Economic Development in Latin America: Milestones and Crises

Course Description

Description
This course is designed to give its students detailed knowledge of Latin American economic models and political process through the study of its economic development, milestones, crises and political current events. It will address how Latin America came to be in its current circumstances and how this process can be interpreted and understood today. For this, we shall take a general view of the Latin American economic development process and the study of the political situation in order to understand the Latin American context.
Students are expected to develop a thorough knowledge of key historical issues, trends and events, as well as key concepts and theories of economic history; and to develop analytical skills for the study of Latin American history.
Students will be confronted with documents for the study of Latin American history that shall be analyzed individually and in groups; conclusions shall be discussed with the rest of the class.

Aims
At the end of this course the students should be able to:
1. Identify and understand the most important processes of Latin America?s history through the study of it´s economic history.
2. Identify and understand the most important economic processes -milestones and crises- of Latin America?s history.
3. Develop analytic criticism of the main historical processes of Latin America.
4. Find and discriminate primary sources for the study of Latin American history; students should analyze primary sources within its historical context.
5. Make presentations on selected texts: describe, analyze and present orally to the rest of the class.
6. The student should be able to analyze the actual context of Latin America through study of it´s economic process.

Methodology
Combination of lectures, students? expositions and class discussions. Students will have to read selected lectures weekly that shall be presented and discussed in the class. A syllabus shall be presented to the students during the first month of class.
Also the students will have to prepare discussion sessions about the current events of the region. Here they will have to discuss and analyze the Latin American context through different subjects and relate them with the topics learned in the lectures.

Schedule of Topics
1. Course Introduction. Explanation of the basic aspects from the course, assessments, evaluation dates, topics and recommendations.
2. What do you know about Latin America?
Concepts and notions about Latin America.
3. Mercantilism and the commercial trade in Latin America.
Main commercial`s core in the 16th ? 18th centuries.
4. How was the exploitation of minerals?
Film analysis: Subterra. The situation of the workers in a coal mine.
5. The Economic development in Latin America after the Independence movements.
The different realities in the new nations.
Bethell, Leslie, The Cambridge History of Latin America, Vol 3 ?From Independence to 1870?, Part 3 Chapter 8: Economy and Society in Post Independence Spanish America, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
6. The influence of the Industrial Revolution in Latin America.
7. Capitalism in Latin America. 1870 ? 1914.
8. Export markets and national markets.
Bethell, Leslie, The Cambridge History of Latin America, Vol 4 ?c.1870 to 1930?, Chapter 1: Latin America in the international economy, 1870 ? 1914, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
9. Export markets and national markets.
10. The effects of World War I in Latin America Economy.
Bethell, Leslie, The Cambridge History of Latin America, Vol 4 ?c.1870 to 1930?, Chapter 2: Latin America in the international economy from the first World War to the World Depression, pp. 57 ? 81. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
11. The changes in the commercial structure.
12. Rural Latin America and the capitalism.
Bethell, Leslie, The Cambridge History of Latin America, Vol 4 ?c.1870 to 1930?, Chapter 5: Rural Spanish America, 1870 ? 1930, pp. 161-186, New York: Cambridge University Press,1995.
13. Rural Latin America and the capitalism. Oppositions and organizations.
14. The effects of the World Depression in Latin America.
Bulmer-Thomas, Victor, Coatsworth, John H., Condes Cortés, Roberto, Cambridge Economic History of Latin America, Vol 2: The Long Twentieth Century, Part 1, Chapter 3: The External Context, Cambridge University Press, 2008.
15. The changes in the economic model.
Exports to ISI.
16. World War II and its effect in Latin America.
Bulmer-Thomas, Victor. The Economic History of Latin America since independence, Chapter 10: New Trade Strategies and Debt-led Growth, New York: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1994
17. World War II and its effect in Latin America.
18. Latin America in the Cold War system.
19. Latin America Economy and its relationship with the world Economy.
1950s
Bulmer-Thomas, Victor. The Economic History of Latin America since independence, Chapter 9:Inward-looking Development in the Post War Period, New York: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1994.
20. Latin America Economy and its relationship with the world Economy.
1960 ? 1973
21. Latin America Economy and its relationship with the world Economy.
1973- 1981.
22. The decade of 1980.
23. The integration of Latin America?s economy.
24. The integration of Latin America?s economy.
25. Globalization and the new economic model.
Bulmer-Thomas, Victor, Coatsworth, John H., Condes Cortés, Roberto, The Cambridge History of Latin America Vol 2: The long Twentieth Century, Part 1, Chapter 4: ?Globalization and the New Economic Model in Latin America?, Cambridge University Press, 2008.
26. Globalization and the new economic model.
27. Why Latin America does not progress toward development? Course closure.
28. Why Latin America does not progress toward development? Course closure.
29. Exam.

Evaluation
Summary of rading Weights % of final grade
- 1 test, 30%
- 1 essay of 6 to 8 pages, 30%
- Presentation of a case study (final examination), 25%
- Participation in class, 15%

Bibliography
This books are strongly recommended to understand deeper the processes in the development of Latin America Economy.

- Bethell, Leslie, The Cambridge History of Latin America. Vol 3 ?From Independence to 1987?, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
- Bethell, Leslie, The Cambridge History of Latin America, Vol 4 ?1870 - 1930?, Chapter 1: ?Latin America and the International Economy?, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
- Bethell, Leslie, The Cambridge History of Latin America, Vol 6 ?Since 1930. Economy, Society and Politics?, Part 2: ?Economy?, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
- Collier, Simon and Sater, William F. A History of Chile, 1808-1994. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
- Bulmer-Thomas, Victor, Coatsworth, John H., Condes Cortés, Roberto, Cambridge Economic History of Latin America, Vol 1: The Colonial Era and the Short Nineteenth Century, Cambridge University Press, 2008.
- Bulmer-Thomas, Victor. The Economic History of Latin America since independence, New York: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1994.