Admission requirements
The course is open to students enrolled in the Bachelor's degree in Latin American Studies, the Bachelor's degree in International Studies with a focus on Latin America, and students taking secondary subjects in Latin American Studies and Brazilian Studies. For other students: some knowledge of the region is desirable.
Description
This course focuses on the field of social policy, examining the social relationships necessary for human well-being and the systems that promote or constrain it in the context of Latin America. Students will explore how social policy is a product of the specific ways societies recognize and express the interdependence of their members. The course covers the set of services, programs, and social provision interventions, whether publicly or collectively provided, financed and regulated, with a focus on education, health, and social protection. The course examines the impact of social policies on the reproduction of inequalities, social mobility, intergenerational transmission of poverty, social stratification, and other processes that determine the opportunities and trajectories of individuals, families, and communities in the Latin American region. Students will explore different perspectives on the role of the State in social provision, wealth redistribution, mechanisms for expanding (or breaking) guarantees and social rights. The course will also cover the ways in which social policies and programs interact with gender, race, class, ability, and other markers of intersectional identity. The course will also consider marginalized groups' capacity to push for redistribution and the economic and social resources required for mobilizing. Finally, students will explore the impact of commodity-led development on poverty reduction and the taxation base in the region. Overall, this course aims to provide students with a nuanced understanding of social policy in Latin America, its impact on different populations, and the complex interplay between social policies, politics, and economics in the region.
Course objectives
The objectives of this undergraduate course are to develop research skills in the field of social policy in Latin America, including the ability to analyze and generate policy recommendations. Through group assignments, the course aims to foster collaborative skills and enhance students' ability to communicate and collaborate effectively while exploring societal dynamics. The course also aims to cultivate societal awareness and encourage reflection on the complex interplay between social policies, inequalities, and societal structures. The course aims to promote reflective and independent learning, equipping students to develop informed and nuanced analyses of social policy dynamics in Latin America.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Assessment method
- Active Participation/coöperation in class/group: 20 %
*Podcast script: 40%
*Policy brief: 40%
Assessment
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
If a student does not pass the policy brief or fails to participate in the podcast, they will be required to take a written resit exam. This resit exam will contribute 80% towards the final grade. It is important to note that a resit opportunity will only be given if the combined grade from the podcast and policy brief is 5 or below.
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
Preparatory materials include selections from Diego Sánchez-Ancochea’s The Costs of Inequality in Latin America: Lessons and Warnings for the Rest of the World (London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021). Additional readings will consist of a curated selection of current, peer-reviewed articles available through the university catalogue. These will be provided upon course enrollment.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Registration Exchange
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office Reuvensplaats