Contemporary History of Latin America (from 1945)
Code: 106196 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics | OB | 3 |
Contact
- Name:
- David Martinez Fiol
- Email:
- david.martinez.fiol@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
Knowledgement of Contemporary Latin American History (SS. XIX-XXI). It is important to know the precedents and historical foundations of America in the last eighty years.
Mastery of specific concepts to political science: among others those of revolution, populism, caudillism, revolutionary nationalism, national state, oligarchic liberal state, presidentialism, constitutionalism, militarism, neocolonialism, decolonialism, imperialism, indigenism,neoliberalism, extrem-right, drug trafficking.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The subject of Contemporary History of Latin America (since 1945) has like a main objective of showing analytically and critically the recent historical evolution of the notorious Latin America. For this reason, the vision or visions that come from the different periods and events of the various American contexts start from an analytical perspective based on comparative history, and have continued among the different American realities with others extra-American contexts.
Provide the necessary resources and instruments to acquire a solid knowledge of the subject, keeping in mind the different interpretations and the historiographical debates on the political, institutional, economic, social and cultural channels of contemporary Latin America of the period 1945-2023.
Competences
- Assess the social, economic and environmental impact when acting in this field of knowledge.
- Distinguish between and analyse the type of relations that have been established over the last century among the different social, political and economic agents on national, regional and international frameworks.
- Distinguish between governmental decision-making systems in different social and political contexts from the mid-twentieth century to the present day in state-, substate and suprastate frameworks.
- Explain and summarise knowledge acquired in English language at an advanced level.
- Identify the role in the present of the different social memories referring to conflictive pasts, differentiating between the concepts of history and memory.
- Manage and apply data to solve problems.
- Recognise and contextualise texts referring to recent contemporary history.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Work cooperatively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams implementing new projects.
Learning Outcomes
- Analysing the various historiographical perspectives in the different periods of history.
- Applying the necessary abilities in order to assess and spread historical knowledge.
- Assessing and critically solving the historiographical problems of war studies.
- Be familiar with the basic bibliography on historical evolution of governmental systems in the countries of reference for the subject.
- Capacity to continue future learning independently, acquiring further knowledge and exploring new areas of knowledge.
- Communicating in your mother tongue or other language both in oral and written form by using specific terminology and techniques of Historiography.
- Demonstrate capacity to adapt to changing environments.
- Demonstrate initiative and work independently when required.
- Demonstrate motivation regarding the quality of the work performed and sensitivity regarding the consequences on the environment and society.
- Developing the ability of historical analysis and synthesis.
- Distinguishing the relation between historiographical theory and practice.
- Engaging in debates about historical facts respecting the other participants' opinions.
- Express an opinion based on the nature, perspective and rigour of texts referring to the course content.
- Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
- Know different cases of memories in conflict between different places in different states.
- Know different cases of memories in conflict between different places in the same state.
- Make comparisons between the evolution of governmental systems within a supranational regional area.
- Organise work in relation to good time management and planning.
- Recognising and implementing the following teamwork skills: commitment to teamwork, habit of cooperation, ability to participate in the problem solving processes.
- Select and generate the information necessary for each problem, analyse it and take decisions based on that information.
- Understand regional specificities within states.
- Value ethical commitment in professional practice.
- Work in teams respecting all points of view. Use the specific vocabulary of history correctly.
Content
1.- AMERICAN IDENTITIES
A.- A republican continent?
B.- Is there an American identity?
2.- THE CRISIS OF THE OLIGARCHIC STATE AND THE NEW IDEA IDEAS? OF REVOLUTION (1930-1945)
A.- The construction of revolutionary nationalisms: anti-imperialisms, imperialisms and Americanisms
B.- Between the Mexican Revolution and the Bolshevik: Augusto César Sandino, Farabundo Martí and José Carlos Mariátegui. Theoretical precedents of the guerrillas of the 70's and 80's
C.- The first populisms and national-populisms: Yrigoyen, Cardenas, Haia de la Torre. Precedents of the populisms of the 40's and 50's
D.- The national-revolutionary militarisms: from populism to front populism reaching fascism
3.- THE COLD WAR AND THE SPLIT OF NATIONALIST DISCOURSES (1945-1973)
A.- The populist phenomenon: Peronism, Vargism
B.- The "rebellion" of the sergeants: Batista in Cuba and Ibáñez in Chile
C.- The first answer to the sergeants: the Cuba of the bearded
D.- The second answer to the sergeants: Allende or the Chilean way to "socialism"
E.- Liberal pan-Americanism: the Alliance for American Progress
4.- THE MILITARIZATION OF THE COLD WAR (1960-1990): NATIONAL SECURITY STATES
A.- The interventionist tradition of the army: military corporatism
B.- Fascisms or military dictatorships?: the triumph of military-authoritarian neoliberalism
C.- The examples of Pinochet's Chile, the Argentine Juntisme and the Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua
5.- THE END OF THE COLD WAR AND THE DIFFICULT TRANSITIONS TO DEMOCRACY: IS THERE A SPANISH MIRROR?
A.- Argentina: the frustrated experience of racialism as an alternative to neo-Peronism and ultra-right neoliberalism
B.- Chile: the Pinochet transition and the complex constitutional solution
C.- Cuba: the drama of the "special period"
D.- Paramilitarism, civil war and drug trafficking in Central America and New Granada America
6.- THE UNCLASSIFIABLE NEW COLD WAR IN LATIN AMERICA (2000-2023)
A.- The outbreak of neo-populism: the conversion of Peronism to Kirchnerism
B.- The indigenous challenge: multinational constitutionalisms (Chile and Bolivia)
C.- The updating of revolutionary nationalism: Chavista and Madurista Venezuela
D.- The difficult one, is it impossible? pacification of revolutionary guerrillas and drug trafficking (Greater Colombia and Mexico)
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Classroom practices and seminars | 7.5 | 0.3 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 |
| teacher-led classes | 50 | 2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorships | 10.5 | 0.42 | 8, 9, 11, 18, 22 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Personal study and historiographical work | 75 | 3 | 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 11, 13, 18, 22 |
1.- The main monitoring of the subject will be based on two weekly sessions of 1.5 hours where the teacher will disseminate and critically analyze the syllabus presented in the "Contents" section.
2.- The subject presented in the classroom through the teachers' explanations will be complemented by bibliographic material (the books shown in the Bibliography of this Teaching Guide and all kinds of articles delivered via Virtual Campus) and visual (presentations , power points and various images such as posters or photographs).
3.- In turn, the students, based on the preparation of four tests of different characteristics, will be able to demonstrate their degree of competence in the achievement of the knowledge disseminated from the teacher's explanations and the various bibliographic materials and visuals that will have been used throughout the semester.
4.- Obviously, there will be monitoring of the students by the teacher based on tutoring sessions/interviews where the evolution of the students will be analyzed and they will be guided in order to positively lead their academic career in the matter For this reason, students will be able to use the office hours offered by the teacher.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test 1. Bibliographic essay | 15 % | 2 | 0.08 | 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23 |
| Test 2. Written theory test in class | 35 % | 1.5 | 0.06 | 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 20, 22 |
| Test 3. Written essay | 15 % | 2 | 0.08 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22 |
| Test 4. Written theory test in class | 35 % | 1.5 | 0.06 | 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23 |
1. CONTINUOUS ASSESMENT
The basic evaluation process of the subject will be Continuous Assesment. This will be structured around the following four (4) tests:
First Test: bibliographic essay based on books, book chapters and specialized articles, written by specialists in the field, on a topic framed in the period 1945-2023 in Latin America or in relation to this geographical framework.
The basic characteristics of this test and its delivery will be determined, at the beginning of the course and through the Virtual Campus of the subject, by the teacher who teaches the subject.
Its numerical value corresponds to 15% of the final grade for the subject.
Second Test: written test (exam format) that will cover approximately the first part of the subject's syllabus.
The essential material to work and prepare for this test will be made up of the following elements: books and articles selected by the teacher of the subject and found in the Bibliography of this Teaching Guide; Likewise, the books, book chapters and articles that the teacher of the subject has uploaded to the Virtual Campus until the date of this exam will also be elements of work and study. The Power-points provided on the Virtual Campus by the teacher of the subject can also be used as study guides.
The formal structure of this written test (exam format) will be determined, at the beginning of the semester and through the Virtual Campus, by the teacher of the subject.
Its numerical value corresponds to 35% of the final grade for the subject.
Third Test: Essay or essayistic commentary based on literary, political or journalistic texts, written by intellectuals, novelists, writers or journalists, and always linked and framed chronologically and thematically in the geographical scope of the subject.
The basic characteristics of this test and itsdelivery will be determined, at the beginning and through the Virtual Campus of the subject, by the teacher who teaches the subject.
Its numerical value corresponds to 15% of the final grade for the subject.
Fourth Test: written test (exam format) that will cover approximately the second half of the subject's syllabus.
The essential material to work and prepare for this test will be made up of the following elements: books and articles selected by the teacher of the subject and found in the Bibliography of this Teaching Guide; Likewise, the books, book chapters and articles that the teacher of the subject has uploaded to the Virtual Campus until the date of this exam will also be elements of work and study. The Power-points provided on the Virtual Campus by the teacher of the subject can also be used as study guides.
The formal structure of this written test (exam format) will be determined, at the beginning of the semester and through the Virtual Campus, by the teacher of the subject.
Its numerical value corresponds to 35% of the final grade for the subject.
2. IMPORTANT ELEMENTS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT TO PASS THE SUBJECT DURING THE CONTINUOUS EVALUATION:
1.- The four tests must be prepared, carried out and/or presented on the dates that the teacher of the subject indicates on the Virtual Campus.
2.- Any of the four tests will be considered passed when obtaining a score of 5 or higher.
3.- If you do not pass the continuous evaluation, tests 1 and 3 will have to be submitted again, if these, delivered late or suspended during the continuous evaluation, have not surpassed or equaled the grade of 5.
4.- Attendance to the class is, by definition, mandatory, although it is only evaluated for the benefit of the student..
3.- EVALUATION OF THE SUBJECT IN THE RECOVERY PERIOD:
RecoveryTest: written test (exam format) to be taken on thedate designated by the dean of the Faculty of Letters, which will evaluate the entire set of topics established by the Teaching Guide for the subject.
This test will be performed by:
1.- those students who have not positively passed (with a numerical grade of 5 or higher) the Continuous Assessment made up of the four tests described in section “1. CONTINUOUS ASSESMENT”, as long as a) the provisional final grade is between 3.5 and 4.99; and b) the student has taken a minimum of tests whose value exceeds 75%. at least two thirds
2.- The student who passes the course in the Recovery period will obtain a 5 as the maximum grade for the course.
4. SINGLE EVALUATION
1.- The student who takes advantage of this evaluation model will not take the Second and Fourth Test in the format and on the days established for Continuous Assessment like her classmates.
2.- The student who takes the Single Assessment will be evaluated on the contents of the Second and Fourth Test in a global exam of the entire subject that will take place on the day indicated by the teacher of the subject same day and in the same classroom in which the Fourth Test corresponding to the Continuous Assessment is carried out.
3.- That same day, the student receiving the Single Assessment will submit the First and Third Test in the format indicated by the teacher of the subject.
4.- Finally, the same reevaluation system will be applied to the student assigned to the Single Evaluation system as to the students enrolled in the Continuous Assessment.
5. NOT EVALUABLE
A student who has submitted a maximum of one third of the evaluation evidence will be considered "not evaluable".
6. PLAGIARISM
Evidence of plagiarism in any of the evaluable tests will lead to a negative evaluation of the test in which plagiarism was detected. The numerical grade for the test with evidence of plagiarism will be zero.
Bibliography
Joan del ALCÁZAR et al., Història Contemporània d’Amèrica, València, Universitat de València, 2002.
Juan B. AMORES (coord.), Historia de América, Barcelona, Ariel, 2012 (pp. 451-959).
Leslie BETHELL (ed.), Historia de América Latina, Barcelona, Crítica, 1990-2002, vols. 11 a 16.
Olivier DABÈNE (dir.), América latina. El año político 2021/Les Etudes du CERI, n° 259-260, Enero 2022 [en línea, https://doi.org/10.25647/etudesduceri.259-260]
Patricia FUNES, HISTORIA MÍNIMA DE LAS IDEAS POLÍTICAS EN AMÉRICA LATINA, México D.F., El Colegio de México, 2014.
Eduardo GALEANO, Las venas abiertas de América Latina, Buenos Aires-México, Siglo Veintiuno Editores, 2004 [1971].
Gino GERMANI, Torcuato S. DI TELIA & Octavio IANNI, Populismo y contradicciones de clase en Latinoamérica,México D.F., Ediciones Era S.A., 1973.
Tulio HALPERIN DONGHI, Historia Contemporánea de América Latina, Madrid, Alianza Editorial, 1998.
Octavio IANNI, La formación del estado populista en América Latina, México, Ediciones Era, 1975.
Walter D. MIGNOLO, La idea de América Latina. La herida colonial y la opción decolonial, Barcelona, Gedisa editorial, 2005.
Héctor PÉREZ BRIGNOLI, Breve Historia de Centroamérica, Madrid, Alianza Editorial, 1990.
Vanni PETTINÀ, HISTORIA MíNIMA DE LA GUERRA FRIA EN AMERICA LATINA, Ciudad de México, El Colegio de México, A.C, 2018.
Thomas E. SKIDMORE i Peter H. SMITH, Historia contemporània de América Latina. América Latina en el siglo XX, Barcelona, Crítica, 1996.
Nicolás Trotta y Pablo Gentili (Compiladores), América Latina. La democracia en la encrucijada, Buenos Aires, Editorial Octubre, 2016.
Mario VARGAS LLOSA, Sables y utopías. Visiones de América Latina, Barcelona, Penguin Random House, 2016.
Loris ZANATTA, Historia de América Latina. De la Colonia al siglo XXI, Buenos Aires, Siglo Veintiuno Editores S.A., 2012.
Software
It is the set of specific computer programs that are used during the development of the subject and that must be installed on the personal computer or that can be accessed from the computer classrooms. This information will be developed as the teaching and academic practice of the students progresses.
The following links allow you to consult the Academic regulations of the UAB and to which the student must adapt and make his/her own:
a. https://www.uab.cat/doc/TR_normativa_academica_UAB
b. Adaptation of the evaluation regulations at the Faculty: https://www.uab.cat/doc/normativa_avaluacio
Language list
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 50 | Spanish | first semester | afternoon |
| (TE) Theory | 50 | Spanish | first semester | afternoon |