The Cuban Revolution: History, Culture, Politics - Ms. Matilde Zimmermann
Semester: Spring
Level: Intermediate
History

Cuba has an impact on world affairs and culture completely disproportionate to its size and population. This is true not only in the political sphere but also in such varied areas as music, sports, and medicine. This course will examine both the internal dynamics of revolutionary Cuba (economic challenges, relations between workers and the State, changes in the family, race relations, art and revolution, the role of youth) and the place of Cuba in the world. After a brief look at the historical background (colonialism and slavery, Jose Martí, the War of 1898 and U.S. intervention), we will consider in some detail the formative years of the revolution, from the 1958 guerrilla war against Batista through the October 1962 Missile Crisis. We will try to understand the reasons for Washington's continuing hostility to Cuba in the post-cold-war world. Students planning to participate in the Sarah Lawrence program in Havana in Fall 2003 are strongly encouraged to take this course, but it is open to all interested sophomores, juniors, and seniors.