HS 321 - Contemporary Argentine History: Politics and Culture in the Construction of a National Identity

Argentine history bewilders Latin Americanists for its many contradictions and unanswered questions. Argentina is one of the richest countries in the region, and yet it has suffered a series of extremely severe economic crises that has left the country impoverished. Its politics also have many unanswered questions. Thus, the region enthusiastically adopted a republican system of government and yet it has been plagued by civil wars and military coups. And then there is also Peronism, a political movement which, despite its many failures, continues to have an enduring and passionate popularity among the lower classes. This course will provide an opportunity for students to analyze different hypothesis proposed by scholars to explain these riddles as well as to confront these answers with the ideas and beliefs of the people “in the streets.