CLHUMHI033 - Argentina: A Political and Cultural History
Explore Argentina’s political and cultural history with Dr. Nicolas Shumway, author of The New York Times notable book, “The Invention of Argentina.” This course spans Argentine history from colonialism and the wars of independence through Peronism, coups, countercoups and the return to democracy through today. In the late 19th century, Argentina was the richest Latin American country and appeared to be constructing a stable political system. However, a strong backlash arose against liberal democracy. In 1930, the first of six military coups would destabilize Argentine democracy for much of the 20th century, accompanied by a slow decline in prosperity, increasing inequality and repeated economic crises. While Argentina returned to democracy in 1982, politics remain volatile, and the memory of an opulent Argentine seems increasingly distant. Similarly volatile are debates about the causes of Argentina’s economic decline and its failure to live up to the promise of the country’s early years.
Course Details
Nicolas Shumway, Ph.D., is Frances Moody Newman Professor Emeritus of Spanish at Rice University. Before retiring, he served as dean of humanities from 2010 to 2018. Previously, he taught at Yale University, where he chaired the Latin American Studies program for three years and directed the Yale Spanish language program for eight years. Later in his career, Dr. Shumway served as director of The University of Texas at Austin (UT) Teresa Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies for 11 years and chair of the UT Department of Spanish and Portuguese for three years. Dr. Shumway has published and lectured widely on Latin American literature and intellectual history throughout the Americas and in Europe. His book “The Invention of Argentina” was chosen as “a notable book of the year” by The New York Times. Dr. Shumway holds a doctoral degree in Hispanic languages and literatures from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Online--Synchronous
This course will be delivered in a synchronous format online. Registered participants will receive login instructions to the course page which will provide access to the virtual classroom link and other resources. All online classes are held at Central Standard Time.
- Colonial Beginnings and the Wars of Independence
- The Triumph of Buenos Aires and the Generation of 1880
- The Radical Movement and Its Detractors
- Peronism: Personality, Ideology, Policy and Practice
- Coups and Countercoups
- The Return to Democracy
Department of Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures, Rice University