Argentina: The Politics of Globalization

Program dates in 2010: January 2 - 22, 2010

LASC 458A / SOCY 498W (3 credits)

To what extent are multilateral institutions and supranational development agencies (such as the World Bank and the Interamerican Development Bank) restoring poverty and inequality to a place of prominence in debates about the future of Latin American development? Are there new opportunities for bridging the yawning conceptual and programmatic chasms that have divided policy-makers in multilateral institutions, political parties, social movements, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)? What are the new instruments being created and advanced to promote democracy, economic growth and social equity in the region?

This three-credit course (SOCY 498W/LASC 458A) will evaluate these questions through discussion seminars and targeted field trips in Argentina. To gain a sense of cultural diversity, the course will spend two weeks in Buenos Aires and one week in San Martín de los Andes. San Martín de los Andes was founded by German and Eastern European pioneers in the early twentieth century, is a beautiful resort town in Neuquén province, in the Andean Northern Patagonia. Around the year, the town is a hot spot for mountain sports and cultural activities. The area, which has an important Mapuche indigenous community, has been experiencing rapid growth in recent years due to tourism. It thus serves as an useful site in which to explore many of the critical issues covered by the seminar.

Visits to representatives of multilateral institutions, state agencies and nongovernmental organizations will allow students to interact directly with government officials, activists, scholars and professionals to explore the extent to which a new emerging consensus on poverty and inequality is likely to advance basic issues related to the construction of democracy and social equity in the hemisphere.The course will also include some broader cultural activities.

Faculty & Staff

Dr. Roberto Patricio Korzeniewicz is an Associate Professor of the Department of Sociology. In 2000, he was a Senior Fulbright Scholar at the Universidad Nacional de San Martín (the institution participating in this course). He has published several books and articles on social inequality, social movements, and political change in Latin America. Please contact Dr. Korzeniewicz for information about course content and itinerary.

For questions about the application, registration and pre-departure logistics, please contact the Study Abroad Office at 301-314-7473.