HUM 560X Humanities Colloquium: Dirty Wars in Latin America
This course examines the history of Dirty Wars in twentieth century Latin America. These wars developed in the context of the U.S. “sphere of influence” in the Cold War and were defined by a disregard for normal legal rules of war and cultural taboos, and led to extreme violations of human rights. Dirty Wars from Mexico to Argentina left war-torn nations seeking truth, reconciliation and justice in the years since. Central questions include: What led states to carry out Dirty Wars? How have historians and political scientists analyzed this phenomenon and what conclusions have they reached? What are the limits of representation, reconciliation, and “truth-telling” in societies recovering from Dirty War? How have survivors of Dirty Wars engaged the arts and politics to make sense of their traumatic past? Readings will include testimonio literature in post-traumatic societies, political science analyses of “antipolitics” and state repression, as well as histories of resistance and (limited) national reconciliation.
Offered
As Needed