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HIST 452 - Spring 2003
Final Exam

Due date: This is a take home exam. You must turn this in to my office by 4:00 p.m., Friday, May 9, 2003.  If I am not there, please put your test  under my door or give them to the secretary in the department office. You may also e-mail your exam to me, at tcorse@tnstate.edu.

Topic Areas: This exam covers the material from the following lectures:

• Urban Living and The Growth of the Mega City 
• Neoliberalism and The Zapatista Rebellion in Mexico 
• The Environmental Threat - The Amazonian Crisis 
• Santeria and the End of the Cold War in Cuba 
• Mexican Immigration

Readings: The exam will also cover the following readings:

• For the most part, these topics are not covered well in the book. You may want to look at pp. 296-310 for Mexico, 450-455 for Cuba, and 573-577 for U.S. neoliberal policies towards Mexico.
• Theron E. Corse "Revolutionary Spirits: Afro-Cuban Religion in Castro's Cuba" (This is the same thing as the notes for lecture 23 above.)

Structure of the Exam: This is an essay exam. You will have to do two essays from the following list.  In doing an essay, there are certain things you should remember. A good essay will first of all answer the question. Make sure you do address all parts of the question. A good essay is both specific and general: specific in its examples, general in its use of major themes. Finally, a good essay has a definite structure: an introduction, a body with an organization and argument, and a conclusion. So, in doing your essay, you should:

• 1) State you main ideas clearly.
• 2) Give your essay structure. I'd suggest preparing an outline as you study.
• 3) Give specific examples to back up your main ideas.

Essay Questions:

• 1. Why did the Zapatistas (EZLN) revolt in Mexico? What are their basic goals?
• 2. Considering at least three factors, asses the development of Latin America in the later part of the twentieth century and its prospects for growth and development in the future. You may focus on one or two countries if you prefer. Examples of "factors" include environmental issues, political stability, democracy and democratization, economic issues, etc.
• 3. Why has the destruction of the Amazon accelerated since the 1960s, and what are the obstacles to halting that destruction? 
• 4. How have both practitioners of Afro-Cuban religions and the Cuban government made use of Santeria and related religions to confront the difficulties of the economic crisis of the last 10 years in Cuba? (And don't even think of cutting and pasting from my article - I know my own writing and there will be consequences.)
• 5. Compare the Zapatista's (EZLN) analysis of modern Latin America with that of the Liberation Theologians, and the ways that both groups have responded to the problems of modern Latin America.
  

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