LATAM
601:Seminar in the Methods of Latin American Studies
LATAM 696: Political Economy
of NAFTA Nations
LATAM 601:Seminar in
the Methods of Latin American Studies
Instructors
Dr. James Gerber
594-5532
jgerber@mail.sdsu.edu
Storm Hall 148
Office hours: Tu 3-4; Wed 2-4; and by appointment
Dr. Ramona Pérez
594-1155
perez@mail.sdsu.edu
Nasatir Hall 333
Office hours: Tu 2-4; Th 11:30-12:30 and by appointment
Course objective
Latin American Studies 601 is designed to introduce beginning students
in the MA program to: (1) social science research; (2) a variety of
resources available locally; and (3) the process of constructing a
valid research question which can be used to create a thesis proposal.
This is an ambitious course. We recognize that
not everyone will be interested in every technique and that the speed
of the course will not be conducive to a thorough understanding of
any of the more technical matters. Once you know what methods you
will need for your thesis, we hope that you will take an additional
methods course which focuses on the techniques and styles of analysis
that will be most useful for you. Our intention is to introduce a
wide variety of methods so that students will develop an understanding
of what is available for use in writing a thesis. In addition, this
course will help you discover your areas of interest and assist in
the development of a thesis topic.
Required Texts
1. Bernard, H. Russell, Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative
Approaches;
2. A course reader;
3. Selected articles to be assigned by visiting faculty;
4. Various internet resources, specified in the course outline.
Grades
Attendance: 10%.
Article write-ups (based articles from the reader and others to be
assigned): 20%.
Projects (statistical analysis, internet based questions, and other):
20%.
Thesis proposal and presentation: 10%
Portfolio: 40%.
The portfolio
A significant share of your grade is based on a portfolio which you
must submit by the beginning of the final exam period (Tuesday, December
20, at 4:00 pm). The portfolio must include a complete record of all
of your assignments, including pieces that you are not expected to
turn in during the semester, such as reflections on the talks by visiting
scholars. Please read the course outline carefully and note writing
assignments that we will collect and ones that we do not collect but
that you should include in the portfolio.
The portfolio is a record of the class. It
should be organized so it reflects the course material and your relation
to it. You must provide a brief statement for each item, explaining
what it is and how it relates to the class and the development of
your understanding of social research methods for Latin American Studies.
There is not a cookbook for the portfolio, and you are encouraged
to find your own style. We are looking for coherence, completeness,
and understanding of the assignments and the readings.
Course outline
What are Latin American Studies and is my research
applicable to this field of study?
Week One - Sept. 6 (Dr. Gerber and Dr. Pérez)
1. Introductions.
2. Course overview.
3. In class exercise: Write out your research interest in the form
of a research abstract. Include research question, geographic locale(s),
and methodology in the abstract. Keep it under 200 words.
4. Library resources (move to Social Science Research Lab, PSFA 140).
Moving from personal interest to research topic:
professionalizing your opinion.
Week Two - Sept. 13 (Dr. Gerber for Cs 1, 2,
and 4) (Dr. Pérez for C 3 and articles)
Readings: Bernard, Chapters 1-4, pp. xviii- 141; articles by (1) Gilbert,
(2) Smith, and (2) Mannon. Do the take home quiz.
1. Looking at datasets.
Measuring inequality: The Gini coefficient.
Introduction to the Deininger and Squire dataset on inequality.
Introduction of the Mexican Migration Project dataset.
Concepts for research.
2. Assignment: (1) Bring the take home quiz
to class; (2) Read the articles by in the reader by Gilbert, Smith,
and Mannon and turn in (double-spaced, 12 point font) answers to the
questions below.
· What is the research question of each article; that is, what
are the authors asking?
· What were their dependent and independent variables?
· What data did they use from other sources and what did they
collect?
· Describe how they used their data to examine their research
question.
3. Refine your research abstract. Conceptualize
and operationalize your research topic outlined in the previous week
(your abstract). Bring a copy to class.
4. Look up the code of ethics on the following
websites. Compare and contrast them focusing on what areas overlap
in all disciplines and where there is difference, what that difference
means in terms of the relationship between the researcher, the subject,
and the audience.
http://www.aaanet.org/committees/ethics/ethics.htm
http://www.asanet.org/page.ww?section=Ethics&name=Ethics
http://www.historians.org/pubs/Free/ProfessionalStandards.cfm
Week Three - Sept. 20 (Dr. Gerber) Readings:
Bernard, Chapters 5 and 14, pp. 143-185, 501-543; Articles on inequality
by (1) De Ferranti, et. al.; (2) Peach and Molina; and
(3) Sokoloff and Engerman.
1. Assignment: For each article, write up one
page describing the use of each of the following.
· The type of data (nominal, ordinal, and interval or ratio);
· The measures of central tendency;
· The measures of dispersion;
· Frequencies;
· Probability distributions:.
2. Core statistical concepts. Statistics lab
in SSRL (PSFA 140): Using Excel to take a closer look at the Deininger
and Squire dataset. Work on the Deininger and Squire dataset on inequality.
3. Due in two weeks: The Deininger and Squire
exercise.
Week Four - Sept. 27 (Dr. Pérez). Readings: Bernard Chapters
6, 7, 8, 9, 10; pp. 189-412; Articles by (1) LeVine, (2) Pérez,
and (3) Ehlers.
1. Written assignment to turn in: Write a summary
of the articles that discusses the methodologies and theoretical paradigms
used as compared to the research question(s).
2. Development of the methodological tools
that are outlined in these sections that are relevant to your research
topic, e.g., open-ended interviews, closed-ended interviews, focus
groups, surveys, participant observation. Bring these with you to
class for discussion. If your research topic does not lend itself
to these methodologies try to conceive of projects that could spin
off of your purely quantitative study. Be prepared to defend your
position that your research does not have a qualitative element to
it.
3. Log onto SDSU website, click on Departments
and Offices, click on Graduate and Research Affairs, click on Research
Administration and Technology Services, and then click on Research
Integrity/Regulatory Compliance. Scroll down to the bottom of the
page and click on Education and Training in Research Ethics. Click
on the Human Subjects Tutorial and take the quiz. Bring in a copy
of the quiz and your passing grade.
The world of numbers: every research project
can be and should be statistically relevant.
Week Five - October 4 (Dr. Gerber). Visit from
INEGI. This class will consist of a presentation (in Spanish) by staff
from the Mexican census bureau's office in Tijuana, (Instituto Nacional
de Estadística, Geografía, e Informática, or
INEGI).
1. Assignment: An introduction to the Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Go to the Website for the
Teaching Resources Depository at http://www.csub.edu/ssric-trd/. Click
on "SPSS Text." This is a short tutorial for teaching yourself
SPSS. It uses an attached data set that is from the General Social
Survey (a large survey of popular attitudes that is given every year
or every other year in the U.S.). You must download the data in order
to follow the tutorial. I recommend that you print out the tutorial.
Work through the Preface and Chapter 1-4.
2. Go to the INEGI Website at http://www.inegi.gob.mx.
Under "Accesos directos" click on XII Censo General de Población
y Vivienda, 2000," and then click on "Tabulados Basicos."
How many major areas of population and housing does the census cover?
What are they? In the year 2000, how many people in Mexico were reported
to speak an indigenous language? How many people in the state of Baja
California? Please bring a typed page to class with your answers.
3. Turn in Deininger and Squire dataset exercise.
Week Six - October 11 (Dr. Gerber) Readings:
Bernard, Chapter 15, pp. 545-612; SPSS text, online at http://www.csub.edu/ssric-trd/,
Chapters 5, 6, and 7 on Crosstabulations, Comparing Means, and Regression
and Correlation.
1. Bivariate (two variables) statistical analysis.
2. Assignment: Turn in your SPSS Output File
with Chapters 1-7 from the tutorial.
Week Seven - October 18 (Dr. Gerber) Readings: Articles by (1) Durand
and Massey, (2) Cerutti and Massey, (3) The Mexican Migration Project,
(4) Huntington, and (5) Smith.
1. Working in teams, complete the Mexican Migration
Project assignment. Be prepared to present and discuss your answers
in class.
2. Durand and Massey describe a number of correlations
and causations between migration on the one hand and a number of different
phenomena on the other. Describe in a sentence or two each of these
relations (correlations and causations) that they hypothesize to exist,
based on either their work or the work of others.
3. Huntington and Smith seem to disagree about
assimilation. Write 1-2 pages describing each of their analyses and
defend one as superior to the other.
Week Eight - October 24 (Dr. Gerber). Readings:
Bernard, Chapter 16, pp. 613-658; SPSS text, Chapter 8 and 9.
1. Multivariate (multiple variables) analysis.
2. In class: The Mexican Census exercise.
Locating the effects of trends on the lived
experiences of populations
Week Nine - October 31. Readings: Articles
on urbanism in Latin America, (1) Murphy & Stepick, (2) Brennan,
(3) Goldstein, (4) Guano, and (5) Harrison.
1. Write an analytic summary of each article that discusses the research
question, theoretical paradigm, methodology, data resources, analysis,
effect or outcome of research, and intended audience.
Week Ten - November 8 (Dr. Pérez). Readings:
Articles that speak to the effects of history on society, (1) Knight
and Coatsworth, (2) Ferguson, (3) Weber, (4) Whisnant.
1. Write an abstract (200-250 words) of each
article.
Invited guests: a selection of LAS faculty
from across the campus.
Note: Weeks 11-13 have invited LAS faculty
from a range of departments. You should write 1-2 pages of reflection
on the assigned readings and the presentation of the guest. (In other
words, 2-4 pages per week.) This will go into your portfolio but you
do not need to turn it in. The next few weeks are relatively easy-start
preparing your portfolio now.
Week Eleven - November 15 (Dr. Pérez)
Readings: To be assigned. Guest speakers from History and Political
Science.
Week Twelve - November 22 (Dr. Gerber) Readings:
To be assigned. Guest speakers from Women's Studies and Sociology.
Week Thirteen - November 29 (Dr. Gerber) Readings:
To be assigned. Guest speakers from Portuguese and Geography.
Final projects and proposed thesis topics
Week Fourteen - December 6. Final projects
I: Preliminary thesis proposals. Presentations and discussion. Each
student has 10 minutes to present their thesis proposal, including
a title, abstract, major questions to be addressed, research methods,
availability of resources, and, if possible, an indication of the
relevant literature. Please see the Guideline for Developing a Thesis
Proposal in Latin American Studies.
Week Fifteen - December 13. Final projects
II: Preliminary thesis proposals. Presentations and discussion continued.
Final exam: The portfolio.
Final exam: Portfolio of work done during the
semester must be turned in no later than the final exam date and start
time: Tuesday, December 20, 4pm.
LATAM 696: Political Economy of NAFTA Nations
Wednesdays: 5:00-7:40, Storm Hall 245
Spring, 2005
Instructor: Dr. James Gerber
Office: SH 148 (I am often found in SH 146).
Phone: 594-5532
Email: jgerber@mail.sdsu.edu
Office hours: Th, 12:00-2:00 and TuWe 3:30-4:30 and by appointment.
Course Objectives
This course is designed to provide students with economic information
and analysis related to the construction of a North American economic
community. It does not presuppose a high level of economic sophistication
on the part of students, but it does cover a number of key economic
concepts and relationships, such as the balance of payments, the role
of exchange rates, international debts and anti-inflation measures.
These concepts are developed in class and through the readings.
After taking this course, you will have a greater
appreciation of the factors that led up to the creation of NAFTA,
the goals and objectives of the three countries involved, current
issues that are unresolved, and the future direction that the three
partners must travel if we decide on a course of deeper integration.
In addition, we will discuss the evolution of development economics,
from a macroeconomic concern to a focus on microeconomic issues of
human development.
Important information
I use the Blackboard website for the class. Please check it frequently
for announcements, due dates, changes to assignments, and to stay
abreast of the course.
Grades: Graduate students
One take home midterm-25%.
Take home final exam-25%.
Notes and questions on each of the readings-25%.
A short (10-12 pages) research paper-25%.
The research paper points are cut into three
steps which will be described in greater detail later in the semester:
a proposal, an annotated bibliography, a first draft, and a second
and final draft.
You must also provide me with a summary of
each set of readings, approximately one page (typewritten) per chapter.
Your summary notes must also include 3 questions for each group of
summaries. The notes may be in bullet format, paragraphs with complete
sentences, outlines, or whatever suits your learning style best. These
summaries should be the notes you take as you read, cleaned up a bit,
and reorganized to make sense of the material. These will make up
a significant part of your overall grade in the course, and will serve
as notes for future reference, including for the midterms and final.
Please make two copies of your summaries and be prepared to turn in
one at the start of the class in which the readings begin to be discussed.
Grading standards
I grade on the following scale: 85-100 A range; 75-84 B range; 60-74
C range; 50-59 D range. Late assignments are penalized. If you miss
an exam, you must provide a legitimate excuse in order to avoid a
failing grade. Plagiarism gets an F in the course.
Required texts
1. A reader that can be purchased at CAL Copy on College Avenue, next
to Trujillo's (the best taquería on College Ave between Hardy
and Montezuma).
2. Chambers, E. & Smith, P. (eds.) (2002). NAFTA in the New Millennium.
3. Davidow, J. (2004). The U.S. and Mexico: The Bear and the Porcupine.
4. Gallagher, K. (2004). Free Trade and the Environment: Mexico, NAFTA
and Beyond.
5. Lorey, D. (1999). The U.S.-Mexican Border in the Twentieth Century.
6. Pastor, R. (2001). Toward a North American Community: Lessons from
the Old World for the New.
Course outline and reading assignments
The outline is approximately one week per topic. I have never been
able to stay on track, however, as I prefer to go at a pace that is
challenging, but that also responds to the class needs. If we need
to take less time or more time, I prefer to do so. For this reason,
you need to stay in touch with the course Blackboard site. Announcements,
changes, and general information are posted there at least once a
week.
The political economy of the NAFTA Nations
Course Outline
Note: NNM is NAFTA in the New Millennium.
PART 1: Introduction and background.
1. Week one: Course introduction and a brief
overview of macroeconomics.
a. National income accounting.
b. The circular flow.
c. Comparative data for the Canada, Mexico and the United States.
d. Fiscal and monetary policies.
e. International economics.
i. Trade and commercial policy.
ii. Exchange rates.
iii. Balance of payments.
f. Anatomy of an international financial crisis.
2. Overview of development economics: Where
it came from, where it is going. Readings: (1) Yergin, D. and Stanislaw,
J. "Tryst with Destiny: The Rise of the Third World," and
"Crisis of Confidence: The Global Critique," in the reader;
(2) Sen, A. "Introduction: Development as Freedom," and
"Chapter 1: The Perspective of Freedom," and "Chapter
2: The Ends and Means of Development" and "Chapter 5: Markets,
States, and Social Opportunity," in the reader;.
a. The rise of development economics at the end of World War II.
b. Changing assumptions and world views.
c. Connecting development economics to individual freedom and capabilities:
the work of Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen.
d. The Human Development Index.
3. International trade, living standards, and
exploitation. Readings: (1) Clement, N.C., et. al. "International
Integration: Theory and Practice" in the reader; (2) Krugman,
P. "In Praise of Cheap Labor: Bad jobs at bad wages are better
than no jobs at all" in the reader; (3) Bhagwati, J. "Wages
and Labor Standards at Stake?" and "Environment in Peril?"
in the reader.
a. Theories of trade: why nations trade and the costs and benefits
of trade.
b. Commercial policy: empirical measurements of trade barriers.
c. Key international economic institutions: The IMF, World Bank and
the WTO.
d. Free trade areas, custom unions, common markets, economic unions.
e. What to expect from a trade agreement: labor and the environment.
PART 2: Canada and Mexico.
4. Canada and the United States (Two weeks).
Readings: (1) Clement, N.C., et. al., "Canada's Economic Development
and Integration," in the reader; (2) Norrie, K., & Owram,
D. "NAFTA and Canada: Economic Policy and National Symbolism"
in NNM; (3) Helliwell, J. "Canada: Life Beyond the Looking Glass,"
in the reader; (4) Nevitte, N., Anderson, L., and Brym, R. "Ten
Years After: Canadian Attitudes toward Continentalism" in NNM.
a. Western expansion and settlement patterns.
b. Canada's resource based economy.
c. The role of infrastructure development.
d. The border matters.
e. Canadian debates and strategies for CUSTA.
f. The US-Canada relationship.
g. The Auto Pact of 1965.
h. Market access, agriculture, and industrial promotion.
i. Culture matters.
5. A brief economic history of Mexico before
NAFTA, 1976-1989. Readings: (1) Lustig, N. "The Genesis of the
1982 Crisis," in the reader; (2) Gerber, J. "Import Substitution
Industrialization," in the reader; (3) Dornbusch, R. and Edwards,
S. "The Macroeconomics of Populism,' in the reader; (4) Yergin,
D. and Stanislaw, J., "Playing by the Rules: The New Game in
Latin America," in the reader.
a. Import substitution industrialization (ISI).
b. The debt crisis and the Lost Decade.
c. Economic populism.
6. Mexico's opening, NAFTA, and the peso crisis.
Readings: (1) Lustig, N. "Life is not Easy: Mexico's quest for
Stability and Growth," in the reader; (2) Gerber, J. "Financial
Crises," in the reader; (3) Moreno, A. "Mexican Public Opinion
toward NAFTA and FTAA" in NNM; (4) Davidow, J. The US and Mexico:
The Bear and the Porcupine, (pages 1-108).
a. The great opening, the end of ISI.
b. US worries and debates: jobs, sectors, environment, democracy,
transparency.
c. Mexico's "Sexenio" Crises.
d. The current account and the balance of payments.
e. The exchange rate system.
f. The peso crisis of 1994.
g. Political instability.
PART 3: The Future of a North American Community.
7. NAFTA and the European Union: Comparisons
and contrasts. Readings: (1) Pastor, R. Toward a North American Community:
Lessons for the Old World for the New, pages 1-93; (2) Overview of
NAFTA by the Institute for International Economics (www.iie.com).
The overview by IIE will be available online sometime in March.
a. The history and structure of the European Union.
b. Political economy differences: NAFTA and the EU.
c. Institutional differences: NAFTA and the EU.
d. The theory of a common currency.
8. The next steps in the formation of a North
American Community . Readings: (1) Pastor, R. Toward a North American
Community: Lessons for the Old World for the New, pages 95-197; (2)
Recommendations from the Council on Foreign Relations: The recommendations
will be available in a few weeks (5-6) on the council of Foreign Relations
website (www.cfr.org).
PART 4: Issues, issues, issues.
9. Migration: The issue from hell. Readings:
(1) Lorey, D. The U.S.-Mexican Border in the Twentieth Century, (pages
1-); (2) Davidow, J. The US and Mexico: The Bear and the Porcupine,
(pages 109-end); (3) Cornelius, W. "Impacts of NAFTA on Mexico-to-US
Migration" in NNM; (4) Smith, J. "Assimilation Across Latino
Generations," in the reader.
a. The border as an area of cultural and historical integration.
b. Demographic facts about migration.
c. The "migration hump".
d. Managing the problem.
e. Mexican migration in comparative perspective.
10. The border: Where integration is deepest.
(1) Lorey, D. The U.S.-Mexican Border in the Twentieth Century, (pages
-end); (2) Carrillo and Hualde, "Third Generation Maquiladoras?
The Delphi-General Motors Case," in the reader; (3) Gerber and
Carrillo, "The Future of the Maquiladora: Between Industrial
Upgrading And Competitive Decline," in the reader; and (4) Anderson
and Gerber, "A Human Development Index for the United States-Mexico
Border," in the reader.
a. Demographic changes, 1950-2000.
b. The growth of manufacturing on the border.
c. Industrial up-grading and technological learning.
d. The role of the maquilas in Mexico's economy.
e. Manufacturing, maquiladoras, and human development.
11. A closer look at Mexico's environmental
record. Readings: (1) Gallagher, K. (2004). Free Trade and the Environment:
Mexico, NAFTA, and Beyond.
a. The debates.
b. Measuring the link from economics to the environment.
i. Environmental Kuznets curves
ii. Scale, composition, and technique effects
c. Is Mexico a pollution haven? Is Mexico a pollution halo?
d. The role of government.
12. Dispute settlement. Readings: (1) Ortiz
Mena, A. "Dispute Settlement under NAFTA" in NMM. (2) Reif,
L. "NAFTA, WTO, and FTAA: Choice of Forum in Dispute Resolution,"
in NNM; (3) Gerber, J. "Different States, Similar Responses:
California, Texas, and NAFTA" in NNM; (4) Prentice, B. &
Ojah, M. "Transportation: Bottlenecks and Possibilities"
in NNM.
a. The various dispute settlement mechanisms in NAFTA: Chapters 11,
19, and 20.
b. NAFTA and the multilateral agreements.
c. Can federalism be a barrier to integration?
d. Trucking and the trucking dispute.
13. NAFTA, CAFTA, FTAA, APEC, and beyond. Readings:
(1) Mirus, R. and Rylska, N. "Should NAFTA Become a Customs Union,"
in NMM; and (2) Smith, P. "From NAFTA to FTAA: Paths toward Hemispheric
Integration," in NNM; and (3) Smith, C. "Dollarization and
Its Alternatives: Currency Arrangements under NAFTA," in NMM.
a. Costs and benefits of a customs union.
b. Is Dollarization a good idea?
c. Brazil, Mexico, and the FTAAA.
Reader Table of Contents
Yergin, D. and Stanislaw, J. (1998). "Tryst
with Destiny: The Rise of the Third World," and "Crisis
of Confidence: The Global Critique." From The Commanding Heights:
The Battle for the World Economy.
Sen, A. (1999). "Introduction: Development
as Freedom," and "Chapter 1: The Perspective of Freedom,"
and "Chapter 2: The Ends and Means of Development," and
"Chapter 5: Markets, States, and Social Opportunity." From
Development as Freedom.
Clement, N. et. al. (1999). "International
Integration: Theory and Practice." From Clement, N. et. al. North
American Economic Integration: Theory and Practice.
Krugman, P. (1998). "In Praise of Cheap
Labor: Bad jobs at bad wages are better than no jobs at all."
From The Accidental Theorist and Other Dispatches from the Dismal
Science.
Bhagwati, J. (2004). "Wages and Labor
Standards at Stake?" and "Environment in Peril?" From
In Defense of Globalization.
Clement, N. et. al. (1999). "Canada's
Economic Development and Integration." From Clement, N. et. al.
North American Economic Integration: Theory and Practice.
Helliwell, J. (2001). "Canada: Life Beyond
the Looking Glass." From The Journal of Economic Perspectives.
V15n1.
Lustig, (1998). "The Genesis of the 1982
Crisis." From Mexico: The Remaking of an Economy, 2nd Edition.
Gerber, J. (2005). "Import Substitution
Industrialization." From Gaisford, J. and Kerr, W.A. (eds.) Handbook
on International Trade Policy.
Dornbusch, R., and Edwards, S. (1991). "The
Macroeconomics of Populism." From Dornbusch, R., and Edwards,
S. (eds.) The Macroeconomics of Populism in Latin America.
Yergin, D. and Stanislaw, J., "Playing
by the Rules: The New Game in Latin America." From The Commanding
Heights: The Battle for the World Economy.
Lustig, N. (2001). "Life is not Easy:
Mexico's Quest for Stability and Growth." From The Journal of
Economic Perspectives. V15n1.
Gerber, J. (2004). "Financial Crisis."
From International Economics, 3rd Edition. .
Smith, J. (2003). "Assimilation across
the Latino Generations." From American Economic Association:
Papers and Proceedings. v93n2. 315-319.
Carrillo, J. and Hualde, A. (1998). "Third
Generation Maquiladoras: The Case of Delphi-General Motors."
From Journal of Borderlands Studies, v13n1. 79-97.
Gerber, J. and Carrillo, J. (Forthcoming, 2005).
"The Future of the Maquiladora: Between Industrial Upgrading
and Competitive Decline." From Miller, V. (ed) . NAFTA and the
Maquiladora Program: Rules, Routines, and Institutional Legitimacy.
Anderson, J. and Gerber, J. (Forthcoming, 2005).
"A Human Development Index for the United States-Mexico Border."
Journal of Borderlands Studies.
