Aims

In consonance with the overall aim of the degree offered in the School of Modern Languages, the general aim of this module is to introduce students to understand key historical processes that shape the present of Latin American countries and their peoples. The module will look at history in relation to geography, politics, and socio-economic issues allowing a complex understanding of Latin America. Other aims are to provide a multidisciplinary overview of key themes and challenges in Latin America, to offer different methodologies to understand the region, to provide context and initial knowledge of issues to be taught in other SPLAS modules, and to familiarise students with a wide range of sources and research resources on Latin America.

Outline Of Syllabus

This multidisciplinary team-taught first year module follows a diachronic approach, analysing how history shapes contemporary issues and seeking to debunk stereotypes. Peoples’ strategies and cultural and social tensions are analysed throughout the module. It combines lectures, seminars, teamwork and independent study activities. The first half starts with the study of cultures, places and technologies of Amerindian civilisation before 1492 and the consequences of colonisation. It continues with the analysis of practices, power and agency in the "encounters" of Iberians, Amerindians and Africans during colonial times; and finishes with the study of independence, migrations and nation building. The semester ends with sessions dedicated to Spanish varieties in different areas and the role of schools and language in the new independent nations.

The second half of the module presents a closer look at the political ideas and ideological trends that inspired political and social movements throughout the end of the 19th to the 21st century. It explores the making of Latin America, the tense relationship between Latin America and the US with its economic, social and political implications, social movements, internal migrations and violence, to finish with democratic transitions and the “Pink tide”. The module ends with an exploration of current attempts to overcome major development challenges.


Semester 1:
•       Culture, place and technology of first nations and indigenous peoples before Western invasion.
•       Violent encounters with the West. Spanish and Portugal Colonial expansion to the Americas and life in colonial times.
•       Independence and the challenges of nation building in early Republican times.
•       The varieties of Spanish in Latin America, the impact of the viceroyalties and school and languages in Republican times.

Semester 2:
•       Making and Thinking Latin America: Politics, imperialism and indigenismo
•       The short Twentieth Century: The emergence of “The People” in ideology and politics.
•       From 1950 to 1980: Times of Hope and unrest
•       Military dictatorships and The National Security Doctrine. What Truth Commissions revealed.
•       In search of stability and development: Neo Liberal State reforms for the XXI Century and the Pink tide.
•       Political changes and new challenges for Latin America.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

This is a survey module taught in English with a diachronic approach. Historical circumstances are always brought to the present to make clear connections with their relevance to understand contemporary Latin America. Each topic is dealt with a combination of lectures, assigned readings and guided seminar small group discussions. Readings combine both primary sources and scholarly articles that allow students to go further in their understanding of Latin American societies and cultures. Reading materials are in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The mid-term assessment will help students to be accurate in the definition of concepts, engage with readings, and deepen knowledge of key historical moments. Students will learn to organise their answer in a coherent text and manage time efficiently.


The final assessment, a creative project, aims to help students gain experience in teamwork, evaluate their own performance, create cohesive narratives, be creative in selecting format for presenting results, and managing time efficiently. It is intended to develop initial research and reflective skills, show how to use AI in a responsible way, and be alert and informed of important news in the region.