Prospectus

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Latin American Foreign Policy

Course
2014-2015

This course can be done for 5 or 10 ects. If you want to take the course for 10 ECTS please consult with the teacher and register with prospectus number: 5654KLA05Y.

Admission requirements

This course is open to Master students (particularly those following the International Studies programme) with interest in Latin America.

Description

This course analyses the foreign policy of various Latin American countries and the emergence of sub-regional forms of cooperation in economic and political arenas. Is also explores how Latin American countries are positioning themselves vis-à-vis foreign actors, such as the United States, Europe and Asia (in particular China). Attention will also be given to new patterns of South-South relations with other developing nations.

Course Objectives

This course engages students with current scholarly debates on the ways Latin American nations – both on individual and collective basis – have attempted to reformulate their insertion into the world community. It shows the search of Latin American countries for international alliances at the regional and global level and how political and economic agendas are synchronized for that purpose. Students will also learn about new forms of cooperation and proactive actions deployed by Latin American nations in order to attain a more independent positioning on the global scene. Finally, attention will also be given to the several actors and institutions involved in the formulation and application of foreign policy, stressing the several institutional and political tensions arising in this process of policy-making.
Students are required to study both academic texts and other relevant primary and secondary sources with respect to foreign policy in general, and Latin American in particular.
The course consists of 13 weekly two-hour lecture and seminar classes. Students will be required to write and present brief assignments on relevant issues, and to complete (during the second part of the course) a research paper proposal on a topic within the thematic boundaries of the course. The final paper is due after the end of the course.

Timetable

Timetable

The course takes place on Wednesdays, 15-17 hrs. The course will be divided in three main topics: bilateral relation, regional integration and interregional cooperation. For each topic, there will be lectures, required readings, short written assignments to be handed in before the classes on the next topic starts:

18-3-2015 1st paper on foreign policy (20%) 22-4-2015
2nd paper on regional integration (20%) 13-5-2015
3rd paper on interregional cooperation (20%)
16-4-2015 deadline outline research paper so that the student can discuss his/her outline.
20-5-2015 deadline final paper (40% )

Mode of instruction

Lecture
Research

Course Load

  • 26 Hours of Classes

  • 104 Hours of reading and class preparation

  • 90 Hours for 3 short papers

  • 60 Hours for proposal and research essay

Assessment Method

For each topic, bilateral, regional integration and interregional relations, a paper of 1000 words has to be written on the topic just studied, which has to be handed in before the next one starts. On 15 April the outline for the final paper has to be handed in: theme, outline and preliminary bibliography. On 20 May 2015 the final paper has to be handed in (3000 words).

1st paper on foreign policy: 1000 words: 20%
2nd paper on regional integration: 1000 words: 20%
3rd paper on interregional cooperation: 1000 words: 20%
Presentation research paper outline and Research paper: 3000 words: 40%

For research master students: special attention will be paid to the theoretical framework, analysis of the case, and the bibliography of the final paper.
In the shorter papers, the focus will be on the scientific, critical analysis of each topic.

In case of a resit, only the final paper (40%) can be rewritten.

Blackboard

Yes: Blackboard

Literature

Gian Luca Gardini and Peter Lambert (ed.), Latin American Foreign Policies, Between Ideology and Pragmatism, Palgrave Macmillan, 2013 (2011)
Some articles, a reading list of articles will be put on Blackboard.

Registration

uSis

Contact information

With the coordinator, by e-mail: Dr. M. Wiesebron