2024-2025 / SOCI0756-1

Latin America: political, economic and social reconfigurations

Duration

15h Th, 15h SEM

Number of credits

 Master in political sciences : general, professional focus in public administration5 crédits  
 Master in political sciences : general, professional focus in European policies5 crédits  
 Master in political sciences : general, professional focus in international relations5 crédits  
 Master in anthropology, research focus5 crédits  
 Master in population and development studies, professional focus North-South cooperation3 crédits  
 Extra courses intended for exchange students (Erasmus, ...) (Faculty of social sciences)3 crédits  

Lecturer

Laurent Delcourt, Bernard Duterme, Melissa Schneider, Frédéric Thomas

Coordinator

Melissa Schneider

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

 


30/9 - Historical, social and political overview of Latin America and the Caribbean


A land of contrasts, Latin America is considered to be the most unequal continent in the world. A large part of its social structures, its conflicts and its place on the international scene are rooted in its colonial and post-colonial history. The introduction will provide an overview of the continent, highlighting the changes and continuities that have taken place to date, and setting the scene for the following sessions.

 

7/10 - Powers and struggles: progressive or reactionary trends?


Several economic, socio-political and cultural groundswells are sweeping across Latin America. Between extractivist euphoria and periods of crisis, shifts to the left or right, integrationist impulses and hegemonic rivalries, the climate is one of democratic instability, violence, emigration and even remilitarisation. Emancipatory rebellions and reactionary mobilisations are adding to the ongoing tensions.

 

14/10 - Land, agrarian policies and the rural world


Many of the social problems facing Latin American societies are rooted in their agrarian past, marked by the private appropriation of land, the preponderance of large estates and the marginalisation of the peasantry. Inherited from the colonial period, the land structure has profoundly shaped social relations and conditioned political dynamics on the continent. Faced with the process of land concentration, however, the rural world mobilised. Access to land would become the main leitmotif of Latin American social - and revolutionary - movements in the 20th century. Agrarian reforms were initiated by progressive governments and plebiscitary regimes. But these reforms also came up against resistance from the elites and a dynamic of counter-reforms. These counter-reforms accompanied the 'conservative modernisation' of agriculture that began in the 1970s.

 

21/10 - The indigenous question: between exclusion and affirmation


The indigenous question remains central in Latin America. Firstly, because the 'first peoples' are an integral part of the region's plural identity, and in several countries - Guatemala, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, etc. - they continue to represent large 'minority majorities', while in others - Mexico, Chile, etc. - they are large 'active minorities'. Secondly, because it is from these populations that rebellions have arisen in recent decades, in the wake of the continent's political and economic liberalisation, which are the bearers of a new 'decolonial' relationship with modernity and calls for a reconciliation of the principles of equality and diversity within national states and the globalised economy.

 


28/10 - Brazil in the 21st century: the trajectory of a continental giant


Brazil aspires to play a leading role on the international stage. A continental giant and exporter of raw materials, it is also a major industrial country and the world's 10th largest economy. However, Brazil remains a land of antagonism and contrasts, where extreme poverty rubs shoulders with extreme wealth. A legacy of history, these disparities have shaped Brazil's socio-political dynamics, and continue to influence its trajectory and development model. In 2003, the arrival in power of Lula, a former worker and trade unionist, raised hopes of more balanced development. But against the backdrop of a serious economic, political and institutional crisis, the victory of the far-right ex-military leader Jair Bolsonaro in the 2018 elections has cast a shadow over the situation. Above all, it is the culmination of a vast offensive by the Brazilian elites against the social, environmental and democratic advances made by the country since the beginning of the 21st century. After this major step backwards, is Lula, back in the presidency since 2023, in a position to change things?

 

18/11 - Extractivism and socio-environmental issues


Rich in natural resources, Latin America has traditionally based its development on the export of raw materials. At the start of the 21st century, in a specific regional and global political and economic context, this strategy is being renewed. Between escaping poverty and falling into a dependency trap, the deployment of public policies and environmental degradation, the promotion of development and the intensification of social conflicts, the results of this strategy continue to be debated, and shed light on issues that are still relevant today and that go beyond Latin America.
 

 
25/11 - Haiti: the challenges and prospects of a Latin American crisis


From natural disasters to political crises, Haiti seems to be sinking into a never-ending crisis, which is the subject of numerous UN interventions. As the poorest country in Latin America, Haiti is an extreme case rather than a special case. In fact, its singularity is part of relationships that affect the whole continent. The current situation and the history of the world's first independent black state represent both a special situation and a marker of the regional situation.

 

2/12 - Fleeing Central America


In Central America, migration is an integral part of life for millions of people. Between 10% and 25% of the national population no longer live at home. And hundreds of thousands more migrants try their luck every year. On arrival, they help their families back home financially, to the tune of an eighth to a quarter of the GDP of their country of origin. Two glaring observations: on the one hand, the lack of democratisation in Central American societies - and the resulting physical, social, environmental and political insecurity - as the primary reason for the need to flee the region; on the other, the conditions of migration itself - between fluctuating migration policies and endemic criminality - as a systemic attack on the integrity of individuals and the right to mobility.

 

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

At the end of this course, students will have a solid overview of the many issues (social, economic, environmental) that cross Latin America.

They will read contributions and debate with the course speakers.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Reading of scientific and grey literature.

Interest in the theme of the course.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

ex cathedra course

8 sessions of 3 hours face-to-face.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course


Additional information:

Face to face

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Platform(s) used for course materials:
- MyULiège


Further information:

Course reading portfolio Latin America ULiège CETRI (Sept-Dec 24) - in french

 

 

1ère séance (intro)

 

2e séance (pouvoirs et luttes)

 

3e séance (terres)

 

4e séance (indigènes)

 

5e séance (Brésil)

 

6e séance (extractivisme)

 

7e séance (Haïti)

 

8e séance (Amérique centrale)

 

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( open-ended questions )


Further information:

In the first session, the supervisors will write major cross-cutting questions. Three of which will be asked on the individual written exam (two hours) in January.

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

Contacts

Melissa Schneider

melissa.schneider@uliege.be

Association of one or more MOOCs