History 220 - Capitalism & Altern/Latin Amer

Why have poverty and inequality proven so persistent in modern Latin American history? What strategies have different actors proposed to deal with these problems, and with what consequences? In attempting to answer these questions, we will survey the major periods in Latin American and Caribbean economic development, focusing on the last 150 years. Key recurring issues will include natural resource extraction, agricultural systems, industrialization, control of the workplace, the role of the state in the economy, foreign intervention, and attempts at regional cooperation. We will also pay close attention to the relationship between economic policies and political power, social movements, and the non-human environment.