Social Studies Curriculum

Area Studies Electives

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Adopted January 1999

Latin American Studies

Course Description:

Latin America Studies will focus on the physical geography and cultural factors that characterize this region.  Latin America includes Mexico, Caribbean nations, and the nations of Central and South America.  Students will study the characteristics which make the region unique and develop a knowledge of the contemporary issues.  Current issues may include the development of democracy, economic development, population, and environmental issues and challenges.

The course title and description have been approved by the Anchorage School Board.  This course outline is meant to serve as an example of one possibility for organizing this class.  It does not represent the only way the course may be organized.  Each course outline has been written by a different teacher so there will be differences in the approach used from one course to another.

Course Goals:

Through this course students will:

• Develop an understanding and awareness of the differing governmental political systems of Latin American states.
• Develop an understanding and awareness of the differing economic systems of Latin American states.
• Develop an understanding and awareness of what makes a government legitimate.
• Develop an understanding and awareness of different societies and cultures.
• Understand and compare Most Industrialized Nations (MICs), Newly Industrializing Nations (NICs), and Less Developed Nations (LDCs) in their levels of economic development.
• Understand and compare domestic(military, cultural, religious, tribal, ethnic, etc.) and global pressures on the state.
• Discuss the origins of the democratic, authoritarian, and totalitarian state.
• Understand and compare what makes a Great Power and a Weak Power.
• Understand the physical and cultural geography of Latin America.

Course Objectives:

The student will:

• Identify the absolute and relative locations of the nations studied.
• Identify and describe physical and cultural (including political and economic geography) characteristics of the nations studied.
• Identify major physical and cultural regions within the nations studied.
• Identify and describe examples of human/environment relationships existing within the nations studied.
• Identify and describe characteristics of Latin American national politics. National loyalties versus tribal/ethnic loyalties.
• Compare and contrast economic systems: capitalist, socialist, mixed, import substitution (nationalistic protective barriers), nationalization, privatization.
• Compare and contrast between democratic, authoritarian, and totalitarian systems.
• Describe the different forms of government used : Presidential, Parliamentary, Presidential-Parliamentary, Communist (Party-State), Military, Monarchy, Unitary, Federalism.
• Describe how judicial systems have different roles in different countries.
• Explain the significance and importance of traditions and precedence in establishing society and culture.
• Explain how governments gain legitimacy in the eyes of the governed.
• Describe the role of civil services and bureaucracies in government.
• Describe the role of global economics in helping to shape governments.
• Identify and describe the role of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in helping to create more advanced economies.
• Describe colonial imperialism and explain its legacy.
• Explain the increasing role of political union and trade treaties (European Economic Union, North American Free Trade Agreement, GATT, and other regional political unions and economic agreements).
• Define sovereignty and explain how national sovereignty is affected by treaties and international agreements and by civil conflict.
  

Course Outline:

1. Introduction to Latin American Studies
   1. What is Latin American Studies?
   2. Physical and cultural geography of Latin America
      1. Location
      2. Place characteristics (physical and cultural)
      3. Human/environment relationships
      4. Movement (physical and cultural)
      5. Regions (physical and cultural)
   3. Review of early history of Latin America
   4. Imperialism and colonialism
   5. Strong and weak states
   6. Pressures on the state: Domestic, regional, global
2. Generic outline for the nations the instructor has chosen to use
   1. What are MICs, NICs, LDCs?
   2. Colonial legacies
   3. Creating the nation state
   4. Structure of government
      1. Executive branch
      2. Judicial branch
      3. Legislative branch
      4. Role of the bureaucracy
      5. Role of the monarchy (where applicable)
      6. Role of the military
      7. Tradition and precedence
   5. Role of political parties
      1. One-party states
      2. Ethnic conflict
      3. Role of minority groups
      4. Military pressure
   6. Political Culture
      1. Government legitimacy
      2. Role and significance of pressure groups
      3. Elitism in government
      4. Human rights issues
      5. Role of the military
      6. Corruption
   7. Cultural conflict
   8. Economic policy : Past and contemporary
      1. Colonial economics
      2. Current economics
      3. The role of the IMF and World Bank
      4. International debt
   9. Foreign policy
      1. Relationship to Most Industrialized Nations
      2. United States foreign policy towards these nations
      3. Regional policies
      4. Global policies

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