The Penn Initiative for the Study of Markets at the University of Pennsylvania offers an online course on the economic history of Latin America. The objective is to familiarize students with the most recent literature on the economic history of Latin America and its contemporary development. Despite recent gains in democracy and economic growth in the region, it still lags behind advanced economies in Europe and Asia. These traits are linked to a shared past: indigenous legacies, colonial extraction, slavery, economies based on commodities, political fragmentation, conflicts fueled by the cold war, and authoritarian regimes and rebellions against them. It is an interdisciplinary course that encompasses the most recent contributions in economics, economic history, political science, archeology, and other fields. There will be ten 90-minute classes (with a short break) and ten plenary talks by invited experts, spread over ten weeks.
Advanced undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in economics, political science, history, and sociology, interested in Latin America’s economic history, development, and political economy. The online course is also well-suited for professionals in international organizations, development agencies, non-governmental organization, and development finance institutions interested in how history shapes domestic policies, foreign aid, development finance, and international investment
This is an open access course. All lectures and sessions will take place via zoom. All interested to participate need to register by the day the classes commence.
Yes, the course will be transmitted in English, but we will have a live translation into both Spanish and Portuguese.
All the main lectures will take place on Tuesdays at 11.00-12.30 (EDT), and the supplementary topic lectures on Thursdays at 11.45- 13.00 (EDT).
You need to register before Februrary 14. The links to the live lectures will be sent once you have registered for the course.
We recommend that those registered will attend all lectures; however, they are free to attend the sessions as they please. We look forward to a discussion and encourage active participation.
No, there is no coursework. However, we do recommend that you read the readings highlighted in the course material section, as it will improve your understanding of the topic discussed in the lectures.
Yes, all lectures will be recorded and uploaded to our website and our youtube channel.