GBL 2930 LATIN AMERICAN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
This Study Abroad course will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina with a short visit to Colonia de Sacramento, Uruguay.
Protest movements in Latin America have a rich history and trajectory in shaping ideas on human rights, anti-imperialism, neo-extractivism, self-determination, and autonomy. This class will cover four modules: 1) the nature of oppression and colonial oppression, and the lasting effects of neoliberalism, 2) the history of social movements in Latin America 3) the contemporary state of social movements in Latin America, and 4) the theoretical contributions from social movements, focusing on what studying social movements can tell us about human rights and activism. We will examine these by reading, watching movies, meeting members involved with these movements, and by jointly coordinating our own learning in the class. By tracing the diversity in forms of collective action against inequality and violence, we will consider the ways in which the collective struggles of the urban poor, indigenous people, women, and environmentalists, understand and respond to oppression and thereby redefine social experience, the state, individuals, and the human experience at large. We will also learn some of the key skills that are used in these collective struggles.
Buenos Aires is a bustling and vibrant city with a long history of human rights abuses, implicating Cold War and Colonial Western powers, and where feminist social movements have changed the landscape of politics. Students will visit different organizations, such as Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo, Greenpeace Argentina, and NiUnaMenos, to learn about the local and global contributions of social movements. While in Uruguay, we will learn about the colonial history that has shaped the region and visit museums to inform our knowledge of Latin American culture, with a particular focus on women’s movements advocating for abortion rights.
Course Types
Society; Expression
Course Outcomes
- Be able to discuss how social movements in Latin America are constructed and how the process of history-making is relevant to our cultural and political life.
- Explore the dynamics and interconnections between interpersonal, community, and state violence.
- Gain a better self-understanding, recognizing where the US stands in the world, its impact on it, and what that means for us.
- Learn some of the skills of collective action that are used within these social movements.
- Identify processes and strategies of conflict resolution, peacemaking, and resistance to conflict and violence.