HIST 353 - Political Violence and Memory in Latin America

Credit(s): 3
3 hours lecture, 3 hours contact
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 112, ENGL 192
This course examines the rise of authoritarian regimes, political violence, memory, trauma, and transitions to civilian rule. Through primary and secondary sources, testimonial literature, journalism, and film, we will explore the rise and fall of military dictatorships in Latin America within the context of Cold War politics, increasing internal tensions among social actors and political parties, and pressure from the United States to act on perceived Soviet and Cuban influences. In these, as well as other Latin American and Caribbean nations that experienced a similar trajectory, the transitions to democracy - and a general willingness among people to reconcile while traversing memories of violence and trauma - was unmistakably painful and difficult.