24-105.25 Democracy, Human Rights, and Conflict in Latin America

Lehrende: Clara Eugenia Franco Yanez; Viviana García Pinzón

Veranstaltungsart: Seminar

Anzeige im Stundenplan: 24-105.25

Semesterwochenstunden: 2

Credits: 4,0

Unterrichtssprache: Englisch

Min. | Max. Teilnehmerzahl: 10 | 23

Weitere Informationen:
Verwendbar in folgenden Studiengängen bzw. Modulen:
- B.A.-Hauptfach Politikwissenschaft: AM 1 - Regieren in politischen Mehrebenensystemen oder Wahlbereich
- B.Sc. Volkswirtschaftslehre (FSB ab WiSe 2016/17), Ergänzungsfach Regieren in politischen Mehrebenensystemen: AM 1 - Regieren in politischen Mehrebenensystemen
- B.A.-Nebenfach Politikwissenschaft: Fachbezogener Wahlbereich

englischsprachige Übersetzung des Lehrveranstaltungstitels:

Kommentare/ Inhalte:
Demokratie, Menschenrechte und Konflikte in Lateinamerika (Democracy, Human Rights, and Conflict in Latin America):

Democracy, Human Rights, and Conflict in Latin America

The course aims to provide a general understanding of three crucial aspects of the recent decades’ sociopolitical change in Latin America: democracy in its constantly changing forms, Human Rights regimes and systems, and the persistence of violent conflict. In the wake of the third wave of democratization that took place in the decades of the 80s and 90s, democracy has become the predominant political regime in the region. However, these transformations coexist with persistent violence, human rights violations, and backward steps in various countries at certain times. In this regard, participants of the seminar will analyze both the general comparable aspects connecting various countries in the region – as well as to the larger international and regional systems and institutions and the important particularities of relevant cases.

The course is composed of four sections: The first section offers a general introduction to the history of democracy in the region, emphasizing on the Third Wake of Democracy and the current situation on this regard. The second part will offer a brief overview of human rights concepts and mechanisms in the UN and Inter-American systems, as well as its impacts in Latin America. The third part sets out to address violence, its persistence, and transformations over the last decades. Historical background of this phenomenon will be followed by the analysis of its relation to criminality and illegal markets as well as its impacts on democracy quality and stability. The fourth and final section reflects upon today´s Latin American democracies, its constant changes, and paradoxes.

Lernziel:

1. Analyzing the main aspects of political transformation in Latin America over the last decades based on three crucial aspects: Democracy, Human Rights, and Conflict.
   
2. To examine the process of democratization in the region, as well as, its contemporary challenges.
   
3. To provide an overview on the international and regional Human Rights regimes, and their connection to the region.
   
4. Addressing the role of violence in socio-political orders and its effects in democracy quality.
   

Vorgehen:
This seminar will combine lectures, discussions of reading material, preparation and presentation of case studies by the participants, and analysis of certain multimedia materials.

The detailed content for the sections is the following:

1. An introduction to Democracy in Latin America

• Historical background
  
• Civil wars and authoritarian regimes
  
• Third Wave of Democracy in Latin America
  
• Taking stock of democracy in Latin America        
  

• A short introduction to Human Rights
  
• Human Rights in the UN and Interamerican Systems
  
• Human rights Foreign Policy and the role of the UN
  
• Human Rights violations, forms and consequences
  
• Relevant cases at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights       
  

• Forms of violence: historical background
  
• Violent democracies or the problem of persistence of violence in L.A.
  
• Criminality and illegal markets
  
• Impacts on democracy quality
  
• The role of military
  

• The role of populism
  
• Corruption and politics in Latin America
  
• Social movements and sources of discontent
  
• Variegated changes in Latin-American democracies      
  

Literatur:
Section 1:

O’Donnell, G. (1993). On the State, Democratization and Some Conceptual Problems: A Latin American View with Glances at Some Postcommunist Countries. World Development, 21(8), 1355–1369. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(93)90048-E

O’Donnell, G. Schmitter P. & Whitehead, L. (Eds). (1986). Transitions from Authoritarian Rule Comparative Perspectives (Vol. 3). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.  (Chapters 2, 3, & 4).
 
Scott, M., Pérez-Liñan, A. (2005). “Latin American Democratization since 1978.” In Hagopian, F. & Mainwaring, S. (Eds.) The Third Wave of Democratization in Latin America: Advances and Setbacks. New York: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 14–62.
 
Wood, E. (2000). Forging Democracy from Below Insurgent Transitions in South Africa and El Salvador. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Chapters 1 & 8). 


 
Section 2:

Clapham, A. (2007). “Human Rights – A Very Short Introduction”. Chapter 1, “Looking at Rights”, pp. 1-22. Oxford University Press.

Clapham, A. (2007). “Human Rights – A Very Short Introduction”. Chapter 2, “The Historical Development of International Human Rights”, pp. 23-56. Oxford University Press.

Lutz E., Sikkink K. (2007) “The Justice Cascade: The Evolution and Impact of Foreign Human Rights Trials in Latin America”, in “International Law and Society: Empirical Approaches to Human Rights”. London Routledge.

Statute of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, October 1979 (Resolution No.448).

American Convention on Human Rights (Pact of San José, Costa Rica), 1969.


Section 3:

Arias, E. D. (2017). Criminal Enterprises and Governance in Latin America and the Caribbean. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316650073 (Introduction, Chapter 1 & Conclusion).

Arias, E. D., & Goldstein, D. (2010). Violent Democracies in Latin America. Durham: Duke University Press. (Violent pluralism: Understanding the New Democracies of Latin America/ Violence, Democracy, and Human Rights in Latin America/ Conclusion: Understanding Violent Pluralism).

Koonings, K., & Kruijt, D. (1999). Introduction: Violence and Fear in Latin America. In K. Koonings & D. Kruijt (Eds.), Societies of fear. The legacies of Civil War, Violence and Terror in Latin America. New York: Zed Books.

Pearce, J. (2010). Perverse state formation and securitized democracy in Latin America. Democratization, 17(2), 286–306. https://doi.org/10.1080/13510341003588716


 
Section 4:

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2011). Our Democracy in Latin America. Washington D.C.

Zusätzliche Hinweise zu Prüfungen:
Leistungsanforderungen:
- B.A.-Hauptfach Politikwissenschaft, AM 1 - Regieren in politischen Mehrebenensystemen: Studienleistungen (siehe A); zusätzlich kann in dem Seminar eine Hausarbeit als Modulabschlussprüfung des AM 1 absolviert werden (siehe B).
- B.A.-Hauptfach Politikwissenschaft, Wahlbereich: Studienleistungen (siehe A); Hausarbeit nicht möglich.
- B.Sc. Volkswirtschaftslehre: Studienleistungen (siehe A) und Hausarbeit (siehe B).
- B.A.-Nebenfach Politikwissenschaft, Fachbezogener Wahlbereich: Studienleistungen (siehe A); Hausarbeit nicht möglich.

A) Studienleistungen (unbenotet):

1. Review and discussion of one of the assigned readings. 
Each student will select one of the readings of the course and prepare a two-page review. The student will discuss the text with the other participants. 

2. Presentation of a case in the framework of the topics covered by course's sessions (group or individual). 
The lecturers will present a selection of cases and empirical examples for the sessions comprised by the course. The participants will select one of them and will prepare a presentation (15 minutes) about it. 

3. Presentation of a case study (individual).
Each participant will prepare a presentation on a case (20 minutes). Participants are free to choose the topic in the framework of the themes covered by the course; it may either focus on a particular country or on a political phenomenon from a comparative or regional perspective. Presentations will take place at the end of the course

B) Modulprüfung:
Prüfungsart: Hausarbeit
Bewertungsschema: benotet (RPO)
Umfang: 15 Seiten
Abgabetermin: 02.09.2019
Abgabeort: Studienbüro Sozialwissenschaften