Latin America and the Caribbean: Themes, Trajectories and Disruptions

Catalog description

This course explores the world region now known as "Latin America" over centuries, helping students see aspects of the present for which "Latin" is definitely the wrong word. We will examine the diverse political and economic relationships that preceded Europeans' arrival, analyze the complexities of conquest-era texts, learn about Africans' resistance to enslavement, and trace multiple revolutions in the modern period. The course includes attention to current events. For example, we will discuss both the way coca leaf was used by indigenous people going back millennia and debates in the present about what many call the "War on Drugs." Throughout, we will pay primary attention to the experiences of people rooted in the region, including writers, musicians, religious leaders, revolutionaries, military officers, artists, and people who led lives marked by manual labor. Some readings will be available in Spanish, but everything required will also be accessible in English translation. No previous knowledge of the region is required and there are no prerequisites.