Cities, Race and Development in Latin America

3 units

This course offers a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of the Latin American city: its history, development and inherent economic, social, cultural, ethnic, and political tensions. Lectures, readings, and class debates will explore interactions between the materiality and structure of Latin American modern cities and the social and cultural phenomena related to urban life in multicultural societies. Particular attention will be devoted to the effects of internal/external migration, and to the development of public spaces and sites of memory. Patterns of social segregation, marginalization, inequality, and the like, will be analyzed in order to elaborate on the contemporary challenges of the city in a globalized yet traditional world. In addition to the analysis of living, institutional, and commercial spaces, the course will cover social dynamics that break the discipline of the city through different forms of transgression, including crime, informal housing, and underground movements. The goal of the course is to expose students to historical and social developments as exemplified in a variety of urban environments, and to encourage reflection on issues of social justice related to the living conditions of rural, disadvantaged, and indigenous populations. The course will be conducted in English. Mandatory readings will be in English. Additional readings in Spanish will be required for those students fluent in the language. Prereq. None.