Latin American Studies

This course examines the distribution of land and people across Latin America in the context of the continent's natural geography. It explores the impact of the location of major cities, industrialization, urbanization, rural development, social inequality, and globalization. The course pays special attention to the possibility of the diplomatic and economic integration of the Latin American world. Methodologies are interdisciplinary, with concepts and techniques drawn from sociology, geography, anthropology, and history.

This course discusses state terrorism during the military dictatorship and issues in the quest for truth and justice. It explores the concept of human rights as encompassing issues related not only to political repression but also ethnicity, nationality, socio-economic inequality, and gender. This course studies different cultural products that represent aspects of human rights including: literature; photography; painting; theater; film.

The course discusses political institutions and systems of power in indigenous societies of the Americas. Topics include: power in pre-Hispanic societies-- economic and social aspects, ideology and power, centralized states, and expansionist states; transformations of indigenous power and leadership in modern America; power in hunting and gathering societies; traditional power systems in agricultural and pastoral societies; indigenous power and leadership in contemporary America.

This course studies the colonial history of Latin America during the 16th through 18th centuries. Topics include: America-- the fourth part; population and society; models of political organization; colonial spaces; colonial economy; work and slavery; resistance to the colonial world; religiosity and identities.