THE AMERICAS WITHIN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

The module is part of the minor "The Americas between Rhetoric, Politics and Myth" which has as its main objective the understanding of the making of identities in the different realities of the American continent. This specific module analyzes processes of identity formation through the foreign policy of the US and the Latin American world. In particular, emphasis will be given to the processes, structures and events occurring between the end of World War II and the first decade of the twenty-first century.

In relation to the Latin American world, the course addresses the relationship between identity and foreign policy both in the context of the early projects of international cooperation in the revolutionary Latin America of the 1960s, and in the subsequent conflictual situation arising in the context of the political openings and end of the dictatorships in the 1980s. Then, the educational path will lead us to analyze the construction of cooperation projects under the pressure of neoliberal policies in the 1990s, and the transformations that followed the arrival to power of several progressive forces in the early 21st century, which have also determined changes in relations with the United States, Europe and China.

In relation to the US the course will focus on the rise of the United States as a dominant player in world politics during the Second World War, on the genesis of the rivalry with the Soviet Union after the war and the successes and limits of US influence in the world from 1947 to the early 21st century.

The teaching imparted provides the tools necessary to the understanding of contemporary international politics of the American continent and to recognize the analytical interpretations of some key problems of the continent such as political economy, the cooperation projects and relationships with others. At the end of the course students will have acquired the skills to understand the context and the foreign policy aspects of the American continent since the war and to develop their personal arguments about these topics. In addition, they will be able also also compile independently their bibiographic collections for the continuation of studies on the topics addressed in the course.

The course requires a basic degree of historical knowledge, as from high-school programs.

- Global System: a view from Latin America
- Latin American Foreign Affairs: the European and North American cases
- Emerging subjects in Latin American transnational relations
- The US's rise to power and its limits
- US-Soviet relations
- The US and its relations with the rest of the world

Gardini, Gian Luca. "L'America Latina nel XXI secolo. Nazioni, regionalismo e globalizzazione", Roma, Carocci, 2009

Mario Del Pero, "Libertà e impero. Gli Stati Uniti e il Mondo 1776-2011", Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2011

The exam is in written form, has a duration of 3 hours and requires the students to answer three essay questions. It is finalized to verify the comprehension of the topics dealt with in the course, as well as the student's capacity for critical analysis and use of the teaching material.

Frontal lectures, reading labs for relevant texts and documents, projection of videos pertinent to the course's topics.

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development