Latin American politics are a puzzling field of academic study. On the one hand, political discourses and antagonisms are usually very outspoken, be it from activists or from presidents.
Similarly, shifts of regimes and policies seem to have been more extreme than in other parts of the world, as in the case of both neoliberalism and ‘socialism of the 21st century’. On the other hand, political institutions and practices are also heavily influenced by undercurrents that are less visible yet powerful, such as corruption, a lack of trust and loyalty, and weak citizenship and rule of law. The course deals with the causes, consequences and limitations of political turmoil and change in Latin America, with an emphasis on democratization, development policy and mobilization around ‘old’ and ‘new’ social and political issues, such as poverty, human rights and environmental justice. In order to understand recent events, we also need to look at previous developments. The ‘left wave’ of the past decade, which is now ceasing, followed after the neoliberalization and democratic transition in the 1980s and 1990s, which was in turn preceded by developmentalist states and dictatorships. In each of these phases, undemocratic political legacies (authoritarianism, elitism, populism), social and economic inequality, politicized state institutions and dependence on foreign capital produced civic discontent and social mobilization as well as initiatives for more participation or autonomy.
Course lecturer: Dr. Barbara Hogenboom
Tel./mail 020 525 3383 / b.b.hogenboom@cedla.nl
Period: 31 October – 19 December
Time: Tuesday 13:00 – 16:00 hours and Friday 11:00 – 13:00 Course load: 6 EC
+INFO http://www.cedla.uva.nl/30_courses/BA/BA2.html
