Women in the History of Latin America

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this Course is the study of the role of women during the different stages of the
history of Latin America, using as a point of departure the Continent’s indigenous cultures, already in
existence prior to any European presence, and on through the colonial period into the first republican
phase, until the twenty-first century is reached. Within this overarching timeline, the set objective, by
means of a careful selection of topics, is to provide an overview of the circumstances and experiences of
women in a range of spatial and temporal contexts, while analyzing their involvement in different social
environments within a multiethnic and multicultural context such as that of Latin America. In this way,
what is registered is an awareness of, as well as an appreciation of, the trajectory of such women as
historical agents, thus counteracting both the subordinate position and the invisibility to which they
have been condemned, not only on the part of hegemonic patriarchy, but also by historiography itself.
Finally, the aim of this Course is to encourage a critical mind-set capable of extricating the role of Latin
American women from a range of ethnic and cultural strata so as to advocate their contribution to
History.

METHODOLOGY
The Course syllabus will be carried through as a result of the complementary interaction of
theoretical and practical class sessions.
Theoretical segment: the explanatory presentation of the syllabus topics, backed up by a range
of didactic material (Power Point, document-based sources, audiovisual sources, etc.)
Practical segment: commentaries on, and debates concerning, the sources to be read, the
bibliography to be consulted, and the varied audiovisual material to be screened, in relation to the
syllabus content.

SYLLABUS
1. WOMEN’S HISTORY AND GENDER HISTORY
Debates and historiographical contributions in recent decades.
Sources and Methodology for the Study of Women.
2. WOMEN IN PRE-HISPANIC AMERICA
Mesoamerica - Aztecs and Mayas: The Legend of the Red Queen of the Mayas. Female occupations
among the Aztecs.
The Andean World: the Incas. The Virgins of the Dwelling of the Sun, of the Acllahuasi (“The House of
the Chosen Women”, the Acllacuna).
3. WOMEN AND THE EUROPEAN CONQUEST OF SOUTH AMERICA
Indigenous Women and the Conquistadors: the Case of ‘La Malinche’ and Hernán Cortés during the
Conquest of Tenochtitlan (Mexico).
Hispanic Women during the Conquest, as reflected in Contemporary Literature. The case of Chile: Inés
del alma mía (Ines of My Soul), by Isabel Allende.
4. THE COLONIAL PERIOD (16th to 18th CENTURIES)
Convent life and writing in the seventeenth century: Sister Juana Inés de la Cruz (Mexico).
The Making of Multi-Ethnic Societies: White Women, Miscegenated Women, Indigenous Women, and
Black-skinned Women.

5. INDEPENDENT OR REPUBLICAN LATIN AMERICA (THE 19TH CENTURY)
Women within the process of Latin American Independence: Manuela Sáenz, “Liberator of the
Liberator”.
Women and Education: North American schoolmistresses in Argentina.
6. WOMEN OF THE 20th AND 21st CENTURIES
Women from other worlds: the immigrants.
Work and Politics.
Culture. Women and Painting: Frida Kahlo (Mexico).