For nearly half a millenium, Bolivia has been colonized and its resources exploited without benefit to the country's majority indigenous population. An indigenous president has been elected and a new social order is emerging in South America's poorest nation. This course will explore the rebirth of Bolivia under indigenous rule and the evolution of a new, more democratic society. There will be a special focus on indigenous rights, resource politics, US-Boliva relations, and the 'coca question'.

During this course we will:

• meet with Bolivians representing many different views on the political spectrum

• gain insight into the political, economic and social situation in Bolivia

• learn about grassroots resistance to corporate driven globalization and externally imposed economic models

• understand US policies toward Bolivia and the impact of those policies on the Bolivian people

Materials for the course cover a wide range of scholarly research, case studies, personal narratives, documentary films and news reports. Students are encouraged to add to our database of materials by contributing resources of interest to the group.

Grades for this course will be determined by your performance in three areas:

Class Participation

You are expected to carefully read and reflect upon all of the assigned readings before coming to class and come to class each day prepared to discuss assigned readings. We will often begin and/or conclude class with a written 'free write' covering some aspect of the readings. Other assignments will be completed outside of class.

Each student will be asked to prepare one 20-30 minute report on a reading of their choice. Reports should provide a brief outline of the article's key points, as well as two discussion questions (or one experiential activity).

Because assignments are intended to prepare you for constructive contributions to class discussion, assignments cannot be made up. There will be no credit for assignments missed due to absentism.

In some cases, I may elect to add points to the class preparation/participation grade to reflect 'exceptionally' constructive participation (e.g., consistently thoughtful contributions to class discussion). Conversely, I reserve the right to subtract points to reflect substandard classroom behavior (e.g., reading or sleeping in class, chronic tardiness, etc.)

Work in Bolivia

Every student will work under the direction of me, our in-country tour guides and our Bolivian hosts. While in Bolivia, every student is expected to exhibit the following characteristics. I will base my evaluation of your performance based on the following:

With respect to the service projects, you should be

______ Diligent
______ Conscientious
______ Reliable
______ Flexible

With respect to our Bolivian hosts and communities, you should be

______ Respectful
______ Culturally sensitive
______ Adaptable

With respect to other class members, you should be

______ Cooperative
______ Collegial
______ Considerate

In-Country Journal

Reflection is an important component of experiential learning. You will begin your reflective journal during our first week of class and will complete it during our final week in Bolivia. You are encouraged to use your journal to experiment, take risks, be creative. You may, for example, want to draw in your journal, write a poem, add photographs, or paste news articles. This is your creative space to ponder and respond. At the completion of each study or work day in Bolivia, you will be asked to reflect on the activities and experiences of the day. What did you find interesting? striking? disturbing? How do your experiences reinforce, complicate, or contradict your expectations, beliefs, or feelings? How have your previous course readings informed or impacted your experiences?

I will collect and read your journal at the end of our 5 weeks together. Your final journal grade will be based on the following criteria:

• thoughtful, thorough, well-articulated responses to the course readings and discussions

• integration of course materials into personal reflections

• awareness of the opportunities and challenges of international service learning

• intellectual maturity in processing complex and subtle issues from multiple learning environments

~ Nota Bene ~

This course is a work in progress. Please be flexible regarding readings, assignments and activities. We may need to amend the current syllabus based on student interests or unforeseen time constraints. Such flexibility will serve you well during our fieldwork experience in Bolivia.