Description
This module explores the complex relationship between environment and development in Latin America. It focuses on the ways in which territories and natural resources have been integrated into national, regional, and global development processes. A central concern of the course is to interrogate why the overall pattern of resource extractivism and economic dependence – so eloquently described in Eduardo Galeano’s classic book (1971) – remains largely unchanged. Drawing on the political ecology literature, the module examines the inherently political nature of environmental questions and the need to situate them within the historically specific power relations that underpin the making of Latin America and its development trajectory. The course is divided into two parts. Part 1 provides a grounding in the key topics that have marked the debate on Latin America’s development, including the agrarian question, dependency, (post)neoliberalism, and eco-territoriality. Part 2 analyses natural resource use and environmental politics through emblematic case studies. Topics covered include agribusiness expansion, extractive industries, water governance, biodiversity conservation, and agrarian struggles.
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 19th August 2024.
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