HISTORY 632/832: Human Rights and Social Justice in Latin America

Tues/Thurs 2:10-3:30

Prof. Julia E. Rodriguez

In this course we examine the history of human rights violations in 20^th-21^st century Latin America along with the social justice projects that mobilized in response to them. We will begin by examining the questions: When did the concept of human rights become a global concern? How are human rights defined around the world, and in Latin America in particular?

We will then follow a number of case studies of state violence and human rights violations in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Guatemala, Brazil, and at the U.S./Mexico border. At the same time, we will take a social and political history approach to study specific grassroots movements in these countries that emerged in response to human rights violations. We will also discuss where alterative paths to remediation of harms emerged, such as tribunals and legal proceedings, Truth Commissions, and attempts at Transitional Justice and Reconciliation.