BA Archaeology and Anthropology / Course details

Many Latin American countries have substantial Black populations which have been both central to and marginalised by nationalist ideologies. In some countries, 'Blackness' has been officially recognised over the last 30 years in multiculturalist legislation. The module pays some attention to the colonial and 19th- century background, before a main focus on twentieth and twenty-first century social relations involving 'race' and on Black identities and Afro-Latin cultures (including some emphasis on Afro-Latin music). The place of Black identities and cultures national ideologies, politics and social movements is examined and transnational and diasporic dimensions to Blackness and Black culture are included, as is an exploration of the relationship between race, gender and sex.  

The broad aims of the module are to enable a sophisticated grasp of the emergence and current significance of Black identities and cultural formations in Latin American nations.  

At the end of the course, students will:
 

Lectures
Tutorials

• Have a systematic understanding and coherent and detailed knowledge of different theoretical approaches to Blackness and Black people in Latin America; in relation to the broad historical patterns of development of Black identities and cultures in Latin America, from the colonial period to the present day; and in relation to specific topics such as nation-building, race mixture, racism, Black resistance, official multiculturalism, black expressive culture and the intersections between race, gender and sex;

• Apply this knowledge to critically evaluate arguments about a) processes of comparison between Indigenous and Afrodescendant peoples in Latin America; b) the role of ongoing connections with Africa, material and ideological; c) the role of USA as a point of comparison in debates about race in Latin America.  

Bring historical and ethnographic data together in an integrated analysis; synthesize multiple and diverse sources of data; critically assess what counts as evidence for an argument; appreciate the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge.

Distil arguments and data into clear written form.

Synthesize multiple and diverse sources of data; write clear analytical reports; communicate clearly in group contexts; work independently in ways suited to undertaking further training; better understand racial and cultural diversity.

1 x 2000-word midterm essay: (30%)

1 x 2-hour final exam (or 7 day submission if online; max total word length 2000): (70%)

Students will receive written feedback on their midterm 2000-word essay. Throughout the course, students will receive informal verbal feedback in the tutorials and in the lectures. Students are also invited to make office hour appointments with the lecturer to receive feedback and discuss their progress. Students may also request feedback on written examinations.

Andrews, George Reid. 2004. Afro-Latin America, 1800-2000. Oxford: Oxford University Press.  

de la Fuente, Alejandro, and George Reid Andrews, eds. 2018. Afro-Latin American studies: an introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Dixon, Kwame, and John Burdick (eds). 2012. Comparative perspectives on Afro-Latin America. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida.  

Rahier, Jean, ed. 2012. Black social movements in Latin America: from monocultural mestizaje to multiculturalism. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.  

Reiter, Bernd, and John Antón Sánchez, eds. 2023. Routledge handbook of Afro-Latin American studies. New York, NY: Routledge. 

Wade, Peter. 2009. Race and sex in Latin America. London: Pluto Press  

Wade, Peter. 2010. Race and ethnicity in Latin America. 2nd edition. London: Pluto Press.

Moreno Figueroa, Mónica G., and Peter Wade, eds. 2022. Against racism: organizing for social change in Latin America. Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh University Press.  

Whitten, Norman and Arlene Torres, eds. 1998. Blackness in Latin America and the Caribbean. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.  

Information
Length of course: 12 weeks