Latin America at 200 : : A New Introduction / / Phillip Berryman.

• VerfasserIn: Berryman, Phillip,
• Place / Publishing House: Austin : : University of Texas Press, , [2021]; ©2016
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource

Between 2010 and 2025, most of the countries of Latin America will commemorate two centuries of independence, and Latin Americans have much to celebrate at this milestone. Most countries have enjoyed periods of sustained growth, while inequality is showing modest declines and the middle class is expanding. Dictatorships have been left behind, and all major political actors seem to have accepted the democratic process and the rule of law. Latin Americans have entered the digital world, routinely using the Internet and social media. These new realities in Latin America call for a new introduction to its history and culture, which Latin America at 200 amply provides. Taking a reader-friendly approach that focuses on the big picture and uses concrete examples, Phillip Berryman highlights what Latin Americans are doing to overcome extreme poverty and underdevelopment. He starts with issues facing cities, then considers agriculture and farming, business, the environment, inequality and class, race and ethnicity, gender, and religion. His survey of Latin American history leads into current issues in economics, politics and governance, and globalization. Berryman also acknowledges the ongoing challenges facing Latin Americans, especially crime and corruption, and the efforts being made to combat them. Based on decades of experience, research, and travel, as well as recent studies from the World Bank and other agencies, Latin America at 200 will be essential both as a classroom text and as an introduction for general readers.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction. Entering a Third Century -- Part I. Society -- 1. Lands and Peoples: The Constraints and Opportunities of Geography and Demography -- 2. Confronting Urban Challenges -- 3. Agriculture in Transition: Food and Farmers -- 4. Corner Stores and Multilatinas: Business, Industry, and Labor in a Globalized World -- 5. Growth with Sustainability : Meeting the New Environmental Challenge -- 6. Highly Unequal—and Middle Class? -- 7. Overcoming Legacies of Conquest and Slavery: Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendants -- 8. Machismo Contested: Changing Gender Roles and Expectations -- 9. A Changing Religious Landscape -- Part II. History -- 10. Conquest and Colonial Order -- 11. Forging New Nations -- 12. The Zigzag Path to Democracy and Development -- Part III. Economic and Political Challenges of the Present -- 13. Toward Twenty -First-Century Economies -- 14. Making Democracy Work: Politics and the State -- 15. Toward Rule of Law: Combating Crime and Corruption -- 16. Bodies and Minds: Achievements and Obstacles in Health and Education -- 17. Goods and People Crossing Borders: Dimensions of Globalization -- Conclusion. Hopes and Tasks of the Bicentennial Generation -- Notes -- References -- Index