This first year half-module runs in the Spring term and provides an introduction to contemporary Latin America life, offering insights into major trends and processes that have shaped realities in the region from the second half of the 20th century up to the present day. Taught by academics who are experts in different fields, the module brings Latin America into focus through an interdisciplinary lens. As such, you will gain insights into a broad range of studies and concepts, drawn from economics, politics, art history, literature, as well as sociology, contemporary history, and human rights.
Each week’s lecture and seminar provides an opportunity to explore and discuss a specific core topic. These topics will span diverse issues, such as the impact of globalisation and neoliberalism; the struggle for democratisation; the shifting trends of migration; the development of tourism, conflicts over extraction and the environment; among others. As well as engaging with scholarly texts, we will also examine ways that the rich cultural production of Latin America and the Caribbean addresses the topics explored in the module, by engaging with films, documentaries, literature and artworks, including those held at Essex’s unique on campus resource, the Essex Collection of Art from Latin America (ESCALA), which is the largest collection outside Latin America.
You do not need to know anything about Latin America to do this half-module. All you need is an interest in learning more about recent trends and processes that have shaped contemporary Latin American life.
AIMS
The aims of this module are:
• To introduce students to some of the broad social, cultural, economic, and political processes and trends that have shaped contemporary Latin America;
• To introduce students to the ways that artists, writers and film-makers have engaged with these trends and processes;
• To foster understanding about the links between micro-and macro processes and the similarities and differences in the ways they are lived in different Latin American countries;
• To encourage students to think in an interdisciplinary way, drawing on core concepts from relevant disciplines.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this module the student should have:
* An interdisciplinary understanding of core trends and processes that have shaped contemporary Latin America, as well as knowledge of some recent works of art, literature, and film that cast light on the these;
* A preliminary grasp of comparative reasoning and of the links between macro- and micro-processes.