Global markets, imperialism, and global capital have shaped the relative wealth of the Americas for centuries. Latin America today has the highest levels of income inequality in the world and a great diversity of economic structures from Cuba, one of the last socialist states, to Chile, a model of free-market export-led development. Latin America is an ideal case to study the influence of imperialism, state vs. market control of the economy, and current trends such as neoliberalism, free trade, and fair trade on economic development. This class examines the rise and fall of economies in Latin America since the conquest with a focus on developments from World War II to the present. We will explore conflicting theoretical perspectives such as world-systems theory, dependency theory, and neoclassical economics. We will read about the influence of class, culture, local elites, labor movements, multinational development institutions, and global capital. We will critically examine the influences of colonialism, import substitution, industrialization, the shifts between democracy and dictatorship, austerity measures, and the current left turn in Latin American politics. We will end this class with an in-depth look at the debates around free trade, fair trade, international solidarity movements, worker cooperatives, and traditional labor movements. |