Between Cuba and the US there is a long and deeply felt history of dependence and conflict. After the collapse of the USSR, Cuba entered a deep economic depression and in response, began a decade-long "special period" that has combined new repression with an opening to religious practice, and strong official protection of the social "conquests of the Revolution" with a vigorous popular pursuit of the Yankee dollar. Where is Cuba headed? Can the US do anything constructive at this juncture? This course examines Cuba's relationship with its often troublesome and demanding neighbor to the north, from Jose Marti and 1898 to the present. Materials include journalism, official pronouncements of the Cuban revolutionary regime, travel accounts, polemics by emigres, policy statements of the US government, and a wide range of academic works. In the first week the entire class will meet once for lecture and discussion on Cuba's colonial political economy. In the next ten weeks we will consider ten themes under a tutorial format. In the final week we will discuss the twelfth theme, the future of Cuba, in another meeting of the entire group. Requirements: Students write five-page papers and two-page responses for alternate sessions, for a total of five papers and five responses. In the tutorial session, essays will be read aloud or presented in outline form, then critiqued by the discussant, and then defended. Prerequisites: any course on Latin America or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limit: 10 (expected: 8). Preference given to Political Science majors and seniors. Comparative Politics Subfield This course provides the ideal background for a Winter Study 2002 travel course on the Cuban health care system, pending approval of the latter.