LATI 255 - Peoples and Cultures of Latin America

Cross-Listed as ANTH 255

This course is an introduction to the cultural diversity and complexity of Latin American societies. We will examine regional differences from an anthropological perspective and discus how social institutions and cultural practices and traditions have been shaped, and how they have dealt with continuity and change. Ethnographic case studies will allow us to explore relevant topics related to ethnicity, social stratification, gift-giving/reciprocity, kinship, rural/urban relationships, cosmology and religion, and gender. These issues will be examined within the context of particular histories, considering the legacy of colonialism, the formation of the nation-state, the emergence of social movements, post-colonial nationalism, the impart of migration and urbanization, and the effects of neo-liberalism and globalization. We will conclude with a critical examination of forms of representation of Latin America, which involve notions such as -indigenismo-. Alternate years. (4 Credits)