SPAN 309: History and Politics of Latinamerica
Dr. Rafael Gomez
Surveys Latin American history focusing on the development of political and social structures since the independence movements of the 19th century. Emphasizes Latin phenomenon as caudillismo, indigenismo, the Church and liberation theology, and the revolutionary movements in the 20th century.
Taking this class has made me realize how much I enjoy being a Spanish major. Throughout my education (K-12, even lowerlevel GE college courses), I never got to learn the history of my roots. This was the first class I took with Dr. Gomez. The class used the book Modern Latin America. After reading each chapter, which was specific to a Latin American country, we would write a brief write up, talk about it in class, and then have a quiz on two or three countries at a time. We would study each country chronologically. The book would talk about each country and how it was colonized up until present day. We studied the social, political, and economical structure of each country. I was able to understand the economy of Latin America and see why it has been so hard for the countries to progress. This course was extremely educational. Dr. Gomez made it fun to memorize dates and events. He also managed to bring us closer as a class, by involving us in group and class discussions.
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