Latin American Studies

This course provides a first approximation to the study of Latin American politics, encompassing a wide range of topics in international relations and comparative politics. Although intended as a survey of main political science debates, the course also imparts basic knowledge about the culture, geography, and history of the region. It therefore follows a chronological ordering of topics to answer questions such as (1) How did colonial history shape politics in the region? (2) How did current national states form and consolidate? (3) How did political regimes and political parties evolve in two centuries of independent history? (4) Why is Latin America, simultaneously the most peaceful region considering international violence, and the most violent at the domestic level? (5) Which are the main challenges to political stability, economic growth, and development? The spirit of the course is  to identify how Latin America can contribute to broader theories as well. 

This course provides a study of Latin American films from the late nineteenth century to the present day and reflects on various political, social, and cultural scenarios of the countries in which these films are set. It critically analyzes the thematic and formal proposals of the films, as well as the aesthetic concepts used in the visual imagery associated with Latin America. The course examines the common problems and historical moments that were projected through film in silent cinema, new cinema of the 1960s and 1970s, and finally, in contemporary works.

The course examines the relationship between the historical, aesthetic, and social dimensions of the Latin American popular music in the 20th century and its impact on Chile today. Topics include: african roots; european heritage; authorial trends.

This course discusses human rights from an historical perspective as well as present day in Chile. It explores the search for truth, justice, memory, reparation, and guarantees of non-repetition after the restoration of democracy. The course reflects on the causes and social consequences of political violence, both during the dictatorship and in democracy, the difficulties in moving towards a more egalitarian and cohesive society, the challenges of the rule of law and democracy, and the main struggles for social justice in Chile today.

This course explores the various processes of participation and the cultural, economic, political and social contributions that Latinos of African origin in Latin America. Topics include: main theoretical methodological trends; Africans and Afro-descendants in historical perspective; contemporary Afro-descendant peoples and communities; Afro-descendant populations-- social subjects and political actors.

Since January 1993, Ciudad Juárez has stood out for the high number of murdered women. It is at the beginning of this decade and in this city that the term "femicide" is generated: the violent death of women due to machismo or misogyny. Through different texts and media students investigate different aspects of this issue, as well as terminology, machismo, the economy, and drug trafficking in Mexico.