Mid-Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies
Encyclopedia
The Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies (MACLAS) is a learned society
of Mid-Atlantic
region scholars, researcher
s, teacher
s student
s and interested professional
s in all discipline
s and pursuits. This region comprises Delaware
, Maryland
, New Jersey
, New York
, Pennsylvania
, Virginia
, West Virginia
, and the District of Columbia. MACLAS has as its objectives promoting and developing interest in Latin American studies
and affairs. The organization
was founded in Pittsburgh in 1979.
features research
-based panels and a business meeting.
The association publishes news throughout the year and a refereed journal, Latin American Essays, once each year. The journal is a selection of papers presented at the annual meeting and includes papers from a variety of disciplines, including: Political Science
; Anthropology
; Economics
; History
; Language
s and Literature
; and Pedagogy
.
MACLAS also annually awards its Whitaker Prize
for the best book, the Davis Prize for best journal article, and Street Prize for the best article in the journal. In addition, two student prizes are awarded for outstanding papers presented at the annual meeting: the Martz Prize for best paper by a graduate student and the Espadas Prize for best paper by an undergraduate student.
, teaching and research, and to facilitate greater exchange of information
and idea
s.
MACLAS shares the broad purposes of the Latin American Studies Association
and other regional groups but shall not necessarily be bound by their policies.
MACLAS is governed by an Executive Council, elected periodically by its members.
Learned society
A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline/profession, as well a group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies,...
of Mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
region scholars, researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
s, teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s and interested professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
s in all discipline
Discipline
In its original sense, discipline is referred to systematic instruction given to disciples to train them as students in a craft or trade, or to follow a particular code of conduct or "order". Often, the phrase "to discipline" carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order –...
s and pursuits. This region comprises Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, and the District of Columbia. MACLAS has as its objectives promoting and developing interest in Latin American studies
Latin American Studies
Latin American studies is an academic discipline dealing with the study of Latin America and Latin Americans.-Definition:Latin American studies critically examines the history, culture, politics, and experiences of Latin Americans in Latin America and often also elsewhere .Latin American studies...
and affairs. The organization
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
was founded in Pittsburgh in 1979.
Activities of MACLAS
The annual MACLAS conferenceAcademic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
features research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
-based panels and a business meeting.
The association publishes news throughout the year and a refereed journal, Latin American Essays, once each year. The journal is a selection of papers presented at the annual meeting and includes papers from a variety of disciplines, including: Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
; Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
; Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
; History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
; Language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s and Literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
; and Pedagogy
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
.
MACLAS also annually awards its Whitaker Prize
Prize
A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people to recognise and reward actions or achievements. Official prizes often involve monetary rewards as well as the fame that comes with them...
for the best book, the Davis Prize for best journal article, and Street Prize for the best article in the journal. In addition, two student prizes are awarded for outstanding papers presented at the annual meeting: the Martz Prize for best paper by a graduate student and the Espadas Prize for best paper by an undergraduate student.
Purpose of MACLAS
The purposes of MACLAS are to foster and develop interest in Latin American Studies by scholars, researchers, teachers, students and interested professionals primarily located in the Middle Atlantic region, to encourage more effective trainingTraining
The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
, teaching and research, and to facilitate greater exchange of information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
and idea
Idea
In the most narrow sense, an idea is just whatever is before the mind when one thinks. Very often, ideas are construed as representational images; i.e. images of some object. In other contexts, ideas are taken to be concepts, although abstract concepts do not necessarily appear as images...
s.
MACLAS shares the broad purposes of the Latin American Studies Association
Latin American Studies Association
The Latin American Studies Association is the largest association for scholars of Latin American studies. Founded in 1966, it has over 6,000 members, forty-five percent of whom reside outside the United States, LASA brings together experts on Latin America from all disciplines and diverse...
and other regional groups but shall not necessarily be bound by their policies.
Officers and Governance
The officers of MACLAS are elected by its members. The 2009-2010 president is Regina A. Root, associate professor of hispanic studies at The College of William and Mary.MACLAS is governed by an Executive Council, elected periodically by its members.
See also
- Latin American StudiesLatin American StudiesLatin American studies is an academic discipline dealing with the study of Latin America and Latin Americans.-Definition:Latin American studies critically examines the history, culture, politics, and experiences of Latin Americans in Latin America and often also elsewhere .Latin American studies...
- Latin AmericaLatin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
- List of Learned Societies
External links
- MACLAS web site
- The Midwest Association of Latin American Studies (MALAS)
- New England Council of Latin American Studies (NECLAS)
- Pacific Coast Council on Latin American Studies (PCCLAS)
- Rocky Mountain Council for Latin American Studies (RMCLAS)
- Southwest Conference on Latin American Studies (SCOLAS)
- South Eastern Council on Latin American Studies (SECOLAS)
- Directory of Open Access & Hybrid Journals