Center for Latin American Studies
Upcoming Events
Fundraiser for Haiti: A Double Feature
The Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Pittsburgh invites you to join us for a Haitian double feature. The event will raise money for Haiti's earthquake victims and increase awareness of the country's history. At 2pm, we will screen the documentary Égalité for All: Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Revolution (2009: 60 Minutes). It details the events of the successful slave revolt through which Haiti achieved its independence and became the first country in the Americas to abolish slavery. At 3:30, Jonathan Demme's The Agronomist (2004: 90 Minutes) will offer an exploration of the complexity of 20th Century Haitian politics through his portrait of Jean Dominique, one of Haiti's most charismatic and iconoclastic Haitian journalists. Join us for one or both movies.
All proceeds will benefit two Haitian aid organizations based locally in Pittsburgh:
· The Functional Literacy Ministry of Haiti (www.FLMHaiti.org)
· Friends of Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti (www.friendsofhas.org)
Additional Donations may be made at both websites.
Date: Friday, January 22, 2010
Time: 2:00-5:30 p.m.
Location: 4130 Wesley W. Posvar Hall, University of Pittsburgh
Suggested Donation: $5.00 at the door
For more information: about the event contact Matthew Casey, mrc30@pitt.edu
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Attention CLAS spring graduates
*** Graduating in April? ***
If you are planning to graduate in April 2010, we encourage you to stop by the office and complete an application for graduation form if you have not already done so. The deadline is January 22, 2010. Late fees will be incurred after that date.
For more information, please contact Julian Asenjo at juasenjo@pitt.edu
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Lecture
"The Politics of a Fortified Landscape: Peru's Lake Titicaca Basin in Late Prehistory" a lecture by Elizabeth Arkush (Assistant Professor, University of Virginia)
Warfare is often considered to facilitate the emergence of large-scale complex polities, both by enabling conquest and expansion over outside groups, and by underpinning political leadership within societies. However, intense warfare also frays social bonds, topples leaders, and entrenches regional political fragmentation. This contradiction is exemplified in the late pre-Columbian history of the northern Lake Titicaca Basin of Peru. While contact period ethnohistories state the region was politically unified under a powerful dynasty of warlords, archaeologically it appears to have remained politically and socially fragmented until the Inca conquest, and even afterward was subject to secession and internal conflict. I argue that this fragmentation was due in part to the inherent defensive strengths of hillforts in the terrain of the high Andes. The political trajectory of the northern basin, which contrasts with the contemporaneous emergence of the Inca state 250 km away, illustrates the critical role fortified landscapes may play in shaping regional histories.
Date: Friday, January 15, 2010
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Anthropology Lounge, 3106 Wesley W. Posvar Hall, University of Pittsburgh
Sponsored by the Department of Anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh
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Amigos del Cine Latinoamericano Spring 2010 Film Series
De Género a Género - From Genre to Gender
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
During our talks to determine the topic of our Spring 2010 series, we at Amigos del Cine tackled the question of gender and sexual identity and their representations in Hispanic-American cinemas. It was immediately clear that it would be an excellent idea: there are scores of Spanish and Latin American films that brilliant apply, twist, or shatter the prism of gender through their images and stories. Yet an unspoken reason to make this our current theme, following that of Genre (our theme for Fall 2009 series), is the curious equivalence in the terms género (genre) and género (gender) in the Spanish language. Even though it might be a case of divergent etymologies, the implications of the very existence of such homonyms raises questions about Hispanic culture's relationship with matters of sex-related self-creation. What is it about our worldviews and our histories that has made us simplify, rather than complicate, our taxonomy of identity? What do we mean when we say "género"? The correspondence, then, extends beyond the linguistic arena, for both concepts (genre and gender) are forever entangled in struggles involving purity, difference, authenticity, prejudice and stereotype. All of the following films represent instances of these struggles, but more importantly, they emerge as opportunities for us to engage in a cross-cultural reflection about our own conceptions and misconceptions, since they all confront us with characters and stories that challenge the idea of a stable, coherent sexuality and wonder, in their own ways, how do sex and gender define us and whether they should define us at all.
Most films will be presented on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. at the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium (except for the following Thursdays: February 4, February 18, and April 8). As usual, we will give a short introduction of the film and after the presentation you are welcome to stay for a discussion.
Some films are adult in nature and may not be appropriate for young audiences.
For more information: amigoscinelatinoamericano@gmail.com, and for updated film titles and descriptions, go to www.amigosdelcinelatinoamericano.blogspot.com
Sponsored by: the Center for Latin American Studies, Department of Hispanic Languages & Literatures, Eduardo Lozano Latin American Library Collection.
Opening the Spring series:
Friday, January 15, 2010
Film: Leonera (Lion's Den) – Dir. Pablo Trapero (Argentina, 2008)
De Género a Género, we present Pablo Trapero's Leonera (Lion's Den), Argentina's chilling entry in the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. It tells the tale of Julia (Martina Gusman), who wakes up in the aftermath of a bloody evening to find herself simultaneously convicted and pregnant. Trapero's sensitive camera follows her as she grows from unwilling and frightened to loving mother in the course of her sentence and the eventual trial that will decide her fate.
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CLAS Conference
2010 Student Conference on Latin American Social and Public Policy
The purpose of this conference is to provide an opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students to present papers, works-in-progress (including term papers, dissertations, and conference papers, etc.), and other academic work with relevance to Latin American social and public policy.
Conference dates: February 19-20, 2010
Location: University Club, Oakland
For more information: http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/clas/events/laspp/lasspform.html
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Comprehensive Immigration Reform Roundtable Discussion
What are the issues? How does this affect Pittsburgh?
What does it mean for health care/my kids' school/the safety of my neighborhood/ unemployment/ taxes, etc?
Featuring:
Judy Berkowitz, Refugee Service Coordinator, Jewish Family & Children's Service of Pgh
Latha Bhagavatula, Operations Manager, SV Temple
Riffat Chughtai, President, PhyzBiz, Inc,
Gabriella Gonzalez, Associate Behavioral/Social Scientist, Rand Corporation
Howie Harris, Staff Director, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania
Lisa Freeland, Federal Public Defender, W. Dist. Of PA
Ira Mehlman, Media Director, FAIR
Linda Morrison, Professor Department of Sociology, Duquesne University
Witold (Vic) Walczak, Legal Director, ACLU
Robert Whitehill, Attorney, Fox Rothschild, LLP
Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Time: 7:30-9:00 p.m.
Location: Levenson Hall, Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Greater Pittsburgh, 5738 Forbes Avenue, Squirrel Hill.
For more information: contact Deborah Fidel at fidel@pajc.net or 412-605-0816
Free and open to the public
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19th Annual Columbia/NYU Graduate Student Conference on Hispanic and Lusophone Literatures and Cultures
Title: "Rooms for Discussion"
Dates: April 2 - April 3, 2010
Rooms for Discussion will experiment with a change from the traditional format of the conference to that of the workshop. To that end, we ask graduate students to submit proposals related to the issues they are researching and concerned about in order to discuss them broadly among peers from different critical backgrounds. We believe this format will allow the participants an active role and will fulfill a basic goal of graduate student conferences: the discussion of our research. We look forward to receiving proposals for topics in Hispanic and Lusophone cultures that articulate various problems in our areas of study.
The workshops will be structured around brief presentations (three pages) that describe the central issues of a research project in progress; these texts will be accessible ahead of time on the conference website. Each presentation will be complemented by dialogue with a pre-assigned respondent who will open the discussion. Participants and attendees will arrange themselves in a circle and there will be plenty of time for exchange. The dynamic of questions, discussion, and suggestions will permit a fluid, open interaction that will give participants the opportunity to present their work more freely.
The assembly of the workshops will be equally open and participatory. We invite you to collaborate through the conference website in two ways. First, you can suggest a topic for a workshop, consisting of a title and an explanation of up to 100 words. Secondly, you can post a 250-word abstract describing the presentation you would like to make in a particular workshop. The deadline for presentation proposals has been extended to February 5, 2010. If you wish to propose a project that does not fit with the discussion topics listed on the conference website, please send it directly to roomsfordiscussion@gmail.com.
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The Yucatec Maya Summer Institute, Summer Intensive Courses in Yucatec Maya
Dates: June 7 - July 17, 2010
The Yucatec Maya Summer Institute offers three courses in modern Yucatec Maya, a living language spoken by one million people living in the Yucatán Peninsula and northern Belize.
Field Study
For too many years the Yucatán has only been known as a vacation spot teeming with beach-goers. Students in the Intensive Yucatec Maya Courses will have the unique opportunity to take a comprehensive look at the Yucatán by visiting a range of important historic and cultural locations. Trips to archeological and colonial sites as well as other Mayan villages are led by Mayan scholars and anthropologists, who will introduce them to the cultural importance of each site. Throughout their stay in the Yucatán, students may use their free time to travel to other areas of interest. Mérida, the beautiful capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, offers its visitors both modern and historic aspects of city life. Mérida is an excellent base from which to explore the Yucatán, close to both Caribbean beaches and Mayan archeological sites. Valladolid is a charming historic city and a wonderful place to be based. The UNO, Universidad del Oriente in Valladolid is a new upcoming university which offers an undergraduate degree in Maya culture and language. Xocen, situated twelve kilometers southeast of Valladolid and about 200 kilometers southwest of Cancún, is located in the milpa area of the Mexican state of Yucatán. Xocen is an ancient town that played a key role in the Caste War and was the original home of the Talking Cross.
Application & Enrollment
Total combined enrollment for all three levels is limited to twenty students, so students are encouraged to apply early. Applications are invited from anyone who wishes to study Yucatec Maya. Application deadline is Friday, March 15, 2010.
For application, contact: The Study Abroad Office, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, FedEx Global Education Center CB# 3130 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3130, Phone: 919-962-7002, Fax: 919-962-2262
For more information: Visit our website: http://isa.unc.edu, (course descriptions) http://studyabroad.unc.edu/programs.cfm?pk=1883 or contact Sharon Mújica at: The Yucatec Maya Summer Institute, Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, FedEx Global Education Center CB#3205, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3205, phone: 919-962-2414, fax: 919-962-0398, email: smujica@email.unc.edu
Sponsored by the Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University
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Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship
Northwestern University seeks applicants for a two-year Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Brazilian or Mexican Studies, beginning September 1, 2010. Recent Ph.D.s (2007 or later) with strong research and teaching experience in Mexican and/or Brazilian studies are encouraged to apply; all requirements for the Ph.D. must be completed before the start date. The successful candidate will be hosted in the department of religion, history, art history, anthropology, or Spanish and Portuguese and will be affiliated with Northwestern's Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program. S/he will teach two courses yearly, and will also present annually at NU's LACS colloquium.
An electronic letter of application, CV, short writing sample, 1-2 page research proposal,
and teaching dossier should be sent to Bianca Ramirez (b-ramirez@northwestern.edu).
Hard copies of these materials, and 3 letters of recommendation, should be submitted to:
Mellon Search Committee, LACS Program, 2010 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL, 60201.
Review of applications will begin January 25, 2010. Please address questions to Brodwyn Fischer (b-fischer@northwestern.edu).
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Program Assistant, U.S. Policy, The Inter-American Dialogue
The Inter-American Dialogue—a leading center for policy analysis and exchange on Western Hemisphere affairs, based in Washington, DC—is recruiting a Program Assistant to work with the Dialogue's President on a series of projects related to U.S. policy.
Responsibilities:
· Maintain correspondence, set up appointments and interviews, and provide administrative support to program activities;
· Organize international conferences and meetings on political and economic developments in hemispheric affairs;
· Coordinate Dialogue projects on U.S. policy in Latin America, inter-American institutions, Brazil, energy, trade, and Latin American economic strategy.
· Assist with developing proposals, managing grants and tracking program budgets;
· Draft reports and memoranda on meetings outside the Dialogue;
· Conduct research on and analysis of key issues in U.S.-Latin American relations.
Qualifications: This position requires a bachelors degree, an outstanding academic record, strong interest in Latin America, competency in Spanish, and exceptional writing, organization, and analytic skills. Attention to detail and strong computer skills are required. Experience working or living in Latin America is highly desirable.
For consideration, please submit your resume, a cover letter and two writing samples in English to jobs@thedialogue.org. If you prefer you may send the materials by fax or mail to Human Resources, Inter-American Dialogue, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 510, Washington, DC 20036. Fax: 202-822-9553. No phone calls, please.
Director of Research, Institute for Women's Policy Research
The Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) seeks an experienced social science researcher with excellent management, program and business development, and public presentation skills to strengthen and lead the strategic growth of its policy research portfolio. Expertise in employment and labor markets, poverty and inequality, or health economics desired. IWPR is a Washington D.C.-based think-tank that conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women, promote public dialogue, and strengthen families, communities, and societies. (See www.iwpr.org for more information about IWPR's mission and work.). Areas of research include Employment, Education and Earnings, Poverty and Income Security, Work and Family Issues, Democracy and Society, and Health and Safety.
For the position summary, desired skills, qualifications, and expertise, as well as guidelines on how to apply for this position, please go to: http://www.iwpr.org/About/employment.htm#staff
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
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If you have an announcement related to a Latin American/Caribbean activity taking place that you would like to share with others interested in the region, please send details no later than Tuesday of the week prior to your event or deadline:
Center for Latin American Studies
University of Pittsburgh
4200 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Phone: 412-648-7392; Fax: 412-648-2199; e-mail: clas@pitt.edu
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