Latin American Studies

How can we explain Latin America’s persistent inequality and uneven development? This course explores the region’s development trajectory in relation to the international economy from the colonial period (c. 1500–1800) to the present. It examines how political, economic, institutional, demographic, and environmental factors shaped — and were shaped by — Latin America’s integration into the world economy. Key themes include: the long-run determinants of Latin American development; the legacy of colonialism and its impact on inequality; the formation of modern states and markets; Latin America’s complex engagement with international markets and institutions; the persistent tension between development efforts and political and macroeconomic instability; Latin America’s industrialization efforts, especially in contrast to the European and East Asian development models; and the evolution of political regimes — from authoritarianism to democracy, through waves of populism and military rule. The course pays particular attention to the interaction between policy choices, political culture, and economic outcomes, exploring their short- and long-term effects on poverty, inequality, and prospects for sustainable development. Due to its interdisciplinary nature, the course will appeal to students in Economic History, Economics, International History, Political Science, Development, and International Relations.

This introductory course analyzes the elements have shaped identity and culture in Mexico throughout history, as well as the values that various artistic expressions developed over time.  The course aims to:

1. Discover the historical development of the configuration of identities in Mexican culture, through the concepts of art, crafts, artist, craftsman, cutlure, folklore, acculturation and transculturation.
2. Distinguish artisan production and culinary culture and its connection with local and regional identities.
3. Distinguish particular processes of aesthetic production in visual culture, architecture and Mexican design in their historical context.
4. Explore the evolution of photography, film, and the media in Mexico, as well as its historical contribution to the development of gender, race and class identities. 

This course studies the relationship between states and social movements in Latin America. First, it provides an overview of Latin America at the beginning of the 21st century, with some of the strong political changes that mark the first decades of the century. It then talks more specifically about the political intermediaries that were multiplied or imposed within the framework of these changes, before studying further precisely some of the most important mobilizations of the period contemporary such as feminist mobilizations, indigenous peoples, or against megaprojects. Thus, it considers the different forms and repertoires that these movements use to oppose the public policies of their governments. The multiplicity of these forms provide an overview of the actions of protest in the American subcontinent to the most contemporary period.

This is course provides a broad context of the history of Mexico from the Revolution to the present day, highlighting the conformation of Mexican national identity from these events.  The course analyzes and evaluates the social, economic, political, and cultural processes of Mexico since the Revolution, fostering an appreciation for the historical importance of modern and contemporary Mexico.

This course provides a historical-conceptual understanding of campesino movements in Latin America and the contexts of the geographies in which they arise. The course is guided by three key units including land, territory, and life, each of which provides a sophisticated understanding through reading theory, lecture, group work,
presentations, as well as through hands-on learning in the field with campesinos in Mexico City. 

This course engages with practical and theoretical questions of theater and performance as social practices. By focusing on various theatrical outputs and their reception, paying particular attention to history, politics, national identity, justice and collective memory, this course showcases the importance played by theater practitioners, performers and playwrights in Latin America in terms of validating stories from subaltern groups, including indigenous communities, in relation to power.

2 years of university-level Spanish (or B1 level) is required in order to take this course.

This course covers the history of colonial Brazil to the history of Portuguese colonization in America using historiographical trends and perspectives. Topics include: the Portuguese maritime empire and colonizing experiences, from the coast to the interior and the construction of colonial regions; the colonial city, and power structures and sociocultural dynamics; colonial slave society: ethnic-racial relations; differences and inequalities; pluralities and antagonisms; Portuguese America and the South Atlantic since the Restoration; the construction of Rio de Janeiro as the capital and its articulation with colonial regions; the formation of colonial identities, and history and culture of Africans and Indigenous peoples in the colonial world.

This course offers a historical and panoramic overview of the relationship between music and social and political processes of Latin America from the colonial period until the 19th century, reflecting upon the importance of these musical expressions in considering the possibiitlies of a Latin American identity. 

This course studies the historical processes, trends, and key figures in Latin American education during the 20th and 21st centuries.