HIST 243 - Sex and Sexuality in Latin America

HIST/LACS/WGST 243 – Sex and Sexuality in Latin America

Prof Trey Proctor
Fall 2026
Class: TTh 3:00-4:20 pm
Office Hours: TTH 1:15-2:45 and by appointment
Office: 404 Fellows Hall
Telephone: 587-5791
Email: proctorf@denison.edu

Course Description

In this course, we will critically examines the social and historical construction of gender and sexuality in Latin America from the pre-Hispanic era through the modern period. Particularly, we will explore the various attempts by the ruling elite to define acceptable and deviant gender roles and sexual identities, how the non-elite resisted the imposition of those elite notions of propriety to create their own codes of conduct, and how those conflicts have changed over time. Moreover, we will survey how historians use issues relating to gender and sexuality – domestic violence, prostitution, homosexuality, transvestitism, sexual desire, birth control, etc. – to elucidate the histories of Latin America.

The class is designed as reading and discussion intensive. The goal is for all of us (students and the professor) to explore how historians have employed sexuality to explore some of the important historical processes in Latin America, to discuss the larger implications of those studies, and to debate whether or not sexualities have history in Latin America (whether or not they change over time). A successful class then relies on students’ informed participation in classroom discussions.

This is a History class, so our focus will be on how historians have used sexuality to understand the past. Once we master that, we can be more presentist and think through how the experiences of people in the past help us think through current realities and perhaps our own personal experiences.

Course Goals:

History is best understood as a conversation between a series of diverse arguments and not the simple rote memorization of names, places, and dates that are so often associated with the discipline. Therefore, the course is designed such that:

• That you become better able to articulate and analyze the various historical forces that shape the lived experience of sex and sexuality in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• To critically examine our notions of sex, sexuality, and gender and more; and, how such ideas intersect with race, class, and place
• That you hone your skills at interpreting historical literature, learning to identify and critique the various explicit and implicit arguments and biases within such sources.
• That you sharpen your skills at expressing your informed conclusions about any topic in written and oral form.

This is very much a “read-y, think-y, talk-y” class. It is structured around giving you interesting things to read, not overwhelming you with other assignments, and finding ways to encourage you to think and talk about the ideas you encounter. Generally, we expect approximately 2 hours of work outside class for every hour in class. Thus, you should expect to spend 2-3 hours preparing for each class session.

For suggestions on how to read a secondary source, look here and here.

Assignments:

Unit Projects –

You will be responsible for three projects (6-page min), during the course of the semester. The projects will be the equivalent of formal historical essays, which will be graded on the thoughtfulness of the historical questions, the argument (thesis) and the degree to which the thesis is supported by cited evidence.

Basic Instructions - Across 3–5 readings per unit (with room to incorporate additional sources), you will develop a defendable thesis, synthesize multiple perspectives, and situate local cases within broader historiographical contexts. You may choose from a range of innovative, nontraditional formats or write the standard six-page interpretive essay as the baseline; in all cases, your work should demonstrate deep critical thinking, careful source use, and coherent argumentation. If you select a nontraditional format, you must include a brief reflection explaining how the format influenced your argument and use of sources.

For full instructions, see Unit Projects. Projects will be based upon the assigned readings and you will be free to select the theme and content of your paper. You are not required to conduct extra research for these paper, but my do so if you wish. The projects should be expansive, trying to draw on as many readings as possible.

Papers must be double spaced, employ Times New Roman 12 point font, have 1 inch margins, and have proper footnotes in the Chicago/Turabian style.

The syllabus has been divided into Three Units (Sex, Conquest, and Colonialism; Sexuality and State Building; and, Revolutionary Sexualities?) and you are required to write one paper on two of those three Units. (First and Second Year Students must to write on Unit One so I have something for midterm grades).

Project Due dates:
Unit One – Friday Feb 20 @ 11:59pm
Unit Two – Wednesday March 25 @ 11:59pm
Unit Three – Monday April 20 @ 11:59pm

Reaction Papers

Throughout the semester each student will be required to submit six reactions papers that respond to a particular day’s readings. You write reactions for any two days from each of the three units in the class (Sex, Conquest, and Colonialism, Sexuality and State Building, and Revolutionary Sexualities?). In addition, please include two questions for consideration in order to stimulate discussion. The purpose of these assignments is to engage the readings prior to class.

Dates Spans for Reaction Papers (2 per Unit)
Unit 1 - Colonial Sexualities - Jan 27 thru Feb 12
Unit 2 - Sex and Nation Building - Feb 19 thru March 10
Unit 3 - Revolutionary and Postrevolutionary Sexualities - March 24 thru April 14

Instructions

Identify a key theme or argument from one or multiple readings for the day and respond to it. What does this idea make you think? How does it engage, alter, reformulate themes we have been discussing this semester? You might identify what you think the single most important sentence in the readings was and then explain why, articulating how it is making you think about our topics.

Response papers must demonstrate that you have fully read, understood or struggled to understand, and thought about the article(s) in question. And, the best response papers will put the reading under consideration in conversation with other readings from the course. Grammar will not be considered, only ideas.

Please use in-text citations (e.g (Proctor, 21)) when necessary.

Grading will be credit/half credit/no-credit. Simply engage the readings and you will receive full credit. The reaction papers should be 1-2 pgs single spaced.

Warning: excellent summaries of the reading can earn no higher than a half-credit for the assignment. You must also find a way to intellectually engage the ideas from the piece.

The reaction papers will be due at 12:30pm on the day the materials you write on are assigned for discussion.

No late Short Response Papers will be accepted. You must complete your paper before we discuss the readings. If you do not, please pick another day to write.

*When you submit papers, please use GoogleDocs or Word. If using GoogleDocs, make sure that you share the item with me as a Commentor, copy the link, and paste that into Canvas. If you do not share the paper with me, I won’t be able to read it and thus it will be considered unsubmitted.. The easiest way to avoid this is to create a folder in your GoogleDrive and share that folder with me. Any subsequent file you save in that folder will automatically be assessible for me.

The days that you can submit reaction papers are marked by (RXN) on the syllabus.

“Where are we now?” Presentations

“Where Are We Now?” Assignment

Course: History of Sex and Sexuality in Latin America

In this team research project, teams of three students will build on our semester’s discussions by investigating the current state of affairs regarding either women’s reproductive rights or LGBTQ+ rights (marriage, adoption, etc) in a Latin American country of your choice. Your team’s tasks will include selecting a country and topic (subject to instructor approval), researching current conditions using web and other sources, evaluating your sources for credibility and bias, synthesizing your findings in relation to class themes, and presenting your results in a 10-minute presentation. Your deliverables will consist of the presentation itself (with visuals), a source list with annotations, and a one-page source evaluation explaining how you assessed the reliability of your materials. To meet the assignment requirements, you must use a minimum of four credible sources.

Presentations will take place on Thursday April 23.

Final Project –

Research Paper

Each student will write an essay on a topic of their choosing related to the topic of Sexuality in Latin America. The paper, 10 pgs minimum, will due on the date and time of the scheduled final – Friday, Dec 18th, 2009 by 4:30pm. The essay will draw from class readings and additional sources. The paper must be based on at least 3 sources (a complete monograph counting as two sources) not included on the syllabus in addition to any pertinent readings from the semester. The essays can either be comparative (comparing two regions, times, etc.) or may focus on a single topic, so long as it relates to sex and sexuality in Latin America. A proposed topic and preliminary bibliography will be due in class on Dec 1, 2009.

Community Engagement Project (CEP) -

The CEP is meant to provide you an opportunity, as an individual or small group, to carry our exploration of Latin American sexualities outside the classroom into the context of our social, political, and academic life here at Denison. Over the course of the semester, as an individual or member of a CEA team, you will select an issue to address, complete research, design and implement your project, and evaluate your team’s effectiveness. The goal would be to find ways to intersect our discussions of sex and sexuality in Latin America with ongoing issues related to sex and sexuality on campus or in our larger community.

These projects can take multiple forms and I am willing to consider “community engagement” broadly. Specific instructions will follow.

Students must decide by Oct 27th if you plan to submit a final paper or to design and implement a CEP

Grades and Grading

Grading is a pedagogical tool. It is meant to signal to students where and how they can improve on meeting the expectations for the assignments in our class. They are not a reflection of ability, character, or effort. My comments on assignments are meant to highlight where improvement is possible on that assignment and should serve as guideposts for future assignments. They are not a road map to earning “A’s.” That may take time and practice. And, I am here to help you in that journey.

I believe strongly in the power of constructive criticism, so my comments will identify strengths I see in a particular assignment but will focus more so on the areas that I see where improvement is possible.

Readings:

The following required books are available in the bookstore: 1) José de Alencar, Senhora: Profile of a Woman, trans. by Catarina Feldman Edinger, (Austin: U of Texas Press, 1994). 2) Catalina de Erauso, Lieutenant Nun: Memoir of a Basque Transvestite in the New World, trans by Michele Septo and Gabriel Septo, (Boston: Beacon Press, 1996).

Participation/Contribution –

Students are expected to attend class, to have completed the reading, and to be prepared to discuss the major arguments and implications of the work. Please bring copies of the assigned readings to class. The instructor reserves the right to give pop quizzes in these discussion sections should they not meet my satisfaction.

Grading

Assignments	Weight
Final Project	30% total (See assignment for breakdown)
Unit Projects	30% (approx 10% each)
Reaction Papers	10%
“Where are we now?” Project	10%
Contribution	20%

Late Assignments

Reaction papers will not be accepted after the day the readings are assigned.

For all other assignments, only those accompanied by a valid excuse (illness with doctor’s note, university sanctioned extra-curricular activity, family emergency, etc.) will be accepted without penalty. All other late papers will be penalized one full letter grade on the day following the due date (A to B) and one third of a letter grade (B to B-) for each day after that. Missed assignments will be assigned a score of zero.

Be proactive, if you think you might need additional time to complete your assignment, talk to me. We can try to work something out.

Attendance

Attending class is not mandatory but is highly recommended. Regular attendance will improve your grade. Attendance will affect your participation grade, and absences will adversely impact your participation: how can you participate in discussions if you aren’t here?

During class: Be on time. Either turn your cell phone off or set it on ―silent.‖ Do not leave it on vibrate. No texting in class. Laptops are not permitted in class, as they tend to distract not only the user but people seated around him or her. Your focus during class should be on the material.

Academic Integrity:

Please do your own work. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any form. The students and faculty of Denison University are committed to academic integrity and will not tolerate any violation of this principle. Academic honesty, the cornerstone of teaching and learning, lays the foundation for lifelong integrity.

Academic dishonesty is, in most cases, intellectual theft. It includes, but is not limited to, providing or receiving assistance in a manner not authorized by the instructor in the creation of work to be submitted for evaluation. This standard applies to all work ranging from daily homework assignments to major exams. Students must clearly cite any sources consulted—not only for quoted phrases but also for ideas and information that are not common knowledge. Neither ignorance nor carelessness is an acceptable defense in cases of plagiarism. It is the student’s responsibility to follow the appropriate format for citations. Students should ask the professor for assistance in determining what sorts of materials and assistance are appropriate for assignments and for guidance in citing such materials clearly.

Proposed and developed by Denison students, passed unanimously by DCGA and Denison’s faculty, the Code of Academic Integrity requires that instructors notify the Associate Provost of cases of academic dishonesty, and it requires that cases be heard by the Academic Integrity Board. Further, the code makes students responsible for promoting a culture of integrity on campus and acting in instances in which integrity is violated. The punishment for plagiarism/academic dishonesty in this class will be a grade of zero for the assignment in question and potentially a failing grade for the course in egregious cases.

Appropriate Use of Course Materials

The materials distributed in this class, including the syllabus, exams, handouts, study aids, and in-class presentations, may be protected by copyright and are provided solely for the educational use of students enrolled in this course.  You are not permitted to redistribute them for purposes unapproved by the instructor; in particular you are not permitted to post course materials or your notes from lectures and discussion on commercial websites (or upload them to a Generative AI site). Unauthorized uses of course materials may be considered academic misconduct.

Disability Statement

Any student who feels he or she may need accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately as soon as possible to discuss his or her specific needs. I rely on the Academic Support & Enrichment Center in 104 Doane to verify the need for reasonable accommodations.

Writing Center

The Center is a free resource available to all Denison students.  Student writing consultants from many majors help writers one-on-one in all phases of the writing process, from deciphering the assignment, to discussing ideas, to developing an argument, to finalizing a draft.  Please visit the [Writing Center Website]{.underline} for locations and hours.

L2 or Multilingual Support

In addition to the academic support services available to all Denison students, students who use English in addition to other languages can meet with Denison’s Coordinator of Multilingual Learning, Kalynda Thayer. If English is not your first or only language, please consider utilizing this resource, which is available to ALL Denison students. Ms. Thayer offers a variety of support for L2 students, including consulting with you about your written language (grammar, syntax, word-choices), strategies to manage your reading assignments, assistance with class conversation and presentations, and to help devising ways to develop and effectively use all your skills in English. You can email her at thayerk\@denison.edu to schedule an appointment.

The course adheres to Denison’s Academic Credit Policy. Significant feedback on writing is a core component of this course. Students are expected to review instructor feedback and reflect on how to incorporate that into their future work. Throughout the semester, students will complete group assignments and they are expected to meet together with their group mates and with the professor for guidance on group projects.

AI Statement

The development of generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Bard are transforming the landscape of higher education. With that reality in mind, here are some guiding principles for the use of AI in our course (other faculty may have different policies, and it is YOUR responsibility to know what each of your professors determine is the acceptable and ethical use of AI in their courses).

• RECOGNIZE that my primary interest is to know what YOU THINK about the materials we have read and discussed. (I don’t care what a computer might produce as representing the “hive mind” or “groupthink” best answer to a question based on what others have written.)

  • AI might be appropriate as a piece of the process of identifying a topic and theme to write your papers on. It might be helpful to identify the author and their historical context to better understand your source(s). But, it should not be used to produce the final product (Please don’t ask AI to “write a paper” for you, you’re only cheating yourself)

  • If you consult AI, Academic Integrity requires that you ACKNOWLEDGE such use to your readers. Do so in a footnote. In a sentence, explain your use of AI and identify the tool(s) you consulted.

    • Do not CITE AI. Citations are meant to identify the work of other humans that you have consulted, and to provide a clear path to your evidence for your readers should they want to consult it themselves. AI-produced information is not reproducible, and thus is not a valid source.

• DO NOT input/upload any personal information to AI. Do not provide your D#, SSN#, Passport#, Slayter box #, telephone number, etc. to AI

• DO NOT UPLOAD any course materials or assigned reading to AI. Doing so may violate the Denison Code of Academic Integrity and Federal Copyright Law.

Statement on Reporting Sexual Assault

Essays, journals, and other coursework submitted for this class are generally considered confidential pursuant to the University’s student record policies. However, students should be aware that professors are not “confidential informants” and thus are required by law and University policy to report allegations of discrimination based on sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, or pregnancy to the Title IX Coordinator. This includes reporting all incidents of sexual misconduct, sexual assault, and suspected abuse/neglect of a minor. Further, employees are to report these incidents that occur on campus and/or that involve students at Denison University whenever the employee becomes aware of a possible incident in the course of their employment, including via coursework or advising conversations. There are others on campus to whom you may speak in confidence, including clergy and medical staff and counselors at the Wellness Center.

More information on Title IX and the University’s Policyprohibiting sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking and retaliation, including support resources, how to report, and prevention and education efforts, can be found at: https://denison.edu/campus/title-ix.