Research journal homepage for further information on the Bulletin.

Announcing Wiley-Blackwell
Blackwell Publishing was acquired by John Wiley & Sons in February 2007. Together, these two companies publish more than 1,400 scholarly peer-reviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal. Blackwell's publishing programme is being merged with Wiley's global Scientific, Technical and Medical business to form Wiley-Blackwell. Learn more about Wiley-Blackwell now.

Visit our Help page to find information on ordering, shipping/returns, your account, journal subscriptions, mailing lists and RSS feeds. You may also visit our Contact Us page to find a contact for additional assistance with a related product or service.
John Wiley & Sons Ltd. | The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1243 779777 | Fax: +44 (0)1243 775878 | Registered Number: 641132 England

University Of Nottingham Department of Hispanic & Latin American Studies: Cuba Research Forum

The Cuba Research Forum is pleased to announce its annual Postgraduate Workshop on Research on Cuba for 2007-8. It will take place on:

Wednesday 13 February 2008
11.00-5.00
in Florence Boot Hall,
University of Nottingham,
University Park Campus.

It will consist of two parts:

an exchange of information and experiences;
a session on ‘Cuban responses to research on Cuba’.

These workshops are open to all UK-based postgraduates working on Cuban topics, but are especially designed to help those who may not have a Cuba specialist as supervisor or whose university library may not have much in the way of specialist resources on Cuba. In the past, they have focussed on subjects such as interviewing in Cuba, Cuba resources in the UK, theory and practice in Cuba; this
year's workshop will have a special focus on preparing for, and coping with, Cuban responses to outsiders undertaking research on Cuba or Cubans. That part of the workshop will be led by Anne Luke (Wolverhampton) and Kathy Riley (Sussex), both of whom have participated in previous workshops (and therefore know what postgraduates working on Cuba need), have had to deal with Cuban reactions
to their particular research topics, and have either just completed or are writing up their theses.

This session will take place in the afternoon. However, the morning and first part of the afternoon will be devoted, as before, to a 'poster' session by all the participating postgraduates. This consists of students bringing along details of their projects (either in visual form, i.e. a poster, or as a very short, 10-minute, oral presentation), outlining especially:

what stage they have reached in their research/project trajectory and plans
what problems and obstacles they are encountering or expect to encounter
and those aspects or questions on which they need advice.

The focus in this part of the workshop is always on students helping each other on the basis of their experience (since postgraduates participating will include those just starting out and those in a more
advanced stage of their research, those who have not yet been to Cuba and those who have), together with advice from academics whop are also attending.

The workshop will be free, and lunch will be provided. The workshop will take place in the Florence Boot Hall, by the Campus's West Entrance, which is where the Cuba Research Forum’s Hennessy Collection is located, as this will allow participants to see what resources there might be of use to them.

We therefore invite all UK-based postgraduates who wish to participate to contact either Tony Kapcia (a.kapcia@nottingham.ac.uk) or Guy Baron (guy.baron@nottingham.ac.uk) by 31 January 2008, as we need to know numbers (for catering) in good time.

SLAS symposia proposals October 16, 2007

1. Adama “Welcome to the Caribbean! The Incorporation of the Caribbean in Latin American Studies to Enhance Understanding and Knowledge of the Continent South America,” n.adama@zonnet.nl
What constitutes the scientific distinction between the Caribbean and Latin America? Is it determined by geography, linguistics or the structure of colonization? This symposium proposes to incorporate the Caribbean in Latin American studies by arguing first, that knowledge of Caribbean social and political structures will enhance the study of the continent in general and will more specific enable scientist to increase insights on colonialism, racism, political populism and violence and second, that the incorporation of the Caribbean will provide more answers of how the continent deals with aspects such as regionalism, the USA, drug - trafficking and poverty.

2. Bowskill et. al. “Gender and Race in Latin American Cultural Production,” S.E.L.Bowskill@swansea.ac.uk
In recent years the boundaries of Latin American cultural studies have widened ever further as globalisation has led the Hispanic world to come into ever greater contact with its neighbours, thus raising questions about group and personal identities. Nevertheless, this contact between cultures actually dates back several hundred years. The papers in this panel examine some of the processes by which personal and group identities are represented in contemporary Latin American cultural production, ranging from questions of gender identity to questions of national and racial identity as different cultures come into contact.

3. Brown, “Informal Empire in Latin America: Commerce, Culture and Capital,” matthew.brown@bristol.ac.uk
This panel will launch Informal Empire in Latin America: Commerce, Culture and Capital (Oxford: Blackwell, 2007), the first in Blackwell’s Society of Latin American Studies book series. Contributors to the book (from the fields of history, cultural studies and literature) will discuss the continuing relevance of the concept of ‘informal empire’ for understanding Latin America’s nineteenth century. They will identify an interdisciplinary research agenda for taking the subject forward. Invited speakers will comment on the originality of the book’s approach and the diversity of interpretations it advances.

4. Butler, M. Gaenger and Gibson “Cosmopolitan conduits - elite notions of progress in Latin America in the long 19th century,” meb54@cam.ac.uk; sg471@cam.ac.uk; ceg45@cam.ac.uk
This panel is interested in examining Latin American elite encounters with European models of knowledge, commerce, government or religion in the period from 1789 to the First World War. We seek to consider these interactions within the context of new transnational approaches and the growing historical interest in the global movement of ideas concerned with improvement, modernization and progress. Papers will include the institutionalisation of Peruvian archaeology in the context of a global scholarly community, Argentine modernisation of 'pastoral' agriculture through the interaction with British technology, and loyalist revolt and re-colonisation in Santo Domingo during independence movements elsewhere in Spain's empire.

5. Camargo, R., “The Actuality of Latin American Critical Thought” pop03rc@sheffield.ac.uk Latin American critical thought has a long and complex history that extends from the ‘integrationist’ thesis of Bolivar and Miranda, through the social radical theory of Mariateggui and Recabarren and the economic dependence theory of Cardozo and Faletto, to the revolutionary political thought of "Che" Gevara, amongst many other theoretical trends. Taking into account such complexity, the purpose of this symposium is to explore and re-discuss different trends in, expressions of, and ways through which critical thought has developed in Latin American intellectual history. Furthermore, the symposium will revolve around the question of the actuality (originality and pertinence) that the tradition of Latin American critical thought could present in the current context of the region.

6. Carpenter, V. “Who are You: Representations of Identity in Latin American Narrative,” V.Carpenter@derby.ac.uk
The forum invites papers in English and Spanish on the representation of identity in Latin American narrative. It is hoped that at least three distinct subject threads will form the basis for individual sessions. This year, a particular attention is paid to transcultural influences in Latin American literature. Cross-disciplinary papers are also welcome. The topics to be covered by the forum include, but are not limited to, the following:

literary representations of historical events which (in)formed Latin American identities
subalternity in Latin American literature
gender issues in literature
intertextual and/or crosscultural analyses

7. Castro et. al., “Environmental and Social Justice in Latin America,” J.E.Castro@ncl.ac.uk
This symposium addresses the problematic relationship between environmental and social justice in Latin America. It will explore the conceptual aspects of this relationship by reference to specific examples arising from ongoing research on a diversity of environment problems in Latin America, particularly ecological distribution conflicts (e.g. around water sources and services, oil and gas resources, etc.), and the social impact of climatic changes (e.g. floods, desertification). We are particularly interested in exploring the difficulties experienced by left-wing thinkers and politicians to harmonize the principles and requirements of environmental and social justice in a context of structural constraints, development needs, and a legacy of relative neglect for the ecological limits of economic growth.

8. Correa, J. and Hernández, F, “Teaching and Learning Music in Latin-American Universities” juanpablo_correa@hotmail.com; fehr1960@gmail.com
At the present time, music departments in Latin-American universities are confronted with curricular reforms and international pressure for professional excellence and versatility. During the past century, advances in general education affected mainly elementary school, leaving further education in music behind. This means that, nowadays, inexperienced academic communities are moving towards an urgent implementation of models that ensure balance between holistic education, musicianship and the exigencies of a flexible labour market. In the context of these new challenges, participants in this panel are invited to contribute to the Latin-American debate about the designing of FE curricula and teaching strategies, on musical theory, musicology, composition and performance.

9. Emmerich, G. “Current Political Processes in Latin America,” gustavoernestoemmerich@yahoo.com
In the last years, the Latin American political landscape has been transformed by the rise to power, through democratic elections, of left-leaning political parties and movements, mainly in South America. Notwithstanding, center or right-wing political parties have also been elected to power, in this case particularly in Mexico and Central America. We welcome papers dealing with issues as:

the state of democracy in particular nations or in the region at large;
current national political processes (including analysis of recent elections);
cross-country comparative political analysis;
hemispheric, regional or sub-regional political international relations and alliances.

10. Fenwick, T. “Does Federalism Really Matter: Institutional Incentives, Electoral Strategies, and Policy Outcomes in Mexico, Argentina and, Brazil,” tracy.fenwick@st-antonys.oxford.ac.uk
The study of Latin American Federalism is a rapidly growing area of research. Recent studies of federalism in Latin America have prioritized the ability of this governing system to provide institutional incentives to key stakeholders at various levels of government, its ability to structure unique electoral strategies, and its ability to determine both public policy and government effectiveness. The main objective of this panel is to unpack federalism in Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil from an institutional perspective in order to understand how it can provide both incentives and constraints to key political institutions in these countries and consequently affect outcomes.

11. Fisher, J. “Positivism, Modernity and Science in Latin America: Mythology and Realities,” fisher@liv.ac.uk
Although it is true that Positivist ideology was spread throughout the world, and, it seems, was of particular importance in Latin America, each country in the region adopted it through different social processes, arising from the particular needs imposed by its historical evolution. The aim of this symposium is to discuss the impact of Positivist ideas in the Latin America of this period, recognising its importance, but also exploring the myths, legends and misconceptions which have been constructed around the topic. It will also seek to revisit the theme in the light of modern theoretical frameworks. Paper proposals are invited from scholars working not only on Brazil and Mexico but also from those interested in the broader question of modernisation in other countries of the region in the late-XIX and early-XX centuries.

12. Gardini, G. And Lambert, P. “Latin American Foreign Policies between Pragmatism and Ideology” g.l.gardini@bath.ac.uk
In recent years several Latin American countries have taken a more assertive stance in their foreign policy at regional and international level, which some observers have seen as indicative of greater regional solidarity and ideological commitment. However, closer inspection reveals a significant degree of pragmatism in the international insertion strategy of many Latin American countries, which undermines the rhetorical aims of regional solidarity. This panel examines this trend through a number of case studies, assessing whether or not it is possible to detect a new common trajectory in the international relations of Latin America. One of the expected outcomes of the panel is a book proposal for a co-edited volume to be submitted to publishers in summer 2008.

13. Goebel, M. “Migration and National Identities in Latin America since Independence” t.goebel@ucl.ac.uk
This panel seeks to bring together papers on the relationship between migrations and national identities in Latin America since independence. Similarly to the United States, whose history has informed most theoretical paradigms on migration, Latin America offers a rich variety of historical and contemporary migratory experiences. The forced passage of Africans, the arrival of Europeans in the Southern Cone and the more recent waves of migration within and out of Latin America are only the most salient of many possible examples, which in this panel will be discussed in view of their impact on Latin American national identities. Papers in Spanish and English are welcome

14. Harris, C., A. Thakkar “Masculinities and Violence in Latin American Cultures” c.harris@liverpool.ac.uk; a.thakkar@lancaster.ac.uk
This is an exploratory and wide-ranging discussion of violence and masculinities in Latin American cultures. Papers might be concerned with questions of masculinity in relation to the representation of political violence, criminal violence, domestic violence and homophobia in a wide range of texts and discourses, including literature, film, poetry, television etc. We hope that resulting debates will engage with the following types of questions: Do Connell’s Gender and Power (1987) and Masculinities (1995) offer us, as he claims in the preface to the latter, a ‘systematic framework for the analysis of masculinities’? Which other frameworks – well-known or relatively unknown – might better inform such analysis and engage critically with Connell’s work? These questions are illustrative of the types of theoretical debates we would like to encourage but they are by no means prescriptive.

15. Howard, “The Banality of Violence in Latin America: Old and New Patterns of Violence, Terror and Fear,” dhoward@staffmail.ed.ac.uk
It has become an almost commonplace assertion to argue that violence and crime have acquired alarming proportions and dimensions in many countries of Latin America. This has led some authors to speak of the ‘banalisation’ or ‘normalisation’ of violence in the region. This panel seeks to unpack these notions of “banality” and how these relate to different expressions of violence. This concern draws (albeit not exclusively) on the notion of “the banality of evil” developed by the German philosopher Hannah Arendt.

Papers are invited to reflect critically and innovatively on violent contexts in Latin America to contribute to debates on theorising violence in the region.

16. Larizza, M. “Social Conflict and Political Change in the Andean Region: the Case of Venezuela” mlariz@essex.ac.uk
Prior to 1989, Venezuela was Latin America’s “near perfect” democracy. During the 1990s, this apparently stable political system went through a process of irreversible crisis and the “puntofijismo” gave the way to the rise of “Chavismo” and the “Bolivarian Revolution”. This panel will feature several Venezuelan experts with different perspectives on the current political, economic and social changes taking place in Venezuela. The contributions will cover a broad spectrum of Venezuelan politics, ranging from historical perspectives on the crisis of the “Punto Fijo” system, the polarization of the Venezuelan society during the 1990s, the political and economic dynamics generating the social programmers (misiones) targeting the lower strata of the population and the democratic credentials (or, conversely, the authoritarian risks) characterizing the ongoing project of constitutional reform.

17. Lievesley, G., S. Ludlam “Continent in Revolt? Analyzing the Pink Wave in Latin America,” S.Ludlam@sheffield.ac.uk, S.Ludlam@sheffield.ac.uk
Neo-liberalism and the Soviet collapse left social democrats and socialists in the developed world in retreat, but in the developing world created pressures and openings for the pursuit of social justice, above all in a Latin America seemingly in revolt against the ‘Washington Consensus’. Hence the symposium seeks papers addressing the significance of the ‘pink wave’ of centre-left and left election victories and revived calls for regional integration; and, secondly, analyses of the different strategies being followed, including the radical approach associated with the ‘Bolivarian alternative’, and more gradualist approaches in some of the continent’s economically most powerful states.

18. Lopez, B., Malcomson, H., Molina, A., “Place and Cultural Practices in Latin America,” Brenda.galvan-lopez@newcastle.ac.uk; hhm22@cam.ac.uk; ahtziri@gmail.com
This panel interrogates relationships between place and cultural practices, such as, although not exclusively, the visual arts, music, dance, popular culture, cultural patrimony, architecture and heritage. How are specific cultural practices (re)produced, and (re) presented through their interactions with both a 'sense' and the 'materiality' of place? Contributions are welcome from sociologists, anthropologists, musicologists, geographers, architects, urban planners and other areas.

19. Mayer, V., “Popular Music and Place in Contemporary Latin America,” violeta@liv.ac.uk
Music is a present element in the life of individuals living as part of communities and nations. Music in Latin America holds a rich variety of expressions originated within and outside the region. In an expansive trend of cultural globalisation, the study of music in its relationship to place and identity becomes a tricky task. This panel invites paper proposals by researchers working in the field of popular music in contemporary Latin America. Special interest is drawn to topics which relate to the complexities of the relationship between music and nation, identity, and memory.

20. Mendoza-Botelho, “Social Change and Citizenship in Bolivia: Using social capital to assess the impact of decentralisation,” mm540@cam.ac.uk
Since its implementation in 1994, Bolivia's decentralisation process has become one of its main intellectual exports of recent times and an emblematic case of institutional transformation in the developing world. Although available political theory provides a good initial framework to understand this process and its effects in Bolivia, it is still insufficient to explain the deep political and social transformations that this country has experienced over the last decade - such as the increasing presence and strength of social movements. The paper will discuss how decentralisation not only altered political structures allowing indigenous and other marginalized group to gain access to political power and social representation, but also how it fostered a new type of citizenship. As part of the dissucussion, notions of social capital will be used to link institutional processes with social change in Bolivia, providing also valuable lessons for other Latin American countries facing similar challenges.

21. Morrison, C., “Rupturing Paradigms: Challenging Genre and the ‘Exhaustion of Politics’ in Contemporary Argentine Productions,” cefm3@cam.ac.uk
Defying predetermined structures, contemporary Argentine cultural productions straddle the boundaries of genre, blur distinctions between artistic and political engagement, and confront power relations embedded within the city. While some changes are more overt responses to Argentina’s economic and institutional crisis of 2001, other shifts appear to critique broader aspects of Argentine society through altering aesthetics, revising urban imaginaries, and reconceptualising socio-political intervention. This panel will explore such ruptures within political, genre, and production paradigms evident in contemporary Argentine theatre, cinema, street art, and literature. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives, we aim to explore patterns and particularities of these cultural innovations.

22. Pérez, M., Pedroza, L., Treviño, G., “Unequal Opportunities in Basic Education in Mexico and the Role of the State,” perez.mariag@gmail.com; gperez@inee.edu.mx; horaciopedroza@hotmail.com ; hpedroza@inee.edu.mx; gtrevino@omnilife.com
Quality of basic education has been a key concern since the 1990s. Expected learning outcomes have not been met particularly by those students who are under the most disadvantaged socio-economic conditions; this seems to be related to an unequal provision of education. This panel will examine the conditions under which basic education is provided in Mexico. Participants will explore the differences in educational achievements and educational opportunities in basic education, analyse the role of the state in reducing or reinforcing educational inequalities, examine educational policies with an equal opportunities perspective and discuss alternatives to address this problem.

23. Preuss, O. and Sitman, R., “Latin American Encounters: an Intra-Peripheral Perspective on Collective Identities and Ideational Trends,” rsitman@post.tau.ac.il; opreuss@post.tau.ac.il
Recent historiography on the construction of collective identities -- national and transnational -- in Modern Latin America has focused on the relationships between the so-called center and periphery, characterised by unequal power relations. Consequently, this scholarship has paid relatively little attention to the significance of real and imaginary encounters within the region, thus neglecting the intra-Latin American context. This panel seeks to shift attention away from the West as the principal identitarian and ideational point of reference for Latin American intellectuals and focus, instead, on the circulation and interaction of people and ideas across national borders and their impact within the continent.

24. Raby, D. and Angosto, L., “Venezuela 1998-20008: A Decade of Revolution,” dlraby@liv.ac.uk; l.angosto@qub.ac.uk.
The first presidential victory of Hugo Chávez took place on 6th December 1998. In less than a decade, the revolution that on that day started to take over institutional power has gone through a constituent period, numerous electoral legitimations, peak internal conflicts, a coup, a shift toward socialism, international successes and belligerent criticisms – among other things. In spite of this apparent turbulence, Venezuela has maintained surprising levels of economic growth and is consolidating its innovative proposals of participative democracy with a project of constitutional reform. In order to shed light on this sui generis process and its present state, in this panel we shall make a balance of a decade of revolutionary governments by analysing different aspects of society during this period. We therefore welcome papers dealing with any area of Venezuelan politics (national and international), economics or culture, especially those which include a temporal perspective (1998-2008).

25. Ramírez, P. And Miller, R. “Business and Management in Latin America,” p.ramirez@bham.ac.uk, rory@liv.ac.uk
Despite the growing importance of the private sector in most Latin American countries since the 1980s, the increasing role played by foreign investors in the region, and the growth of multinational firms based in Latin America itself, themes in business and management have been largely absent from SLAS conferences in the past. Yet how can we understand contemporary Latin America without understanding developments in business in the region? This proposal for a panel at SLAS is intended to try to strengthen UK research on business and management in Latin America. We would welcome papers on any theme in this area. These may include: Latin American business systems; Industry specific studies; Multinational companies and foreign investment; Latin America and international supply-chains and global value-chains; international labour markets; human resources in Latin America; skill formation; privatisation and regulation; business clusters, networks, and organisational learning.

26. Roberts, N., “Music and Literature in Latin America” n.d.t.roberts@durham.ac.uk
The symposium looks at the relationship between musical and literary expression in Latin America, focusing on how both respond to similar cultural questions and can be approached in mutually inclusive critical ways. It examines how the perceived gap between both the production and the study of these two cultural forms can be closed. The panel would address such questions as: literary engagements with music; the study of lyrics as literature; the attempts at ‘musical’ literary texts (e.g., Cortázar, Carpentier); the expression and development of cultural identity through music and literature; comparing music and literature as reflections of postmodernism and globalisation.

27. Rytkönen, P., “Latin America in the Global Food Order” paulina.rytkonen@ekohist.su.se , ulf.jonsson@ekohist.su.se
In the last thirty years many countries in Latin America, in particular the Southern Cone have emerged as important global agro-food powers. Agro-food globalization discloses a dual development on the one hand the Southern Cone has emerged as important agro-food powers, on the other hand there also a number of countries that have left out of this process. The structural transformation does not only redistribute the power within the global food sector but does also affect the livelihood of the rural population in all countries involved in a highly ambiguous way, producing winners and looser.

28. Souto, A., “Constructing Contemporary Mexico,” ana.souto@ntu.ac.uk
The forum aims to cover the following areas:

The role of Felix Candela in the construction of the contemporary Mexican landscape
The impact of Luis Barragán in the international arena of contemporary architecture
The double image of Mexico in 1929: modern but indigenous
The impact of the theories of conservation in the context of contemporary Mexico
Dealing with globalization in Mexico

29. Wade, P. and Figueroa, M., “Sexualities, Race and Beauty in Latin America,” monica.morenofigueroa@nottingham.ac.uk
We welcome proposals for papers that explore how the intersection of race and sexualities relates to such areas as: beauty and embodiment; national, ethnic, gender and class identities; mestizaje and creolisation; temporality and emotions; sexual practices; popular culture.

30. Wilkinson, S. “Cuba’s Health Care System and Overseas medical Aid Programme,” stephen.wilkinson@cubastudies.org
It has become increasingly accepted that one of the most significant achievements of the Cuban revolution is its system of public heath care, which has been characterised also by a willingness to provide aid to other developing countries. In the last four years, thanks to a close alliance with the government of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, the extent to which Cuba has been able to extend this overseas aid has dramatically increased. New initiatives have included ‘Operation Miracle’ a programme of providing free eye-surgery to the poor of the Caribbean and Latin America, the Henry Reeve disaster relief brigade, the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana and, latterly, a new programme of training medical personnel through distance learning techniques. The speakers in this panel are all doing original research into the efficacy and extent of the Cuban health care system and its outreach programme as it unfolds into new spheres and dimensions. The object of the symposium is to critically examine these developments and allow a space for researchers to share data and experiences.

31. Willis, “Placing Neoliberalism in Latin America,” Katie.Willis@rhul.ac.uk
Economic and political changes within the region from the 1980s onwards, have often been discussed within the broad concept of ‘neoliberalism’. While this may be useful for framing shifts in governance, economic structure and service provision, it fails to recognise the ways in which such processes have been implemented in particular places and also how they have been challenged and resisted. This panel welcomes discussions which address these themes through a focus on individual case studies (at national or sub-national level) or comparative research within Latin America.

32. Yaffe, H. And Sánchez-Ancochea, “The Political Economy of Cuban Development since 1990: From the Special Period to Battle of Ideas” Helen.Yaffe@sas.ac.uk Diego.Sanchez@sas.ac.uk
With the 50th anniversary of the Revolution approaching, domestic political economy debates intensifying and the economy recuperating, Cuba has become a focus of renewed attention and analysis. This panel will focus on political economy developments from the 1990s to today. The presenters aim to explore Cuba’s reaction to the crisis of 1989/91, examining changes in its economic management model, the discussion over the future development strategy, the legacy and impact of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara’s radical ideas about transition to socialism and innovations in the agricultural sector. We hope that the panel will bring out the contradictions and coherence between these themes. In addition to the four papers proposed, we are in discussion with several Cuban academics and policy makers who would be interested in participating in the panel, conditional on financial support, as well as with some other potential participants. We hope that SLAS will give us the opportunity to nominate at least one of our Cuban colleagues for its Latin American Scholars grant.

Papers

Campos M., C. “Nationalization Campaign: Prohibition of the German Language in Southern brazil During the Second World War” ccampos@essex.ac.uk
Close, D. “The First Year of Daniel Ortega’s Second Term as President of Nicaragua:

dclose@mun.ca

Garoarsdottir, “Identidad, género, y etnicidad en la literature costarricense”
hjmanzari@gmail.com “A Caribbean at the Margins”
Hoff, B., “Real Queer Heterotopias? Space, Place and Sexuality in recent Brazilian Cinema,” Ben.hoff@liv.ac.uk
Pachón Pinzón, R, “Plan Colombia and the Colombian foreign Action: 1998-2006” rociopachn@yahoo.com.mx

Universidad Y Construcción De La Nación Latinoamericana

Desde los orígenes de las repúblicas latinoamericanas la ciudadanía se constituyó en elemento relevante para la construcción de la nación. Desde esta perspectiva, nos preguntamos ¿cómo la universidad ha contribuido a la formación de un ciudadano comprometido en la construcción de un ideal de nación durante los siglos XIX, XX y XXI?
Objetivo determinar a través de la influencia ejercida por la universidad, el ideal de ciudadano que se quería formar, para responder a la construcción de un proyecto de nación propuesto desde el proceso emancipatorio hasta nuestros días en latinoamérica.