Guatemala is known as a country of dramatic contrasts and this course, which will serve as a pre-requisite for the winter term Guatemala program, seeks to familiarize students with the contextual knowledge they will need to work in this complex society.  The course is designed around the question of what you need to know before undertaking research or advocacy in an international setting such as Guatemala.  Readings, exercises, and discussion will provide a rigorous interdisciplinary introduction to the historical and ethnographic scholarship on Guatemala with a particular emphasis on training students to recognize and master relevant contextual knowledge and specific fieldwork techniques.  Students will learn about the history of Guatemala from the conquest to the present as well as learning to examine the dominant historiographies which have shaped scholars' accounts of that history.  Similarly, the class will provide an in-depth insight into Guatemalan society through a series of classic ethnographic works even as we critically examine ethnographic presumptions and practices.  All students will learn how to evaluate and use maps, field notes, archival resources, and other sources in their own research. Students will be expected to read scholarly work in Spanish where possible.  A final research proposal will be a primary product of the course, and it will be the basis of eight-week independent student work in Guatemala.  Participation by multiple faculty in helping students develop the project proposals will be a key pedagogical component.  All faculty involved will help evaluate the proposals.  Evaluation will also be based on discussion, collaborative work on exercises, and a presentation of the final research proposal. 

Level:  Advanced.