Latin American Studies – (M.Litt.)

Contents

Themes in Latin American Studies:
This core course illustrates the inter-disciplinary nature of the MLitt in Latin American Studies, and it also performs a number of key functions in the degree programme. Firstly, the course introduces students to a variety of disciplinary approaches to Latin American Studies, including those of anthropology, history, literary and cultural studies, and politics and international relations. This serves to illuminate a wide range of aspects of Latin American life. Secondly, it enables students to make an informed choice for an elective course for the second semester of their MLitt, laying the groundwork for those elective courses as well as for the Dissertation that will subsequently be written. In order to do this, the course is divided into two parts (1) an overview of politics and international relations in Latin America and (2) an overview of cultural and social issues in Latin America.
Culture and Society in Latin America:
This course builds on and provides a greater in-depth coverage of issues of culture and society in Latin America than the MLitt core course 'Themes in Latin American Studies'. This course will cover a wide range of topics from the anthropology of indigenous and non-indigenous societies to colonial and modern history and contemporary literature and film. This diverse range of topics will also introduce students to a wide range of disciplinary approaches to Latin American Studies, especially those of anthropology, of history, and of literary and cultural studies. Students can choose to take either this course or 'Politics and International Relations of Latin America', or they can also take both courses.
Politics and International Relations in Latin America:
This course will study both the contemporary political issues in the region and also the intra- and interregional and international relations of Latin America. The interplay of international, domestic, cultural and ideological factors in contemporary Latin America will do this. Moreover, analytical, empirical and ethical questions relevant to the region will also be posed. The main themes that will introduced will include dependency theory, liberation theology, revolutions, populism and neopopulism, democratisation, debt and globalisation, regional integration, the region's international relations, and the study of the Latin American subregions. The result will be that students will acquire an understanding of the nuances and complexities involved in studying politics and international relations of contemporary Latin America. Again, students can choose either this course 'Culture and Society in Latin America' or both courses.
Dissertation (MLitt in Latin American Studies)
Students who meet the necessary requirements proceed to the 12-15,000-word dissertation, which is a compulsory part of the MLitt in Latin American Studies. The dissertation enables students to gain experience in formulating, designing and pursuing independent research on a topic of the culture, society, politics or international relations of Latin America, subject to approval of the teaching staff. Students will be prepared for their dissertation by the core and elective courses of the MLitt programme, by a dissertation-writing seminar, and by individual supervision throughout their dissertation