POL369 Latin American Politics

POL369 Latin American Politics (POL369B - Spring) 

Credits: 15
Semester: 2

Assessment: Item 1: 30% Essay 1 (1000 words) Item 2: 70% Essay 2 (3000 words)

Module Convenor: Dr Holly Ryan

Students will survey the major theoretical approaches to understanding Latin American politics and political economy. The course will be designed to provide an introduction to the region from the end of the Second World War until the present day. The course aims to put the politics of Latin America in the broader perspective of comparative politics, international relations, and international political economy. It will help students to develop a broad understanding of how contemporary Latin America has evolved since 1945 and to identify and examine the key issues dominating politics in the region and its relationship to international politics and the global political economy. It will deal with major contemporary themes such as neoliberalism and 'post-neoliberalism', social movements, gender and ethnicity, the rise of the new Latin American Left, regional integration, and the relationship between Latin America and the US, as well as other emerging world powers.