Bolivia: Latin American Revolutionary Movements and Conflict Resolution

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Study the rise of populist and left-leaning political and social movements in Latin America and witness their regional impact.

Examine the conditions that contribute to conflict and the factors driving structural change and conflict resolution in selected Latin American countries.

This program explores the political, social, and economic dynamics shaping Latin America's revolutionary movements from the ground up. Students will examine the broad tilt to the left of regional governments; the ways conflicts in the region seem to emerge and be resolved; and the social demands that revolutionary movements champion.

Topics of study include:

The legacy of the Cuban and Nicaraguan revolutions
The influence of Venezuela's Bolivarian revolution in the region
Political and social transformation in Ecuador
Revolutionary movements in Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil including the Chapare coca-growers, Argentina's piqueteros, and champions of land reform in Brazil.

Students will learn from scholars, policy analysts, government officials, union activists, and community leaders. Learning will combine in-class lectures, workshops, site visits, and discussions in the field.

Lecturers will be drawn from institutions such as:

Intensive Spanish language study and homestays with host families in La Paz and San Julián (near Santa Cruz) will immerse students more deeply in Bolivian culture and facilitate cross-cultural communication and field study.

From the program base in the city of La Paz, students will undertake multiple field excursions, including trips to Cochabamba, the subtropical Chapare lowlands, Santa Cruz in the eastern plains, and El Alto, the largest indigenous city in Latin America. Excursions outside Bolivia include trips to Jujuy (Argentina) and Campo Grande (Brazil).

Studying in South America's Political Laboratory
Bolivia provides an excellent base from which to explore processes of revolution and change, evident across Latin America. Amidst changes in the world political economy, Bolivia has remained one of the most politically innovative countries in South America in recent decades. The current political and economic strength of Bolivia's cultural and democratic revolution owes a great deal to the actions of revolutionary movements like coca-growers, water activists, indigenous associations, and miners. In 2005, Evo Morales became the first indigenous president to be elected in South America.

A model for political change, through a Constituent Assembly and new constitutional arrangements, Bolivia shares with Venezuela and Ecuador a vision of socialist economic development. This vision is also shared by social movements like the Argentine piqueteros and Brazil's Movement of Landless Rural Workers (MST), case studies that will be examined in this program. Rapid political change and nationalization also have generated political activism and opposition on the part of other non-state actors such as the Bolivian Civic Committees.

The program explores these sociopolitical conflicts and challenges through coursework and discussions with academics, policy makers, social activists, and government officials. Students will examine the actions of social movements and the role of policy in addressing and resolving conflict in several Latin American countries. Students can expect to interact with rural and urban residents throughout Bolivia and selected sites in Brazil and Argentina to gain insight into the regional impacts of revolutionary movements and public policy.

Credits: 16

Duration: Fall/Spring, 15 weeks

Program Base: La Paz

Language Study: Spanish

Prerequisites: Coursework in political science, Latin American studies, or development studies; 3 semesters Spanish Learn More...

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