Admission requirements
This course is only available for students enrolled in the master programmes MA International Relations and MA Latin American Studies.
Description
In this course, we examine the contemporary foreign policies of Latin American countries and the ideas and issues that have shaped Latin American approaches to international relations. This includes understanding the role of concepts including sovereignty, autonomy, dependency, and development in how Latin American states approach relations within and beyond the region. Through lectures and student presentations, we examine a wide range of countries within Latin America and its subregions in order to understand differences and commonalities in foreign policy approaches.
Among the topics we study are war and peace in Latin America, processes of regional integration, the role of ideology in foreign policy, human rights, and the environment. We will also see how Latin American countries have sought to develop their relationships with extra-regional actors such as the United States, China, and the European Union.
Course objectives
In this course, students will:
Gain an understanding of the main ideas and concerns that distinguish Latin American approaches to international relations;
Obtain knowledge and insights into the historical factors that have shaped the formulation of foreign policies in Latin America;
Learn to identify how historical and ideological factors combine with economic, strategic, and political objectives in the foreign policies of Latin American countries;
Gain an overview of the similarities and differences between the foreign policies of Latin American countries;
Obtain insights into the factors that shape how Latin American countries and regional organizations interact with extra-regional actors;
Be able to synthesize the above knowledge into an oral presentation and written work;
Develop skills in communicating scholarly information to a non-academic as well as an academic audience.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Assessment method
Assessment
The final grade [100%] is composed of 3 parts:
1) 1 Research Essay (60 % of the final grade)
2) 1 Research Report (25 % of the final grade)
3) 1 Individual Presentation (15 % of the final grade)
To pass the course, the weighted average has to be at least 5.5.
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average.
Resit
The resit for the final examined element is only available to students whose mark of the final examined element is insufficient.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
The reading material will be made available by the lecturer via BrightSpace together with the syllabus. There will be no need to purchase books.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga
Remarks
Attendance in this seminar is mandatory. Students may not be absent in more than two (2) sessions. In cases where more lectures are missed, the lecturer may decide to impose additional assignments, or ultimately exclude the student from further instruction.
If you are not able to attend a seminar, please inform the lecturer of the course.