Analyzes the history and politics of Latin America, studying how socieities evolved from the colonial period through independence and the formation of nations, military and personal dictatorships, and the current era of imperfect democratization. The course compares how the countries of Latin America have contended with issues of power and inequality, including income disparities, racial and ethnic discrimination, forced megration, environmental injustice, patriarchal gender norms, cultural divisions, and the fole of religion. It also evaluates the complex history of Latin American countries' unequal relationship with the United States. Fulfills general education requirements in history and impact of diversity. [ 3 credits ]