Cursos / 1º Ciclo / Faculty of Law :: International Relations

AMÉRICA LATINA (QUESTÕES POLÍTICAS, ECONÓMICAS E SOCIAIS) - 2023/2024

3º curricular year
Semestralidade: 2nd semester
ECTS: 6

Teachers

Leading Teacher: Prof. Doutora Fernanda Alves
Assistant Professor: Prof. Doutora Fernanda Alves

Class type and School hours

Orientação Tutorial : 1 Horas
Teórico-prática : 2 Horas

Teaching Language

Portuguese

Main Aims/Objectives

This course unit aims at endowing the students the basic knowledge on Latin America, in matters of political, economic and social issues, as well as the comprehension of its position and its international role in today´s globalized world, to define its identity, how it distinguishes itself among other regions and to understand the challenges that Latin America faces, the problems that harass this particular part of the world. The course will emphasize Latin American social thought seeking to understand how perspectives and authors from Latin America perceive their own reality.

Specific Aims/Objectives

The understanding of Latin America´s political, social and economic evolution after the Second World War, in order that students can apprehend the political dynamics involving this region, which means, to study the transition from dictatorship to democracy and from democracy to the recent populist shift.

Skills to be acquired

At the end of the course, students should be able to think critically about key patterns of political, economic and social development in Latin America, regional integration processes and the major issues that characterize the region, situating Latin America within the context of globalization.

Teaching Procedures

The learning methods will be based on students attendance, participation and personal intervention in classes, not only through oral and written exercises, but also through group debates and reflection on specific matters of Contemporary Latin America (Political, Economic and Social Issues), in order to develop students´ capacity to critically analyze and comprehend the issues at stake, and also perform group projects to increase student´s communication and persuasion skills. Texts and important documentation will be supplied on Moodle.

Programme

1. Context: Latin America and Its Relevance
2. Development – Historical Perspective
3. Modernity and Modernization Theory
4. (Under)development and Inequality
5. Coloniality and Decoloniality
5.1. Coloniality of Power, Knowledge, and Being
6. Challenges of Democracy
7. Dictatorships and Resistances
8. Latin America in the International System
8.1. Human Rights and Transitional Justice
8.2. Great Powers
8.3. Economic Integration
8.4. Illegal Drug Trade
9. Conclusion

Evaluation Type

The students will be evaluated according to the General Rules for the Evaluation of Knowledge established by Lusíada Universities. Therefore, it will be taken into consideration the continuous evaluation of the student, namely the presence, the participation, mini-tests and oral presentations.

Teaching Resources

In classes will be used cartographic, audiovisual and informatical means, which are supplied by the University, such as maps, television, video and datashow.

Sustainability Objectives

Keywords

. Latin America
. Politics
. Economy
. Society
. Authoritarianism
. Populism
. Democratization

Main Bibliography

Complementary Bibliography