Jaguar Books on Latin America – Serie

Strong, colorful personalities who impose their will upon laws, constitutions, courts, and congresses are an enduring feature of Latin American politics, beginning with the violent regional bosses (caudillos) of the early nineteenth century and continuing with the "hyper-presidential" systems of today. Paul Lewis explores the origins of the region's authoritarian culture and the different types of regimes that have exhibited it. Taking a student-friendly chronological approach, this thoughtful and accessible text begins with a brief overview of Latin America's Iberian heritage, then describes the general breakdown of order and the rise of the caudillos following independence. Lewis shows how the internal dynamics of caudillo politics have produced, in one country after another, either strong personalistic dictatorships or oligarchies that ruthlessly imposed order on their societies. Order made economic growth and urbanization possible, yet created great social injustices that spurred the development of mass politics. The author describes the twentieth-century upheavals that brought the people into the political arena, resulting in a variety of revolutionary and counter-revolutionary regimes that borrow their inspiration from fascism and communism. Balanced yet cautious about the future of democracy in the region, this accessible book will be invaluable for courses on contemporary Latin America.

The first full-length study of World War II from the Latin American perspective, this unique volume offers an in-depth analysis of the region during wartime. Each country responded to World War II according to its own national interests, which often conflicted with those of the Allies, including the United States. The contributors systematically consider how each country dealt with commonly shared problems: the Axis threat to the national order, the extent of military cooperation with the Allies, and the war's impact on the national economy and domestic political and social structures. Drawing on both U.S. and Latin American primary sources, the book offers a rigorous comparison of the wartime experiences of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Central America, Gran Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, and Puerto Rico.

The first full-length study of World War II from the Latin American perspective, this unique volume offers an in-depth analysis of the region during wartime. Each country responded to World War II according to its own national interests, which often conflicted with those of the Allies, including the United States. The contributors systematically consider how each country dealt with commonly shared problems: the Axis threat to the national order, the extent of military cooperation with the Allies, and the war's impact on the national economy and domestic political and social structures. Drawing on both U.S. and Latin American primary sources, the book offers a rigorous comparison of the wartime experiences of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Central America, Gran Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, and Puerto Rico.

Featuring the original primary research of a number of leading scholars, this innovative volume integrates gender and sexuality into the main currents of historical interpretation concerning Latin America. The book argues that gender and sexuality—rather than simply supplementing existing explanations of political, social, cultural, and economic phenomena—are central to understanding these processes. Focusing on subjects as varied as murder, motherhood and the death penalty in early Republican Venezuela, dueling in Uruguay, midwifery in Brazil, youth culture in Mexico, and revolution in Nicaragua, contributors explore the many ways that gender and sexuality have been essential to the operation of power in Latin America over the last two hundred years. The linked questions of agency, identity, the body, and ethnicity are woven throughout their analysis. By analyzing a rich array of medical, criminological, juridical, social scientific, and human rights discourses throughout Latin America, the authors challenge students as well as scholars to reconsider our understanding of the past through the lenses of gender and sexuality. Making the case for the centrality of gender and sexuality to any study of political and social relations, this volume also will help chart the future direction of research in Latin American history since Independence.

Featuring the original primary research of a number of leading scholars, this innovative volume integrates gender and sexuality into the main currents of historical interpretation concerning Latin America. The book argues that gender and sexuality—rather than simply supplementing existing explanations of political, social, cultural, and economic phenomena—are central to understanding these processes. Focusing on subjects as varied as murder, motherhood and the death penalty in early Republican Venezuela, dueling in Uruguay, midwifery in Brazil, youth culture in Mexico, and revolution in Nicaragua, contributors explore the many ways that gender and sexuality have been essential to the operation of power in Latin America over the last two hundred years. The linked questions of agency, identity, the body, and ethnicity are woven throughout their analysis. By analyzing a rich array of medical, criminological, juridical, social scientific, and human rights discourses throughout Latin America, the authors challenge students as well as scholars to reconsider our understanding of the past through the lenses of gender and sexuality. Making the case for the centrality of gender and sexuality to any study of political and social relations, this volume also will help chart the future direction of research in Latin American history since Independence.

Moving beyond the tequila-soaked clichés of Mexican tourism, this multifaceted book explores the influence and experiences of Americans in Mexico since World War II. The authors trace Mexico's growing role as an important refuge for Americans seeking not only sun and fun but also an alternative cultural and social model. And on the other side of the border, Mexican citizens and politicians have responded in creative and unexpected ways to growing numbers of migrants from their northern neighbor. Delving into the rich and varied worlds of political exiles, students, art dealers, retiree/artist colonies, and tourist zones, this work illustrates why large numbers of Americans have been irresistibly drawn to Mexico for the past sixty years. Specialists in literature, anthropology, history, and geography bring their unique perspectives to the stories of both short- and long-term migrants. Together their essays illuminate the complex goals and impact of American tourism, offering a fascinating interpretation to all those interested in modern Mexican history, border studies, tourism, and retirement in Mexico.Contributions by: Diana Anhalt, Dina M. Berger, Nicholas Dagen Bloom, Michael Chibnik, Drewey Wayne Gunn, Janet Henshall Momsen, Rebecca M. Schreiber, Rebecca Torres, David Truly, and Richard W. Wilkie

Moving beyond the tequila-soaked clichés of Mexican tourism, this multifaceted book explores the influence and experiences of Americans in Mexico since World War II. The authors trace Mexico's growing role as an important refuge for Americans seeking not only sun and fun but also an alternative cultural and social model. And on the other side of the border, Mexican citizens and politicians have responded in creative and unexpected ways to growing numbers of migrants from their northern neighbor. Delving into the rich and varied worlds of political exiles, students, art dealers, retiree/artist colonies, and tourist zones, this work illustrates why large numbers of Americans have been irresistibly drawn to Mexico for the past sixty years. Specialists in literature, anthropology, history, and geography bring their unique perspectives to the stories of both short- and long-term migrants. Together their essays illuminate the complex goals and impact of American tourism, offering a fascinating interpretation to all those interested in modern Mexican history, border studies, tourism, and retirement in Mexico.Contributions by: Diana Anhalt, Dina M. Berger, Nicholas Dagen Bloom, Michael Chibnik, Drewey Wayne Gunn, Janet Henshall Momsen, Rebecca M. Schreiber, Rebecca Torres, David Truly, and Richard W. Wilkie

This nuanced book considers the role of religion and religiosity in modern Mexico, breaking new ground with an emphasis on popular religion and its relationship to politics. The contributors highlight the multifaceted role of religion, illuminating the ways that religion and religious devotion have persisted and changed since Mexican independence. They explore such themes as the relationship between church and state, the resurgence of religiosity and religious societies in the post-reform period, the religious values of the liberals of the 1850s, and the ways that popular expressions of religion often trumped formal and universal proscriptions. Focusing on individual stories and vignettes and on local elements of religion, the contributors show that despite efforts to secularize society, religion continues to be a strong component of Mexican culture. Portraying the complexity of religiosity in Mexico in the context of an increasingly secular state, this book will be invaluable for all those interested in Latin American history and religion.Contributions by: Silvia Marina Arrom, Adrian Bantjes, Alejandro Cortázar, Jason Dormady, Martin Austin Nesvig, Matthew D. O'Hara, Daniela Traffano, Paul J. Vanderwood, Mark Overmyer-Velázquez, Pamela Voekel, and Edward Wright-Rios

This nuanced book considers the role of religion and religiosity in modern Mexico, breaking new ground with an emphasis on popular religion and its relationship to politics. The contributors highlight the multifaceted role of religion, illuminating the ways that religion and religious devotion have persisted and changed since Mexican independence. They explore such themes as the relationship between church and state, the resurgence of religiosity and religious societies in the post-reform period, the religious values of the liberals of the 1850s, and the ways that popular expressions of religion often trumped formal and universal proscriptions. Focusing on individual stories and vignettes and on local elements of religion, the contributors show that despite efforts to secularize society, religion continues to be a strong component of Mexican culture. Portraying the complexity of religiosity in Mexico in the context of an increasingly secular state, this book will be invaluable for all those interested in Latin American history and religion.Contributions by: Silvia Marina Arrom, Adrian Bantjes, Alejandro Cortázar, Jason Dormady, Martin Austin Nesvig, Matthew D. O'Hara, Daniela Traffano, Paul J. Vanderwood, Mark Overmyer-Velázquez, Pamela Voekel, and Edward Wright-Rios

Beyond Slavery traces the enduring impact and legacy of the African diaspora in Latin America and the Caribbean in the modern era. In a rich set of essays, the volume explores the multiple ways that Africans have affected political, economic, and cultural life throughout the region. Focusing on areas traditionally associated with Afro-Latin American culture such as Brazil and the Caribbean basin, this innovative work also highlights places such as Rio de La Plata and Central America, where the African legacy has been important but little studied.The contributors engage readers interested in the African diaspora in a series of vigorous debates ranging from agency and resistance to transculturation, displacement, cross-national dialogue, and popular culture. Documenting the array of diverse voices of Afro-Latin Americans throughout the region, this interdisciplinary book brings to life both their histories and contemporary experiences.Contributions by: Aviva Chomsky, Darién J. Davis, Dario Euraque, Sujatha Fernandes, David Geggus, Aline Helg, Ricardo D. Salvatore, Eduardo Silva, Jason Stanyek, Camilla Townsend, Bobby Vaughn, Ben Vinson III, and Judith Michelle Williams

Beyond Slavery traces the enduring impact and legacy of the African diaspora in Latin America and the Caribbean in the modern era. In a rich set of essays, the volume explores the multiple ways that Africans have affected political, economic, and cultural life throughout the region. Focusing on areas traditionally associated with Afro-Latin American culture such as Brazil and the Caribbean basin, this innovative work also highlights places such as Rio de La Plata and Central America, where the African legacy has been important but little studied.The contributors engage readers interested in the African diaspora in a series of vigorous debates ranging from agency and resistance to transculturation, displacement, cross-national dialogue, and popular culture. Documenting the array of diverse voices of Afro-Latin Americans throughout the region, this interdisciplinary book brings to life both their histories and contemporary experiences.Contributions by: Aviva Chomsky, Darién J. Davis, Dario Euraque, Sujatha Fernandes, David Geggus, Aline Helg, Ricardo D. Salvatore, Eduardo Silva, Jason Stanyek, Camilla Townsend, Bobby Vaughn, Ben Vinson III, and Judith Michelle Williams

A history of drugs is a study of cultures in competition, argues editor William O. Walker III. Eminently adaptive, drug cultures have competed with proscriptive cultures to create a legitimate place for themselves, although one that the dominant society may recognize only tacitly. Professor Walker brings together forty-six essays that examine the complex negotiations and changing rhetoric revolving around issues of drugs and their control between the United States and its Latin American neighbors. Drugs in the Western Hemisphere is divided into six parts. Articles are arranged chronologically, offering the reader a compre-hensive overview of the evolution of U.S.-Latin American drug policy from the turn of the century to the Clinton administration. Part I, Cultures in Conflict suggests that clashes between members of drug cultures and proponents of drug control traditionally have occurred within the context of the forma-tion of the modern nation. Part II, Drugs in Latin America, 1920-1940 takes a closer look at inter-American policies revolving around drugs in the 1920s and 1940s. Part III, Wartime Experience and Part IV, Confrontation and Controversy examine how World War II both affected U.S.-Latin American drug policy and set the tone for many years to come. Part V, Drugs and Security and Part VI, Drugs in the Americas: An Assessment takes the reader through to the Clinton administration. Writers here note the concerted efforts of the United States to establish hegemony over drug control throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Dr. Linda A. Rodr_guez has assembled a new collection of essays that finally provides the historical context necessary to understand the Latin American military. The articles included here examine a variety of time periods and nations, from the counterinsurgency army of New Spain, to the nineteenth-century War of the Pacific, to the modern relationship between the military and development. The contributors look at the ways in which Latin America's armed forces have changed over time, and how external threats as well as internal rivalries have shaped the military. Together, these essays trace the roots of the military's power and the growth of its political influence.

The U.S.-Mexican borderlands form the region where the United States and Latin America have interacted with the greatest intensity. In U.S.-Mexico Borderlands, Oscar Martinez has brought together both scholarly essays and primary documents that address the protracted conflict rooted in the vast difference in power between Mexico and its northern neighbor. Each of the seven parts of this new reader explores a key issue in borderlands studies and contains several essays followed by documents such as treaties, government reports, newspaper articles, and interviews.

This volume of readings examines the revolutions, civil wars, guerrilla struggles, insurgencies, counter-insurgencies, and interventions of this period. Offering a solid perspective on the Independence period, The Wars of Independence is an excellent text for Latin American survey courses and courses focusing on the colonial era.

In Where Cultures Meet, editors Weber and Rausch have collected twenty essays that explore how the frontier experience has helped create Latin American national identities and institutions. Using 'frontier' to mean more than 'border,' Weber and Rausch regard frontiers as the geographic zones of interaction between distinct cultures. Each essay in the volume illuminates the recipro-cal influences of the 'pioneer' culture and the 'frontier' culture, as they contend with each other and their physical environment. The transformative power of frontiers gives them special interest for historians and anthropologists. Delving into the frontier experience below the Rio Grande, Where Cultures Meet is an important collection for anyone seeking to understand fully Latin American history and culture.

Understanding the role of women in Latin American history demands a full examination of their activities in the region's political, economic, and domestic spheres. Toward this end, historian Gertrude M. Yeager has assembled the multidisciplinary collection Confronting Change, Challenging Tradition. The essays in this volume explore the ways in which Latin American women have shaped-and have been shaped by-the traditional practices and ideologies of their cultures. The selections are arranged in two sections: Culture and the Status of Women, and Reconstructing the Past.

From the arrival of Hispanicized Africans during the Age of Discovery to today's renewal of racial identities, the history of Africans in Latin America has been complex, their contributions numerous. It is precisely this complexity that the essays in Slavery and Beyond analyze, exploring geographical, regional, and other factors. The editor has selected ten topics through which to study the African dimension of Latin America, including the colonial era, religion, music, and intermarriage. Each topic is explained by the editor and then discussed in articles drawn from academic journals, monographs, and papers.

From the arrival of Hispanicized Africans during the Age of Discovery to today's renewal of racial identities, the history of Africans in Latin America has been complex, their contributions numerous. It is precisely this complexity that the essays in Slavery and Beyond analyze, exploring geographical, regional, and other factors. The editor has selected ten topics through which to study the African dimension of Latin America, including the colonial era, religion, music, and intermarriage. Each topic is explained by the editor and then discussed in articles drawn from academic journals, monographs, and papers.

When the Spaniards settled in Latin America, they immediately surrounded themselves with cities. Equating civilization with urban existence, the early conquerors of the New World rapidly established themselves as urban lords. Latin American cities then became synonymous with Spanish power and all of its privileged attributes: political authority, ecclesiastical activity, commerce, finance, and conspicuous consumption. This volume represents some of the most enduring reflections on the Latin American city. All of the essays were written by public officials, journalists, and social commentators, among others, who participated actively in the affairs of the cities they so perceptively describe. The collection offers critical analyses spanning hundreds of years, beginning with the era of the conquistadores in Tenochtitl_n and continuing to the deafening bustle of today's urban crowds in Mexico City. Professors Gilbert Joseph and Mark Szuchman offer translations of classic pieces by writers previously little known to Western audiences: Cobo, Garc_a, Santos Vilhena, and Leite de Barros.

Events such as the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement have made it imperative for students to grasp the history and possible directions of Latin American political change. This title gives readers both the background and the analytical models necessary for an accurate understanding of this area's political past and future. To examine the problems posed by political development, Professor Camp has divided this volume into four parts. The first section sets the tone, with two introductory essays providing an overview of the problems and dilemmas posed by democratization. The other three parts explore important aspects of this overall process.

How has mass communication evolved in Latin America? How has the political climate in that region shaped the role of the mass media? What factors unite these many diverse countries? What are the special challenges facing this turbulent area? In Communication in Latin America: Journalism, Mass Media, and Society, editor Richard R. Cole has assembled a selection of articles that explore these issues. The book focuses on journalism, given the traditional strength of the press in Latin America. The twelve comprehensive essays-written exclusively for this publication-examine either an aspect of the mass media in the region or the media in a particular country during a number of stages of its political development. Divided into two parts, the book begins with a thorough overview of the state of mass communication in the entire region. Articles in the first section focus on broad issues such as the changing role of women in the media; the value of professional organizations, including colegios, in journalism; and the usefulness of propaganda in effecting political change. Essays in the second section explore situations in individual countries, including freedom of the press in Mexico and Chile, and the Argentine media's struggle to define its role under the new democratic government. Cole concludes the book with his forecast of the future of mass communication in Latin America. Communication in Latin America: Journalism, Mass Media, and Society is a valuable tool for students of international communi-cation and an excellent supplement for classes in Latin American studies, anthropology, and political science.

Colonial Spanish America is a book of readings about people—people from different worlds who came together to form a society by chance and by design in the years after 1492. The book is meant to enrich, not repeat, the work of existing texts on this period, and its focus on people makes it stand out from other books that have concentrated on the political and economic aspects of the culture. This text provides a detailed look at the cultural development of colonial Latin America using readings, documents, historical analysis, and visual materials, including photographs, drawings, and paintings. The book makes interesting and exciting use of the illustrations and documents, which show social changes, puzzling developments, and the experience of living in the colonial society. Religion and society are the integral themes of Colonial Spanish America. Religion becomes the nexus for much of what has been treated as political, social, economic, and cultural history during this period. Society is just as inclusive, allowing the reader to meet a variety of individuals-not faceless social groups. While some familiar faces and voices are included-namely those of Spanish conquerors, chroniclers, and missionaries-other, less familiar points of view complement and complicate the better-known narratives of this history. In treating Iberia and America, before as well as after their meeting, apparent contradictions emerge as opportunities for understanding; different perspectives become prompts for wider discussion. Other themes include exploration; military and spiritual conquest; and the formation, consolidation, reform, and collapse of colonial institutions of government and the Church, and the accompanying changes in the economy and labor. Colonial Spanish America: A Documentary History is an excellent tool for Latin American history survey courses.

Latin America has long been strongly identified with the Roman Catholic Church. Yet the face of religion is changing in the region, as is evidenced by new landmarks that now appear on the social and geographic landscape. To date, most books on major religions in Latin America are specific to one religion only, and do not offer a comparative analysis. On Earth as It Is in Heaven: Religion in Modern Latin America not only examines the region's religious m,lange, but also gives equal coverage to other religious variations. The nine articles in this volume examine the variety of religious expression in Latin America, focusing upon Catholicism, popular Indian and African religious forms, and new elements such as Protestantism and Mormonism. Offering a comprehensive focus on one of the most prevalent social institutions in Latin American society, On Earth as It Is in Heaven is an excellent text for courses in Latin American history, religion, anthropology, sociology, and political science.

The only reader currently available on criminality in Latin America, Reconstructing Criminality in Latin America reconstructs the way in which different Latin American societies have viewed, described, defined, and reacted to criminal behavior. Crime in Latin America is explored in terms of gender, race, class, and criminological theory. The highly readable essays in this book explore how Catholic notions of sin, natural law, the 'divine' rights of absolutist monarchs, liberal rights of 'man,' positivism, and social Darwinism received a sympathetic, even enthusiastic, endorsement from policy makers throughout Latin America. Reconstructing Criminality in Latin America also shows how new methodologies have given scholars deeper insight into the significance of crime in Latin American societies. The selections testify that the insights of scholars like Eric Hobsbawm and Michel Foucault are the foundations of modern histories of crime in Latin America. This book is ideal for criminal justice, sociology, and Latin American social history courses.

Few publications cover the full span of the history of revolutionary movements in Latin America. In Revolution and Revolutionaries, editor Daniel Castro examines all aspects of guerrilla warfare-from revolutionary programs to the repressive tactics used by various governments to rid themselves of the threats presented by revolutionary movements. In addition to illustrating specific cases of guerrilla struggles, Revolution and Revolutionaries also analyzes the political and social conditions that made the outbreak of revolutionary movements throughout the region unavoidable. Finally, Castro examines the remaining guerrilla movements still active in Latin America as the century comes to a close. Revolution and Revolutionaries revives the debate about the viability of revolutionary violence in Latin America, and will interest those studying Latin American history and sociology, and political science.

Few publications cover the full span of the history of revolutionary movements in Latin America. In Revolution and Revolutionaries, editor Daniel Castro examines all aspects of guerrilla warfare-from revolutionary programs to the repressive tactics used by various governments to rid themselves of the threats presented by revolutionary movements. In addition to illustrating specific cases of guerrilla struggles, Revolution and Revolutionaries also analyzes the political and social conditions that made the outbreak of revolutionary movements throughout the region unavoidable. Finally, Castro examines the remaining guerrilla movements still active in Latin America as the century comes to a close. Revolution and Revolutionaries revives the debate about the viability of revolutionary violence in Latin America, and will interest those studying Latin American history and sociology, and political science.

The efforts of Indians in Latin America have gained momentum and garnered increasing attention in the last decade as they claim rights to their land and demand full participation in the political process. This issue is of rising importance as ecological concerns and autochtonous movements gain a foothold in Latin America, transforming the political landscape into one in which multiethnic democracies hold sway. In some cases, these movements have led to violent outbursts that severely affected some nations, such as the 1992 and 1994 Indian uprisings in Ecuador. In most cases, however, grassroots efforts have realized success without bloodshed. An Aymara Indian, head of an indigenous-rights political party, became Vice President of Bolivia. Brazilian lands are being set aside for indigenous groups not as traditional reservations where the government attempts to 'civilize' the hunters and gatherers, but where the government serves only to keep loggers, gold miners, and other interlopers out of tribal lands. Contemporary Indigenous Movements in Latin America is a collection of essays compiled by Professor Erick D. Langer that brings together-for the first time-contributions on indigenous movements throughout Latin America from all regions. Focusing on the 1990s, Professor Langer illustrates the range and increasing significance of the Indian movements in Latin America. The volume addresses the ways in which Indians have confronted the political, social, and economic problems they face today, and shows the diversity of the movements, both in lowlands and in highlands, tribal peoples, and peasants. The book presents an analytical overview of these movements, as well as a vision of how and why they have become so important in the late twentieth century. Contemporary Indigenous Movements in Latin America is important for those interested in Latin American studies, including Latin American civilization, Latin American anthropology, contemporary issues in Latin America, and ethnic studies.

Sport in Latin America and the Caribbean is the most comprehensive overview to date of the development of modern sports in Latin America. This new book illustrates how and why sport has become a central part of the political, economic, and social life of the region and the repercussions of its role. This highly readable volume is composed of articles on a wide variety of sports-basketball, baseball, volleyball, cricket, soccer, and equestrian events-in countries and regions throughout Latin America, including Mexico, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Peru, Brazil, Cuba, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. Broad in scope, this volume explores the definition of modern sport; whether sport is enslaving, liberating, or neutral; if sport reflects or challenges dominant culture; the attributes and drawbacks of professional versus amateur sport; and the difference between sport in capitalist and socialist nations. Other subjects that are addressed as they pertain to modern sport include: diffusion and globalization/internationalization; hegemony, dependency, and nationalism; politics and the state; culture, ethnicity, and race; economic class; gender; commercialization, modernization, and professionalization; health, morality, crime and vice; economics and labor productivity; and the media.