BASS Sociology and Criminology

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Latin America is a region of the developing world characterised by major political changes and dramatic political events. It is a region that has undergone a marked process of modernisation, and it has experienced state-led development and neoliberal market reforms. It is a region characterised by structural social contradictions and inequalities. In political terms, the region has significant experience with democracy and democratic innovations. Yet, at the same time, it has also been characterised by the success of populist leaders, and it has suffered from democratic breakdowns and long periods of authoritarian rule. Latin America is an ideal region in which to explorer the major theoretical debates in comparative politics and to observe the current challenges and contradictions that stress contemporary democracies worldwide.  
The course is split into two sections. The first section emphasises the main historical processes that characterize Latin America and the second will highlight the region’s contemporary challenges. More specifically, the first section will examine the main trends of the socioeconomic and political evolution in Latin America from the 19th century until the Third Wave of democratisation at the end of the 20th century. This section analyses the main events that marked the region over the long term (i.e., state and nation formation, socioeconomic modernisation, democracy and authoritarianism) and the region’s enduring contradictions, most notably the pervasiveness of inequality and the challenges this poses to democratic governance. The second section of the course discusses the main contemporary challenges facing the region’s socioeconomic and political development. This section of the course includes topics on democratic representation, populism, political inclusion, civil rights, crime and violence, and sustainable development. Several cases will be used to illustrate the main political and socioeconomic trends in the region. The course builds on the material students encounter in Year 1 and Year 2 courses in Comparative Politics. For example, students will be able to apply the concepts and theories learnt in courses such as Introduction to Comparative Politics, Making Sense of Politics, Politics of Policy Making, Environmental Politics, Politics by Numbers, and Gender and Politics in Comparative Perspective. Students will also develop an understanding of regional variation in political and socioeconomic processes by comparing what they learn in this course to what they have learnt in courses such as Comparative West European Politics, Southern European Politics, British Politics: Power and the State, and Politics & Society in Britain since 1940: from Blitz to Brexit

- Apply concepts used in the study of comparative politics to the analysis of Latin America.
- Explore Latin America's main political events and trends since the 19th century.
- Explore the socioeconomic evolution of the region since the 19th century. 
- Reflect on the contemporary political (e.g. populism, democratic backsliding, polarisation, and political mobilisation) and socioeconomic (e.g. neoextractivism, inequality, poverty) challenges the region faces.
 

The course follows Latin America's political and socioeconomic evolution from the 19th century until the present. The course will apply the main concepts in the study of comparative politics to explore and consider the main trends in the political and socioeconomic evolution of Latin America: state formation; state capacity; civil, social and political citizenship; socioeconomic development; modernisation; breakdown of democratic regimes; transitions to democracy; market reforms; populism; social movements; and party system institutionalisation. The course applies these theoretical notions to different Latin American cases.

30 hours total.

10 x 2 hours lectures and 10 x 1 seminars.

The first half of the module will focus on the political and socioeconomic history of Latin America. The second half of the module will discuss various challenges the region faces in the 21st century.

E-learning will be integrated throughout the module using digital tools and digital library resources.

Identify the main political and socioeconomic trends in Latin America.

Evaluate the trajectory of Latin American democracies and of their socioeconomic development.

Critically assess the various challenges facing contemporary Latin American political systems.

Critically assess the interplay between development and democracy in Latin America.

Explain how various theories and concepts of comparative politics apply to the Latin American context.

Information retrieval and critical evaluation, synthesising materials from a variety of sources.

Capacity to make oral presentations, expository and persuasive writing
 

Online test (120 mins)- 50%

Essay (2000 words) - 50%

Online test- 15 working days. Students will receive a general comment on their performance in class including suggestions regarding areas for improvement

Essay- 15 working days from submission. Students will receive written qualitative feedback and a numerical grade.
Students will be able to submit and receive feedback on an essay plan so that they understand the key issues that should be addressed in each essay topic.

This course will use the following textbook, which is available electronically:

Munck, Gerardo L., and Juan Pablo Luna. 2022. Latin American Politics and Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.