Dept Sem:Xtian Soc Thought

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

From the troubled Mexican-American frontier to endangered Patagonia, contemporary Latin America is a region rich in both possibilities and challenges. Since independence, it has suffered repeatedly from dictatorships, economic crises, and outbreaks of civil strife. Its many nations have embarked upon a wide variety of political projects aimed at securing democracy and development. They have been tempted by eloquent caudillos and repressed by military juntas, and witnessed economic policies ranging from laissez-faire to import-substitution industrialization. The final decades of the 20th century brought new hopes for many in the region. Military dictatorships, once the dominant form of government, effectively disappeared, and Latin America became an overwhelmingly democratic region for the first time in its history. Market reforms promised to give new dynamism to stagnant economies, generating enough wealth to break the cycles of poverty and crisis. However, secure prosperity remains elusive, and a variety of challenges continue to endanger fragile political gains. Poverty and inequality persist despite economic growth, and the region still wrestles with the riddle of equitable and sustainable development. Corruption and rising crime rates have taken a toll on public morale. And while many marginalized groups have begun to find their political voice and to challenge institutions that reproduce patterns of discrimination and oppression, they have struggled to establish new avenues for participation and representation. This course is an introduction to the politics of Latin America. It will provide students with a strong grasp of the broad social, cultural, economic, and institutional trends that have shaped political events in the region. Students will engage with critical debates about democracy and development, carefully evaluating the costs and benefits of alternative institutions and policies. In addition, they will be encouraged to analyze specific countries, organizations, and conflicts both in class and in written assignments.