Revolution or Reform

Catalog description

It is not enough to ask why governments are overthrown, why a group wants political change, why some political actions fail and others succeed. We need to ask how. The "how" can determine whether there will be a massacre as a penalty for a slave revolt, or whether new laws will finally acknowledge that someone’s pain and existence matters. This class explores revolution, resistance, and reform, three methods to deal with political crisis. We will explore the differences, particularly in terms of advantages and disadvantages, of these forms of political action. Our main region of focus will be Latin America, particularly the history and contemporary status of Haiti.