Area Politics B (Politics in Modern Latin America)
Faculty
K. Ohgushi
Description
The objective of this course is to introduce students to Latin American
politics. Although the course covers the entire span of the republican era
since the 19 th century, the emphasis will be placed on the contemporary
period after World War II.
Students are encouraged to understand Latin American politics in the context
of socioeconomic change. If time allows, a couple of videos will be shown
so as to facilitate the understanding of the lectures.
The contents of the course will be as follows:
I. Introduction. II. History up to the first half of the 20 th century: from colonial to oligarchic rule; traditional features of Latin American politics; rise of the middle and working classes. III. Populism. IV. Social change in rural and urban areas: rural social change; import-substitution industrialization; internal migration; growing social mobility; change in the Catholic Church. V. Impact of revolutionary movements. VI. The military and authoritarian regimes: types of authoritarian regimes; professionalization of the military; National Security Doctrine; Policies of the military regimes; democratization from authoritarian rule. VII. Politics of human rights: practices and mechanisms of human rights violations; justice and reconciliation after human rights violations. VIII. International relations in the region. IX. Today’s Latin America : economic crisis and neoliberalism; political culture at the turn of the century.