Latin American History

A.Y. 2019/2020
6
Max ECTS
40
Overall hours
SSD
SPS/05
Language
Italian
Learning objectives
The purpose of the course is to illustrate the complex history of Latin America since the end of the Ancien Régime to the present day, highlighting the main processes in social, cultural, political and economic institutions of the nineteenth and twentieth century and their connections with the international context.
Expected learning outcomes
The course aims to provide students with the tools to understand, describe and to interpret the political, institutional, economical and social dynamics of Latin America nowadays and with the ability to express clearly and in a correct terminology concepts/notions /institutions.
Single course

This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Lesson period
First trimester
Course syllabus
Course Programme for ATTENDING STUDENTS (6CFU)
A frame about the XIX century: riots for the independence from Spain (1810) and the birth of the independent Brazil (1822), the political instability (the long attendance), the building of new national States, the model of the primary exporter, the liberal era (the so-called British century) with a focus on the relationships with Europe and United States.
The Spanish-American War (1898) and the XX century: the end of the liberal political and economical scheme; the rise of United States as new regional actor and the decline of the British role; the advancing of populism and the relationship among the masses; World War II (the so-called "caesura"), Cold War and its consequences, revolutions and repression in '60s and '70s; new authoritarian regimes; transition to democracy; the neoliberal era in '90s.
The new Millennium: new political leaders, progressive and innovative parties and their final act, the last years.
The lessons aim to analyse the main political and economical changes in institutions and society and to monitor actual dynamics and political evolutions (e.g., elections, migrations, peace process). The students shall study them in recent journal articles and in the documents uploaded on the site Ariel (section Contents, file Materials for attending students).


Course Programme for NOT attending students (6CFU):
The course deals with the following historical periods:
From the middle of the XX century: the advancing of populism and the relationship among the masses; World War II (the so-called "caesura"), Cold War and its consequences, revolutions and repression in '60s and '70s; new authoritarian regimes; transition to democracy; the neoliberal era in '90s.
The new Millennium: new political leaders, progressive and innovative parties and their final act, the last years.
The course aims to analyse the main political and economical changes in institutions and society and to monitor actual dynamics and political evolutions (e.g., elections, migrations, peace process).
The students shall study them in recent journal articles and in the documents uploaded on the site Ariel (section Contents, file Materials for not attending students).
Prerequisites for admission
A knowledge of contemporary history and the correct use of the appropriate scientific language are required. Also the capability to identify connections on the diachronic and synchronic plan between different moments and specific fields of the historical process.

It is mandatory to have passed the Contemporary Histroy Exam.
Teaching methods
Beside frontal lessons there will be seminarial lessons and talks with experts, book presentation with autors and video/documentary projections about the topics covered.
Moreover bibliographical insights will be provided and reading newspapers, scientific magazines will be stimulated in order to to be accostumbred with the latinoamerican reality in general and in particular with the themes dealt during the course.
News will be an opportunity to reflect and deepen during the lessons, as the aim of the course is to understand the dynamics of the contemporary Latin America.
Lessons will be in Italian with some insights in Spanish.
Teaching Resources
References for the final examination:
For attending students (6CFU): Notes, documents and materials provided during the course and, then:
1. Zanatta Loris, Storia dell'America latina contemporanea, Laterza 2017: NEW EDITION; FROM Spanish-American War
2. Nocera Raffaele, Stati Uniti e America latina dal 1823 a oggi, Carocci, Roma, 2009. ONLY THE CHAPTERS NOTED DURING THE COURSE
3. Nocera Raffaele - Angelo Trento, America latina, un secolo di storia. Dalla rivoluzione messicana ad oggi, Carocci, Roma, 2013 SUGGESTED READING OF CHAPTER 5; REQUIRED READING OF CHAPTER 6.
4. Raffaele Nocera and Valerio Giannattasio (eds.), Democrazie inquiete. Viaggio nelle trasformazioni dell'America latina, Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, Milano, 2017, Quaderni/17, e-book in http://www.fondazionefeltrinelli.it/article/ebook-democrazie-inquiete-9788868352714/. COMPLETE READING
5. Documents provided by the professor during the lessons or uploaded on the site Ariel (Contents: Material for attending students). The reading of these documents is essential as they finalize the knowledge about actual events not contained in the books.

References for final examination, for NOT attending students (6CFU):
1.Zanatta Loris, Storia dell'America latina contemporanea, Laterza 2017 (NEW EDITION. Chapters: Premessa, Introduzione e Parte seconda (pp. 121-270).
2. Nocera Raffaele, Stati Uniti e America latina dal 1823 a oggi, Carocci, Roma, 2009: Chapters: Introduzione, Capitoli 5, 6, 7 e 8, Conclusione (pp. 113-212) and Cronologia.
3. Nocera Raffaele - Angelo Trento, America latina, un secolo di storia. Dalla rivoluzione messicana ad oggi, Carocci, Roma, 2013: CHAPTERS 5 AND 6.
4. Raffaele Nocera and Valerio Giannattasio (eds.), Democrazie inquiete. Viaggio nelle trasformazioni dell'America latina, Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, Milano, 2017, Quaderni/17, e-book in http://www.fondazionefeltrinelli.it/article/ebook-democrazie-inquiete-9788868352714/. COMPLETE READING
5. Documents uploaded on the site Ariel (Contents: Material for not attending students). The reading of these documents is essential as they finalize the knowledge about actual events not contained in the books. REQUIRED READING
Assessment methods and Criteria
It is compulsory to register on-line to the exam session via SIFA.
The examination shall be written, and will last approximately 2 hours.
The test will be composed of 2 different parts: the first one consists in 48 closed questions with multiple-choice answers. Students will have to answer at least 36 of them correctly to score 18/30 (each correct answer equals 0.5 points). The second part of the examination entails a series of questions with open answer. Students will choose 4 among the proposed topics. Each answer will be worth from 1 to 3 points.
The final mark of the exam will be determined by the sum of the points obtained in the two parts above described and will be communicated by the professor within 2 weeks. Student can accept or reject it within a few days from the communication. Past the given deadline, the outcome will be recorded (either with a mark expressed in thirtieths, failed or rejected).

Both multiple choice and open questions are designed to verify:
- the knowledge acquired by students on the historical, political-institutional and socio-economic evolution of Latin America;
- if students know how to express the concepts / notions / institutions clearly and precisely;
- if students know how to use the correct terminology;
- if students have the tools needed to interpret, frame and describe past and present phenomena in the Latin American area.

To be considered an attending student, you must not exceed 3 absences. Attending students will be granted an intermediate examination and a reserved final exam.

The program (as described) is valid from the end of the course, which will take place in the 1st quarter, that is to say from the first examination date of December 2019.

IT IS MANDATORY to integrate the textbooks indicated with the material uploaded by the professor on on the Ariel teaching platform, which students can access from the website www.unimi.it. Two folders have been created in the "Contents" section: one with the material for attending students and one with the material for NON-attending students. Each student - based on whether or not they have attended the course - will download the supplementary material.
SPS/05 - AMERICAN HISTORY AND INSTITUTIONS - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Shifts: