New Course

Offered by the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Spring 2001

U.S.-Cuba Relations

LCS 403T CALL#6556

TTH 9:45-11:05

Professor: Margarita Rodríguez Ph.D.

This course analyses U.S.-Cuba relations comprehensively. We will study how the “bilateral” (government-to-government) relation has evolved since 1959. We will also study other types of relations that are important yet do not fall into the “state-to-state” and “national security” logics and sometimes even challenge them. We call this other modality “society-to-society” relations, or relations developed and sustained by non-governmental actors, such as family members whose transactions are based on household strategies of survival, humanitarian groups, and advocacy groups, among others.

We will incorporate several perspectives that are useful for the comprehensive type of analysis we will pursue. These perspectives include realism, interdependence, critical theory, world-system analysis, and the dependency theory, among others.

The course will be divided into six modules. They will cover basic events, policies, and debates related to the development of U.S.-Cuba relations since 1959. The following points summarize some of the aspects to be covered in each module.

· Historical Antecedents Overview of the economic, political, military, and cultural dimensions of U.S.-Cuba relations since the nineteenth century to the thresholds of the 1959 revolution.

• Analysis of major events and processes from 1959 to 1962 such as the process of expropriation and nationalization, rupture of diplomatic relations, economic sanctions, Bay of Pigs, and the Missile Crisis. The rise of a great debate: Are economic sanctions effective as a foreign policy instrument from the U.S. perspective? Does the Cuban government use the economic sanctions imposed as a “political card” for domestic and foreign policy purposes?
• Cuba in U.S. foreign policy from the 1960s to the mid-1980s and the U.S. in Cuba’s restructuring of its foreign policy. Actual and perceived consequences from the two perspectives and policy implications. The rise of a great debate: How independent was Cuba’s foreign policy?
• The exodus Different stages from 1959 to 1999 and the consolidation of migration as the most pervasive issue in the bilateral agenda. The use of migration as a foreign policy instrument on the part of the two governments. The role of Cuban-Americans in foreign policy making (direct and indirect influence).
• Other logics Non-governmental organizations and actors. Transnational politics and transnational household strategies. Acts of defiance to state policies. Actual and potential impact on policymaking.
• Current issues and legal developments New directions of Cuba’s political economy since the collapse of the Soviet bloc. The dollarization of the Cuban economy. Do “mixed corporations” represent a sign of economic liberalization and political decentralization? The “Helms-Burton Act;” its bilateral and international repercussions. The tensions between “real politicks” and “the logic of capital” in current debates on U.S.-Cuba relations.

The syllabus will be posted at the beginning of the semester. Please contact Dr. Rodríguez if any questions: (518) 442-4172